The school includes a vocational program, which students from anywhere in Monmouth County (who pay tuition, with the exception of in-district students, and students coming from districts where their respective district pays) can attend as a major in one of the many programs, including the Academy of Visual and Performing Arts, the Academy of Information Technology, Academy of Finance, Engineering, and Graphic Communications. The school also offers a freshman academy which reduces the size of the school for incoming freshmen by dividing them among three houses. In spring 2009, RBR was approved by the International Baccalaureate (IB) North American Division as an IB school and began offering the IB program to juniors and seniors in the fall of 2009.[12] In fall 2009, RBR aunched its three-year academies for sophomores, juniors and seniors in the areas of Math & Science, Humanities & Social Studies, International & Cultural Studies, and Sports Medicine & Management.
As of the 2023–24 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,297 students and 124.8 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.4:1. There were 344 students (26.5% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 84 (6.5% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.[2]
The district had been classified by the New Jersey Department of Education as being in District Factor Group "FG", the fourth-highest of eight groupings. District Factor Groups organize districts statewide to allow comparison by common socioeconomic characteristics of the local districts. From lowest socioeconomic status to highest, the categories are A, B, CD, DE, FG, GH, I and J.[13]
The school district was established in 1969 and used space rented from the Red Bank Borough Public Schools until construction of the new high school building was completed in 1975. This building, at 101 Ridge Road in Little Silver, was constructed on the site of the former Lovett Nursery.[17] The new school replaced one that had opened in 1917, at 101 Harding Road in Red Bank, one mile away on the same road, that now serves as Red Bank Middle School.[citation needed]
Awards, recognition and rankings
In the 2011 "Ranking America's High Schools" issue by The Washington Post, the school was ranked 45th in New Jersey and 1,394th nationwide.[18] RBR was named to Newsweek's list of top high schools in the country in its June 2010 article "America's Best High Schools 2010", ranked number 1,557 in the country.[19]
The school was the 88th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 339 schools statewide in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2014 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", using a new ranking methodology.[20] The school had been ranked 41st in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 61st in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.[21] The magazine ranked the school 64th in 2008 out of 316 schools.[22] The school was ranked 84th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which included 316 schools across the state.[23] Schooldigger.com ranked the school 135th out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (an increase of 33 positions from the 2010 ranking) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the mathematics (84.9%) and language arts literacy (94.1%) components of the High School Proficiency Assessment.[24]
In the spring of 2010, Red Bank Regional received the designation of model program resource center for its English Language Learning Program. The designation was determined by the New Jersey Language Model Program Committee, and extends from 2010 to 2012. Additionally, the RBR Visual and Performing Arts Academy was recently honored by the New Jersey Art Education Partnership as a Model School in the Arts.
Curriculum
Red Bank Regional High School offers full year and semester courses. A wide variety of courses are offered to serve the needs and interests of the student body, including the AVID college preparatory program and many Honors, Advanced Placement, and International Baccalaureate courses. Successful completion of required courses for graduation, passing scores on the New Jersey High School Proficiency Assessment, and a total of at least 140 credits are necessary to qualify for graduation.
Students may specialize in one of four four-year programs: Academy of Finance, Academy of Information Technology, Graphic Communications, or Engineering, or concentrate their studies in one of four three-year small learning communities in Math & Science, Humanities & Social Studies, International & Cultural Studies and Sports Medicine & Management.
Visual and Performing Arts majors specialize in one of nine programs: Media Production, Creative Writing, Dance, Drama, Vocal Music, Piano, Instrumental Music (Strings, Woodwinds, or Brass), Commercial Art or Commercial Photography. These majors typically include multiple classes per day and participation in certain extracurricular events and activities as part of the requirements.
World Language students may choose Spanish, French, or Italian. The Italian program was introduced in the 2012–2013 school year. Many students, especially those in the Humanities and Social Studies and International and Cultural Studies academies, enroll in more than one language.
Athletics
The Red Bank Regional High School Bucs[4] compete in Division B North of the Shore Conference, an athletic conference comprised of public and private high schools in Monmouth and Ocean counties along the Jersey Shore.[5][25] The league operates under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).[26] With 891 students in grades 10-12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Group III for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 761 to 1,058 students in that grade range.[27] The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Group IV South for football for 2024–2026, which included schools with 890 to 1,298 students.[28]
The 1975 football team finished the season with an 11-0 record after winning the Central Jersey Group II state sectional championship with a 46-44 victory against Hightstown High School in the tournament final to extend the team's winning streak to 28 games.[29][30]
The boys' basketball team won the Group II state championship in 1983 against Elmwood Park Memorial High School and won the Group III title in 1993 with a win over Henry Snyder High School in the tournament final.[31] The 1993 team won the Group III title by defeating Snyder High School by a score of 62-55 in the championship game played at the Rutgers Athletic Center. The team advanced to the Tournament of Champions, becoming the first team from the Shore Conference to do so, and lost to Seton Hall Preparatory School in the quarterfinals by a score of 60-59 to finish the season with a record of 28-2.[32][33][34]
The field hockey team won the Central Jersey Group III state title in 1988, 1991, 1995 and 2000; the team won the Group III state championship in 1995.[35]
The girls' basketball team won the Group III state title in 1998 with a 62-47 win against Sparta High School in the championship game played at the Thomas Dunn Sports Center in Elizabeth.[36][37]
The boys' cross country team won the Group III state championship in 1999 and 2003.[38]
Both the boys' and girls' track teams won the Group II indoor relay state championships in 2000.[39]
Administration
Core members of the school's administration are:[40][41]
The district's board of education, comprised of nine members, sets policy and oversees the fiscal and educational operation of the district through its administration. As a Type II school district, the board's trustees are elected directly by voters to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with three seats up for election each year held (since 2012) as part of the November general election. The board appoints a superintendent to oversee the district's day-to-day operations and a business administrator to supervise the business functions of the district.[44][45] Seats on the board of education are allocated based on the population of the constituent municipalities, with five seats allocated to Red Bank and two each to Little Silver and Shrewsbury.[40]
As of 2024, the members of the board of education are Patrick Noble (President), Tara Gibb (Vice President), Memone Crystian, Emily Doherty, John Garofalo, Ursula Henry, Jennifer Lipp and John Venino and Nicole Woods.[40]
^ abcd2021-2022 School Profile, Red Bank Regional High School. Accessed January 18, 2022. "Red Bank Regional High School can trace its history back to 1901 when Red Bank High School was established. The Red Bank Regional High School District was formed on November 25, 1969 by the communities of Little Silver, Red Bank, and Shrewsbury. Construction of a new high school building started in the fall of 1972 and the first students attended the new facilities in the 1975-76 school year."
^Red Bank Regional Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Red Bank Regional High School. Accessed January 18, 2022. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades nine through twelve in the Red Bank Regional School District. Composition: The Red Bank Regional School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Little Silver, Red Bank and Shrewsbury Borough."
^Institutional MembersArchived March 5, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science and Technology. Accessed November 25, 2015.
^History of RBRHS, Red Bank Regional High School. Accessed November 10, 2019. "Prior to November 25, 1969, high school students from Little Silver, Shrewsbury and Holmdel attended Red Bank High School, along with Red Bank students, in a special arrangement with the Red Bank Board of Education known as a sending-receiving district agreement. The arrangement was discontinued with the formation of the Red Bank Regional High School District in 1969."
^"School Regionalization Idea Remains Alive at Union Beach", Asbury Park Press, October 21, 1973. Accessed November 22, 2020. "It has been in effect since November 1964, after six years of negotiations, during the interim when Keyport and Holmdel Township were studying the possibility of a Keyport-Holmdel high school arrangement. Since then Holmdel has built a high school which opened in September.... But Keyport became the receiving district not only for Holmdel, but Raritan, and Union Beach. Holmdel transferred to Red Bank as a sending district in 1962."
^"Red Bank Regional Bids Seen Within Budget at $7.5 Million", The Daily Register, December 13, 1972. Accessed April 18, 2020. "The 1,500-student school will be built on a 53-acre tract in Little Silver bordered by Harding, Hance and Ridge Roads on the former Lovett Nursery, property. Last year voters in the Little Silver, Red Bank, and Shrewsbury, which comprise the regional district, approved a $9.4 million bond issue for construction and furnishing of the school.- It is scheduled to open in September 1975"
^Falk, Jonni. "The Bucs explode to 'top of mountain'", The Daily Register, December 8, 1975. Accessed February 6, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "For four action-filled quarters, the Hightstown and Red Bank Regional teams tore at each other like fighting roosters However, when the clock finally killed the action, Red Bank Regional had won the Central Jersey, Group II title, 46-44. A state sectional title something that was denied to the Bucs last year, a 28th straight win the longest winning streak in the state, an 11-0 season, three straight Shore Conference titles Red Bank Regional owns them all now"
^Olausen, Tom. "Donnelly lifts Bucs to 1st tide in decade", Asbury Park Press, March 17, 1993. Accessed January 13, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "For the first time in a decade, the Red Bank boys basketball team is a state champion, courtesy of 62-55 win over Snyder of Jersey City in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Group III championship game at Rutgers University's Louis Brown Athletic Center. And for the first time in history, the Shore Conference will be represented in the NJSIAA Boys Tournament of Champions."
^Olausen, Tom. "Red Bank's stretch run comes up painfully short", Asbury Park Press, March 19, 1993. Accessed January 13, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "The clock finally ran out on the Red Bank boys basketball team, but not before the Bucs treated their fans to a final shot of excitement. A spectacular comeback bid in the fourth quarter led by senior Mark Donnelly barely fell short as Seton Hall Prep, West Orange, prevailed 60-59 in the quarterfinals of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Tournament of Champions last night at the Louis Brown Athletic Center. Red Bank (28-2) had an opportunity to win the game in the closing seconds."
^Seegers, Sandy. "Defense stifles Sparta in final", Daily Record, March 16, 1998. Accessed December 7, 2020. "Sparta didn't necessarily need to connect on its 3-pointers yesterday. Making any type of outside shot with frequency may have been enough. Strong man-to-man matchup defense by Red Bank Regional took away much of the Spartans' perimeter game and helped power the Bucs to a 62-47 victory in the Group III final at the Dunn Center."
^ abcBoard Members, Red Bank Regional High School. Accessed May 9, 2024. "The Board of Education is composed of nine citizens elected from our constituent districts. Representatives are elected on the basis of constituent population - two from Little Silver, five from Red Bank, and two from Shrewsbury."
^Annual Comprehensive Financial Report of the Red Bank Regional High School District, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2023. Accessed May 9, 2024. "The School District is a Type II district located in the County of Monmouth, State of New Jersey. As a Type II district, the School District functions independently through a Board of Education. The Board is comprised of nine members appointed to three-year terms. These terms are staggered so that three members’ terms expire each year. The District provides a full range of educational services appropriate to grade levels 9 through 12. These include regular, vocational, as well as special education." See "Roster of Officials" on page 17.
^Staff. "Alumni Appointed Ambassador of Marshall Islands", Delaware State University, October 25, 2006. Accessed March 19, 2011. "After he moved during his teen years to Red Bank, N.J. and graduated in 1960 from Red Bank High School, Bishop returned to his home state to enroll in Delaware State College."
^Bry, Dave. "Eric B. & Rakim's 'Paid In Full' At 25", The Awl, July 6, 2012. Accessed October 16, 2017. "But for us, in the halls of Red Bank Regional High School in New Jersey, it was not up for discussion: Rakim was the best."
^"The Top 10 Porn Stars From New Jersey", WCHR-FM, November 1, 2016. Accessed October 8, 2018. "Asia Carrera - Born in NYC, but grew up in Little Silver, going to Red Bank Regional High School."
^"Gets Scholarship", Red Bank Register, June 26, 1961. Accessed May 5, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "William J. Chiego, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. William J. Chiego of 45 Madison Ave., is the recipient of a scholarship from the University of Virginia, which he will enter in September. Graduated with honor from Red Bank High School, Mr. Chiego was a member of both the National Honor Society and the French Honor Society."
^Fitzgerald's Legislative Manual, 1984, p. 211. Accessed February 1, 2018. "11th District (part of Monmouth) John D'Amico Jr., Dem., Oceanport.... Mr. D'Amico was born in Long Branch Jan. 24, 1941. He attended Red Bank High School and Harvard College, where he received his degree, cum laude, in 1963."
^"Shrewsbury: Doran Eulner Q&A", Red Bank Green. Accessed January 10, 2022. "Where did you grow up? Shrewsbury. Where did you go to high school? Red Bank Regional High School"
^Staff. "RBR baseball star signs to play with George Mason University", The Monmouth Journal, December 4, 2009. Accessed January 25, 2017. "Red Bank Regional (RBR) star pitcher and outfielder Jake Kalish of Shrewsbury, recently signed a letter of intent to play college baseball with George Mason University (GMU) in Virginia."
^John Lee, Pro-Football-Reference.com. Accessed May 9, 2024. "Born: February 17, 1953 in Fort Monmouth, NJ (Age: 71-082d)... High School: Red Bank Regional (NJ)"
^"The Jonathan Maslow Scholarship Fund Accepting 2016 Applications", Community Foundation of New Jersey, February 16, 2016. Accessed October 16, 2017. "The Community Foundation of New Jersey today announced that The Jonathan Maslow Scholarship, which it administers on behalf of members of the Red Bank Regional High School (RBRHS) Class of 1966, is accepting applications for the Fall 2016 term."
^Leo Massa, Sports Reference. Accessed June 27, 2019. "Leo Massa played baseball at Red Bank High School in New Jersey, eventually getting a tryout with the Brooklyn Dodgers. But he turned to cross-country skiing, winning the 1958 US championship, and competing for the US at the 1958 and 1962 World Championships and 1960 Winter Olympics."
^Voger, Mark. "Melanie recalls Red Bank High ('miserable') and Woodstock ('incredible')", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, July 27, 2014, updated March 29, 2019. Accessed January 26, 2024. "Melanie is looking forward to her induction into the Red Bank Regional High School Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame next year. (She was class of 1966 at the former Red Bank High School.)... Melanie believes that because of this reputation, she was blackballed from marching in her graduation ceremony."
^Chrampanis, Rich. "Red Bank’S Sickels Declares For NFL Draft", The Two River Times, January 16, 2017. Accessed October 8, 2018. "Former Red Bank Regional Buc Garrett Sickels has made the decision to forgo his final year of eligibility at Penn State and declare for the 2017 NFL Draft."