Glen Ridge High School

Glen Ridge High School
Address
Map
200 Ridgewood Avenue

Glen Ridge
,
Essex County
,
New Jersey
07028

United States
Coordinates40°47′56″N 74°12′22″W / 40.799017°N 74.206059°W / 40.799017; -74.206059
Information
TypePublic high school
Established1895
NCES School ID340594002092[1]
PrincipalJohn Lawlor
Faculty68.7 FTEs[1]
Grades7 - 12
Enrollment811 (as of 2023–24)[1]
Student to teacher ratio11.8:1[1]
Color(s)  Red and
  white[2]
Athletics conferenceSuper Essex Conference (general)
North Jersey Super Football Conference (football)
MascotRidger
Team nameRidgers[2]
PublicationIn Between (literary magazine)[3]
Websitegrhs.glenridge.org

Glen Ridge High School (GRHS) is a comprehensive six-year public middle school / high school serving students in seventh through twelfth grades from Glen Ridge, in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as the lone secondary school of the Glen Ridge Public Schools. GRHS is accredited by the New Jersey Department of Education.

As of the 2023–24 school year, the school had an enrollment of 811 students and 68.7 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.8:1. There were 3 students (0.4% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and none eligible for reduced-cost lunch.[1]

The school's standardized test scores exceed both the state and national averages. The Class of 2013's average SAT scores were 575 on the math section, 579 on the critical reading section and 565 on writing, totaling 1719 on the three sections combined (compared to a New Jersey averages of 495 math, 521 reading and 496 writing for 1512 overall). Among students taking the SAT, 69% of students met or exceed the combined score of 1550 considered by the College Board to indicate likely college success, vs. 44% statewide.[4] The graduation rate for the class of 2013 was 97%, with 91.2% of students passing the New Jersey High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).[4]

History

After Glen Ridge was established as a borough in 1895 and an independent school district was formed, students in grades 9-12 were sent to attend Montclair High School on a tuition basis. Constructed in 1900, the Glen Ridge School served students in all 12 grades; the building, as expanded, became Glen Ridge High School in the 1920s. A 1966 referendum approved the construction of a new high school building, which was completed at a cost of $2.8 million (equivalent to $24.5 million in 2023) and opened in November 1968, at which point the old building was repurposed as Glen Ridge Middle School.[5]

Awards, recognition and rankings

The school was named one of America's Most Challenging High Schools by the Washington Post, ranked 16th in New Jersey and 508th nationally.[6] It was also named one of the Best High Schools by U.S. News & World Report, 14th in New Jersey and 317th nationally.[6] The school was ranked 30th Best Public School in New Jersey by Niche.com, while the school's teachers were ranked 10th best in the state.[citation needed] The school had been ranked 12th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 4th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.[7] The magazine ranked the school 5th in 2008 out of 316 schools.[8] The school was ranked 10th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which included 316 schools across the state.[9] Schooldigger.com ranked the school tied for 113th out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (a decrease of 21 positions from the 2010 ranking) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the mathematics (87.9%) and language arts literacy (94.0%) components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).[10]

In the 2011 "Ranking America's High Schools" issue by The Washington Post, the school was ranked 37th in New Jersey and 1,193rd nationwide.[11] The school was ranked 452nd in Newsweek's 2009 ranking of the top 1,500 high schools in the United States and was the 10th-ranked school in New Jersey, with 2.219 AP tests taken in 2008 per graduating senior and 30% of all graduating seniors passing at least one AP exam; The school was ranked 751st nationwide in 2008.[12] In Newsweek's 2007 ranking of the country's top 1,200 high schools, Glen Ridge High School was listed in 871st place, the 23rd-highest ranked school in New Jersey.[13]

In its 2013 report on "America's Best High Schools", The Daily Beast ranked the school 836th in the nation among participating public high schools and 62nd among schools in New Jersey.[14] The school was ranked 255th in the nation and 24th in New Jersey on the list of "America's Best High Schools 2012" prepared by The Daily Beast / Newsweek, with rankings based primarily on graduation rate, matriculation rate for college and number of Advanced Placement / International Baccalaureate courses taken per student, with lesser factors based on average scores on the SAT / ACT, average AP/IB scores and the number of AP/IB courses available to students.[15]

Athletics

The Glen Ridge High School Ridgers[2] compete in the Super Essex Conference, which consists of public and private high schools in Essex County and operates under the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).[16] Prior to the NJSIAA's 2010 realignment, the school had competed in the Colonial Hills Conference which included public and private high schools covering Essex County, Morris County and Somerset County in west Central Jersey.[17] With 407 students in grades 10–12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Group II for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 75 to 476 students in that grade range.[18] The football team competes in the Ivy White division of the North Jersey Super Football Conference, which includes 112 schools competing in 20 divisions, making it the nation's biggest football-only high school sports league.[19][20] The football team is one of the 12 programs assigned to the two Ivy divisions starting in 2020, which are intended to allow weaker programs ineligible for playoff participation to compete primarily against each other.[21] The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Group I North for football for 2024–2026, which included schools with 254 to 474 students.[22] The mascot is the Ridger (a two-headed zebra).[2]

The school participates in a joint ice hockey team with Verona High School as the host school / lead agency. The co-op program operates under agreements scheduled to expire at the end of the 2023–24 school year.[23] The co-op hockey team competes in the NJIHL Kelly Division.[24] Each year the team hosts the Holiday Tournament at the Richard J. Codey Arena in West Orange. The 2004–2005 season saw the team win its first conference championship.[25] The Verona / Glen Ridge co-op ice hockey team won the McMullen Cup in 2009, the Kelly Cup in 2020, 2022, 2024 and the McInnis Cup in 2016.[26] In February 2024, the team outlasted the Glen Rock High School Panthers to win the Kelly Cup in the longest ice hockey game in state history, winning 2-1 in the fifth overtime period.[27]

The boys track team won the Group III spring / outdoor track state championship in 1923, 1924 and 1929, and won the Group I title in 1951, 1959-1966 and 1968. The 15 state titles won by the program are the third-most statewide, while the eight consecutive titles won from 1959 to 1966 is the longest streak in the state.[28]

The boys' basketball team won the Group I state championship in 1944 (against Dumont High School in the finals of the playoffs), 1958 (vs. Dunellen High School) and 1988 (vs. Burlington Township High School).[29] The 1944 team won the Group I title before a crowd of 1,200 at the Elizabeth Armory with a 41–40 victory against Dumont in the championship game.[30] The 1958 team defeated Dunellen by a score of 80–68 in the finals to win the Group I title.[31] In 1988, the team finished at 24-3 after defeating Burlington Township 59–58 in the Group I finals played at Rider College.[32]

The baseball team won the North II Group I sectional title in 1959, 1961, 1963, 1964 and 1969. The team won the Group I state championship in 1975 (defeating runner-up Manville High School in the tournament final), 1981 (vs. Kingsway Regional High School), 1983 (vs. Burlington Township High School), 1988 (vs. Penns Grove High School) and 1993 (vs. Audubon High School). The program's five state titles is tied for 10th-most statewide.[33]

The football team won the NJSIAA North II Group I state sectional championships in 1977, 1980 and 1982.[34]

The boys tennis team won the Group I state championship in 1978 (against runner-up Penns Grove High School by 4+1⁄2-1⁄2 in the final match of the tournament[35]) and 1979 (opponent not specified).[36]

The girls' soccer team won the Group I state championships in 2001 (defeating Pennsville High School in the tournament final), in 2012 (vs. Shore Regional High School) and 2013 (as co-champion with Shore Regional).[37] In 2007, the team won the North II, Group I state sectional championship with a 3–1 win over second-seeded North Arlington High School in the tournament final.[38][39]

The girls tennis team won the Group I state championship in 2009 (against Point Pleasant Beach High School in the final match of the tournament) and 2013 (vs. Pennsville Memorial High School).[40]

The girls' lacrosse team won the Group I state championship in both 2011 and 2012, defeating Pingry School both years in the tournament final.[41]

The boys' lacrosse team defeated Mountain Lakes High School to win the Group I state championship in 2011.[42]

The boys soccer team won the Group I state title in 2019, defeating runner-up Bound Brook High School by a score of 2–1 in the tournament championship game, the program's first finals appearance.[43][44]

Glen Ridge rape case

Main article: Glen Ridge rape

In 1989, a group of football players from the school were involved in the sexual assault of a developmentally disabled female student, with three of the athletes convicted of sexual assault in the case.[45] Author Bernard Lefkowitz wrote about their crime in Our Guys: The Glen Ridge Rape and the Secret Life of the Perfect Suburb, which was later produced as Our Guys, a 1999 made-for-television movie.[46] The case was the basis for the Season Eight Law & Order episode "Damaged", starring Lauren Ambrose in the role of the mentally disabled student.[citation needed]

Administration

The school's principal is John Lawlor. Core members of the school's administration team include the two assistant principals.[47]

Notable alumni

See also: Category:Glen Ridge High School alumni

References

  1. ^ a b c d e School data for Glen Ridge High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 15, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d Glen Ridge High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  3. ^ Literary Magazine, Glen Ridge High School. Accessed March 28, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Glen Ridge High School 2013 School Performance Report, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed June 14, 2011.
  5. ^ Education, Glen Ridge Historical Society. Accessed March 28, 2022.
  6. ^ a b School Performance Reports for Glen Ridge High School Archived May 14, 2021, at the Wayback Machine, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 27, 2022.
  7. ^ Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed November 6, 2012.
  8. ^ Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed June 14, 2011.
  9. ^ "Top New Jersey High Schools 2008: By Rank", New Jersey Monthly, September 2008, posted August 7, 2008. Accessed August 19, 2008.
  10. ^ New Jersey High School Rankings: 11th Grade HSPA Language Arts Literacy & HSPA Math 2010-2011, Schooldigger.com. Accessed March 4, 2012.
  11. ^ Mathews, Jay. "The High School Challenge 2011: Glen Ridge High School", The Washington Post. Accessed August 17, 2011.
  12. ^ Staff. "The Top of the Class: The complete list of the 1,500 top U.S. high schools" Archived September 12, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, Newsweek, June 8, 2009. Accessed June 10, 2009.
  13. ^ "The Top of the Class: The complete list of the 1,200 top U.S. schools" Archived May 23, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Newsweek, May 22, 2007. Accessed May 24, 2007.
  14. ^ Streib, Lauren. "America's Best High Schools" Archived May 8, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, The Daily Beast, May 6, 2013. Accessed May 9, 2013.
  15. ^ Staff. "America's Best High Schools 2012" Archived May 21, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, The Daily Beast / Newsweek, May 20, 2012. Accessed May 24, 2012.
  16. ^ League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  17. ^ Home Page, Colonial Hills Conference, backed up by the Internet Archive, as of November 19, 2010. Accessed December 15, 2014.
  18. ^ NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
  19. ^ Cooper, Darren. "Here's what we know about the new Super Football Conference 2020 schedule", The Record, July 23, 2020. Accessed March 22, 2021. "The Super Football Conference (SFC) is a 112-team group, the largest high school football-only conference in America, and is comprised of teams from five different counties."
  20. ^ Cooper, Darren. "NJ football: Super Football Conference revised schedules for 2020 regular season", The Record, July 23, 2020. Accessed March 22, 2021. "The Super Football Conference has 112 teams that will play across 20 divisions."
  21. ^ Cooper, Darren. "Super Football Conference creating 'Ivy Division' for struggling programs", The Record, May 1, 2019. Accessed March 24, 2021. "Seeking to restore participation and enthusiasm to high school football programs that have struggled to compete consistently, the Super Football Conference announced plans to start a 12-team 'Ivy Division' in the 2020 season. Teams that compete in the 'Ivy Division' will play exclusively against each other and won't participate in the NJISAA football playoffs.... Twelve schools from Bergen, Hudson, Essex and Morris counties have applied to compete in the Ivy Division: Bergen Tech, Cliffside Park, Dickinson, Fair Lawn, Ferris, Memorial, Dover, Dwight-Morrow, Fort Lee, Glen Ridge, Marist and Tenafly."
  22. ^ NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2024–2026, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.
  23. ^ NJSIAA Winter Cooperative Sports Programs, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 1, 2020.
  24. ^ https://highschoolsports.nj.com/boysicehockey/standings/season/2023-2024?conference=NJIIHL [bare URL]
  25. ^ Yardley, Jon. 2004-05 New Jersey Scores, High School Hockey Online. Accessed November 19, 2014.
  26. ^ NJSIAA Ice Hockey State Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
  27. ^ 'Verona co-op ends longest ice hockey game in state history with Kelly Cup", NJ Advance media for NJ.com, February 16, 2024. Accessed February 21, 2024. "Jack Budinick drove to the net and slid in a rebound to end the longest ice hockey game in state history. More importantly, it lifted Verona-Glen Ridge to the Kelly Cup title with a 2-1 victory over Glen Rock at Codey Arena in West Orange."
  28. ^ NJSIAA Boys Spring Track Summary of Group Titles, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023. As of date accessed, the page lists a nine-year streak from 1959 to 1967, but shows Glassboro as the winner in 1967.
  29. ^ Boys Basketball Championship History: 1919–2024, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated March 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.
  30. ^ "Dumont Loses to Glen Ridge", Asbury Park Press, March 26, 1944. Accessed December 27, 2020, via Newspapers.com. "Glen Ridge High School was the first team to capture a championship in the 25th annual N. J. S. I. A. A. basketball tourney, as the Ridgers nosed out Dumont high school, 41-40 in the Croup I final at the Elizabeth Armory yesterdav afternoon before more than 1,200 fans who turned out for the two afternoon tussles. It was the first time that Glen Ridge has ever captured a slate crown and the first time the Ridgers have been in the finals since 1927."
  31. ^ Govland, George. "Glen Ridge Beats Destroyers; Dunellen Loses State Final", Courier News, March 22, 1958. Accessed January 10, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "For the third time since 1947, Dunellen failed to negotiate the final round in the State Group 1 basketball finals but the Destroyers covered themselves with glory in a brilliantly contested 80-68 loss to Glen Ridge at Rutgers here last night."
  32. ^ Tatum, Kevin. "Burl. Township just misses", The Philadelphia Inquirer, March 13, 1988. Accessed March 11, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "For the Burlington Township High basketball team, the feelings ranged from disappointment to disgust after a 59-58 loss to Glen Ridge in the state Group 1 championship game at Rider College yesterday. The Falcons (25-5), the defending champions, appeared to have all the necessary weapons to take their third title in the last four years. But Glen Ridge (24-3) played a patient, physical brand of ball that knocked Township off its game."
  33. ^ Baseball Championship History: 1959–2024, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated June 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.
  34. ^ NJSIAA Football History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 1, 2022.
  35. ^ "Quakers net place in books", Courier-Post, May 30, 1978. Accessed May 9, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "In Group 1 action Saturday, Penns Grove stopped Cresskill, 3-2, in a semifinal then bowed to Glen Ridge, 4 1/2-1/2. in the final."
  36. ^ History of Boys Team Tennis Championship Tournament, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
  37. ^ NJSIAA History of Girls Soccer, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 1, 2022.
  38. ^ Girls Soccer - North II, Group I, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 13, 2007.
  39. ^ Celentano, Rob. "NA shows tenacity in defeat", The Record, November 9, 2007. Accessed December 15, 2014. "Fourth-seeded Glen Ridge defeated second-seeded North Arlington, 3-1, in the North 2, Group 1 soccer final."
  40. ^ Girls Tennis Championship History: 1971–2023, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated November 2023. Accessed September 1, 2024.
  41. ^ NJSIAA Girls Lacrosse Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  42. ^ NJSIAA Boys Lacrosse Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  43. ^ NJSIAA History of Boys Soccer, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 1, 2022.
  44. ^ Aitken Jr., Robert. "Glen Ridge boys soccer stuns Bound Brook, wins first Group 1 title", The Record, November 18, 2019. Accessed November 24, 2020. "The wait was more than worth it for Glen Ridge, who played for a group championship for the first time in their long history. Less than three minutes into the first overtime, a cross by Gavin Robertson went off a Bound Brook defender's foot and into the net. Officially an own goal, it made the Ridgers group champions with an improbable 2-1 win over Bound Brook on Sunday.... The Ridgers are Group 1 champions for the first time in their history. Prior to this season, Glen Ridge had never even reached a group final before."
  45. ^ Hanley, Robert. "4 Are Convicted in Sexual Abuse Of Retarded New Jersey Woman", The New York Times, March 17, 1993. Accessed June 14, 2011.
  46. ^ Mink, Eric. "Film Recounts Sad Saga Of Glen Ridge Rape Troubled-town Tale Has Problems Of Its Own", New York Daily News, May 10, 1999. Accessed June 14, 2011.
  47. ^ Home Page, Glen Ridge High School. Accessed February 21, 2024.
  48. ^ Lio, Augie. "Nothing but praise for Herschel Walker", Herald News, June 2, 1982. Accessed April 8, 2024, via Newspapers.com. "Dooley also had some words of praise for former Glen Ridge High School player Pete Anderson, who is going into his sophomore year at Georgia."
  49. ^ Nash, Margo. "Jersey Footlights", The New York Times, August 22, 2004. Accessed January 25, 2020. "It includes Mr. Cruise's Glen Ridge High School yearbooks along with photos donated by local residents and articles chronicling the career of the actor whose name was Thomas Cruise Mapother IV when he lived in Glen Ridge with his family from about 1978 to 1980."
  50. ^ Gary Cuozzo player profile Archived May 16, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Database-football.com. Accessed May 1, 2007.
  51. ^ Biography Archived November 30, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Senator Michael J. Doherty. Accessed January 25, 2020. "Doherty grew up in Glen Ridge, New Jersey and graduated from Glen Ridge High School in 1981."
  52. ^ Fox, Ron. "Wright Moves Could Vault PV", The Record, February 22, 2001. Accessed December 8, 2007. "Returning champions -- Three-time winners Craig and Chris Wright, twins from Passaic Valley; and State champion Joe Dubuque of Glen Ridge."
  53. ^ Cooper, Mark. "OSU football: Who is Sean Gleeson? A glimpse at Oklahoma State's offensive coordinator via the coaches who hired him", Tulsa World, January 30, 2019. Accessed August 13, 2019. "Gleeson spent a year at Trinity-Pawling after attending Glen Ridge High School in his Glen Ridge, New Jersey hometown."
  54. ^ Roll, Erin. "Contra Band: Vampire Weekend frontsman discusses latest album", Glen Ridge Voice, January 21, 2010. Accessed June 14, 2011. "With songs that draw on almost every musical style under the sun and lyrics that refer to historical uprisings, Louis Vuitton and the Khyber Pass, it's understandable that Vampire Weekend is a little hard to classify. And that, says lead singer – and 2002 Glen Ridge High School graduate – Ezra Koenig, is just how they like it."
  55. ^ Rudy Mancuso, TheVogue.com. Accessed December 20, 2022. "He attended Glen Ridge High School and started playing the piano at the age of five."
  56. ^ "Glen Ridge's Mount Rushmore: Four top Ridgers crowned", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, August 8, 2016, updated August 23, 2019. Accessed April 21, 2020. "Kathy Mueller Rohan, Class of 1974, 3,963 votes: A four-year starter on the girls basketball team, but she made her biggest impact in tennis. She went 18-0 at first singles in her senior season and went on to play at Trenton State, now known as The College of New Jersey. Went on to play on the Women's Professional Tour."
  57. ^ William Hazlett Upson[permanent dead link‍], Treasury of Great Children's Books. Accessed October 4, 2018. "William Hazlett Upson (1891-1975) was born at Glen Ridge, New Jersey on September 6, 1891. He graduated from the Glen Ridge High School in 1909."
  58. ^ Staff. Official Congressional Directory, Volume 103, p. 193. United States Government Printing Office, 1993. ISBN 0-16-041176-9. Accessed June 14, 2011.