Hunterdon Central Regional High School

Hunterdon Central Regional High School
Superintendent: Christina Steffner (acting)
Business Administrator: Raymond Krov
Address: 84 Route 31
Flemington, NJ 08822
Grade Range: 7-12/9-12
School facilities: 1
Enrollment: 3,089 (as of 2009-10)[1]
Faculty (in FTEs): 219
Student–teacher ratio: 14.11
District Factor Group: I
Web site: http://www.hcrhs.k12.nj.us
Ind. Per Pupil District
Spending		 Rank
(*)		 7-12/9-12
Average		  %± vs.
Average
1 Comparative Cost $15,545 35 $13,710 13.4%
2 Classroom Instruction 8,323 33 7,588 9.7%
6 Support Services 2,887 42 1,987 45.3%
8 Administrative Cost 1,373 10 1,475 -6.9%
10 Operations & Maintenance 2,048 37 1,816 12.8%
13 Extracurricular Activities 770 27 749 2.8%
16 Median Teacher Salary 60,139 25 62,000
Data from NJDoE 2009 Comparative Spending Guide.[2]
*Of 7-12/9-12 districts with any number of students. Lowest spending=1; Highest=47
Hunterdon Central Regional High School
Information
Type Public high school
Established 1956
Principal Tim O'Brien (acting)
Vice principal Craig Blanton (Sophomore)
Barabara Manfredi (Alternative Education)
Richard Schneebeli (Senior)
Matt Thompson (Junior)
Ashley Walulak (Freshman)
Grades 9 - 12
Color(s) Red and Black          
Nickname Red Devils, Central

Hunterdon Central Regional High School is a comprehensive, regional, four-year public high school, and school district that serves students from five municipalities in east central Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. Students hail from Delaware Township, East Amwell Township, Flemington Borough, Raritan Township and Readington Township.[3]

As of the 2009-10 school year, the district's one school had an enrollment of 3,089 students and 219 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 14.11.[1]

The district is classified by the New Jersey Department of Education as being in District Factor Group "I", the second 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.[4]

Contents

Awards and recognition

For the 1997-98 school year, Hunterdon Central Regional High School received the Blue Ribbon Award from the United States Department of Education, the highest honor that an American school can achieve, is awarded for excellence in instructional delivery and educational environment. In 2002, Hunterdon Central was awarded the Blue Ribbon School award for the second time, one of a limited number of schools across the state to be recognized on two separate occasions.[5]

The school was the first in the State of New Jersey to be designated as a Star School by the New Jersey Department of Education, the highest honor that a New Jersey school can achieve, and has been recognized with this award three times, in 1993-94,[6] 1994-95,[7] and 1997-98.[8]

The school was the 85th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 322 schools statewide, in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2010 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", after being ranked 62nd in 2008 out of 316 schools.[9] The school was ranked 57th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which included 316 schools across the state.[10]

For the 2005-06 school year, the district was recognized with the "Best Practices Award" by the New Jersey Department of Education for its "Books Breaking Barriers: The ESL Literature Circle" World Languages program at Hunterdon Central Regional High School.[11]

In a February 2004 radio address, President George W. Bush credited random drug testing at Hunterdon Central as resulting in significant cuts in drug use and quoted the school's principal as saying that the school now had "a tool that was making a large difference", cutting drug use by students in half in the three years since the random selection and testing plan had been implemented.[12][13] On December 11, 2007, President Bush thanked Hunterdon Central for "feeling as passionate as we do and working as hard as we do" at a meeting with Principal Christine Steffner and Superintendent Lisa Brady at the White House as part of a round table discussion with other individuals who have been active in programs that cut drug use by teens.[14][15]

Board of education

The Hunterdon Central Regional Board of Education has nine members elected by registered voters in the five constituent municipalities who participate in the school district. Three members are elected from both Raritan and Readington Townships, and one each from Delaware Township, East Amwell Township and the Borough of Flemington. The board is responsible for making numerous policies and regulations. They are also given the task of perform the budget cuts if the budget, which they create, does not pass.

School

The high school is situated on a 72-acre (290,000 m2) campus that includes a 9/10 Campus Building, an 11/12 Campus Building, a 2,000-seat fieldhouse, an Instructional Media Center, and a Communications/Music Building with a TV / radio studio and three practice halls. There are also numerous outdoor fields and extensive Project Adventure facilities.

The first construction since the addition of the lower campus (the 11/12 Building), the school went through extensive renovations starting in February 2005 to help cope with the increase in students over the years. The auditorium, which hadn't been renovated since its construction in 1957, was completely renovated, which included the replacement of the old stage, and the addition of the most up-to-date technology for the music and theater departments. All classrooms were fitted with air conditioning. The main athletic complex, housing the football stadium, has been completely redone due to the generous donation of a HCRHS alum. Now dubbed the "Stewart Athletic Complex," the stadium features a turf field, brand new seating, and an up-to-date press box. Many other renovations have been made to the music buildings, communications building, and library. Construction was completed in fall of 2006.

The School has a thorough and complex security system. All administration, faculty and students have ID Cards with magnetic stripes that must be used to gain access through certain doors. There is also an extensive system of cameras throughout the school(approximately 120 cameras are currently monitoring areas throughout the school).

After many months of searching the school recently appointed a new superintendent, Dr. Lisa Brady, a former employee of Hunterdon Central. She served as a vice-principal from 1997 to 2000 and principal from 2000 to 2004; and then left to become superintendent of South Hunterdon Regional High School.

Extracurricular activities

Extracurricular activities at the high school include baseball, boys’ and girls’ basketball, boys’ and girls’ bowling, cheerleading, boys’ and girls’ cross country, boys’ and girls’ fencing, field hockey, football, boys’ and girls’ golf, gymnastics, boys’ and girls’ lacrosse, ice hockey, boys’ and girls’ soccer, softball, boys’ and girls’ swimming, boys’ and girls’ tennis, boys’ and girls’ track and winter track, boys’ and girls’ volleyball, color guard, and wrestling. Other activities offered include dramatics, student government, publications, service organizations, clubs, marching band and orchestra, an Air Force Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps program, a chapter of the Junior Statesmen of America, a chapter of Amnesty International, a chapter of Future Business Leaders of America, and choral programs.

The Varsity Cheerleading Team has taken the title of New Jersey Group IV State Champion in 09-10, 02-03, 00-01, and 98-99 and took 2nd Place nationally at UCA National High School Finals in 2003 and 2011.

The Marching Band, or Marching Red Devils have consistently placed very high in state, regional and all-state competitions. In their 2006 show, The Blueprint, were ranked 1st in the Central Jersey area, 3rd in the state, and 5th in the northeast. Between the 2006 and 2007 season the band made several performances in Florence, Italy, and Salzburg, Austria. The 2008 program took 2nd place at the USSBA NJ State Championships. In prior years, the MRD have won two state titles, tied for first in the northeast.

The school's radio station, 90.5 FM WCVH, features current country music. The call letters stand for "Community Voice of Hunterdon (county)". The signal can be heard throughout most of Hunterdon County and portions of Somerset, Mercer, Warren, and Morris Counties in New Jersey and Bucks County in Pennsylvania. WCVH is the only FM station licensed to Flemington, and one of only two FM stations in the county.

Athletics

The boy's lacrosse team has won the Group IV State Championship in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, becoming the first public school to win four consecutive state titles.[16][17] In 2006, number-three seed Hunterdon Central Regional High School defeated top-seed Montclair High School in the Group IV final, by a score of 10-9 in overtime.[18][19]

The girls volleyball team has won the Group IV state championship three times, in 2002 over Westfield High School, in 2006 against East Brunswick High School and again in 2007 vs. North Hunterdon High School. In both 2006 and 2007, the team advanced to the finals of the Tournament of Champions, losing in 2006 to Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest in 2006 and to Immaculate Heart Academy in 2007.[20]

The Varsity Football Team won the title of Group IV Public School State Championship in 2006, winning the Central Group IV championship, beating Howell High School, 42-24,[21] and was ranked #2 in Central New Jersey by the Courier News. The 2007 team won the North II, Group IV sectional title, defeating Piscataway High School 23-13 in a game played at Rutgers Stadium.[22][23]

In 1998, the football team won the Central Group IV state sectional title with a 42-6 win over Piscataway Township High School in the tournament final at Giants Stadium. The team had earlier won state titles in 1974 and 1979.[24]

In 2007, the field hockey team won the North II, Group IV state sectional championship with a 2-1 win over Middletown High School North in the tournament final.[25]

In 2010, the men's foil team captured the state squad title in fencing, the first state championship in program history, and repeated as champion in 2011.[26][27]

Staff

Hunterdon Central has a student/faculty ratio of 12 to 1. Approximately 57.6% of the staff hold advanced degrees (M.A., Ph. D. or Ed.D.). The District's staff training program has been recognized by the National Center for Public Productivity at Rutgers University, The New Jersey Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and the United States Department of Education Professional Development National Awards.

Administration

Core members of the district's administration are:[28][29][30]

School Administration

Notable alumni

References

  1. ^ a b Hunterdon Central Regional High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed January 30, 2011.
  2. ^ Comparative Spending Guide March 2009, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed October 28, 2009.
  3. ^ Hunterdon Central Regional High School 2007 Report card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed August 26, 2011. "Located in beautiful, historic Hunterdon County in central New Jersey, Hunterdon Central Regional High School serves the five municipalities of Delaware Township, East Amwell Township, Flemington Borough, Raritan Township, and Readington Township."
  4. ^ NJ Department of Education District Factor Groups (DFG) for School Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 8, 2009.
  5. ^ Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982-1983 through 1999-2002 (PDF), accessed May 11, 2006
  6. ^ Star School Award recipient detail, New Jersey Department of Education, Archived December 18, 2006. Accessed November 25, 2009.
  7. ^ Star School Award recipient detail, New Jersey Department of Education, Archived December 18, 2006. Accessed November 25, 2009.
  8. ^ Star School Award recipient detail, New Jersey Department of Education, Archived December 18, 2006. Accessed November 25, 2009.
  9. ^ Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed March 3, 2011.
  10. ^ "Top New Jersey High Schools 2008: By Rank", New Jersey Monthly, September 2008, posted August 7, 2008. Accessed August 19, 2008.
  11. ^ New Jersey Department of Education Best Practices Award recipient for 2005-06, accessed October 23, 2006
  12. ^ Bush Sees Victories in War on Drugs, Text of Radio Address, February 28, 2004, via About.com. Accessed August 26, 2011. "Just two years after Hunterdon Central Regional High School in New Jersey began its testing program, drug use had declined significantly throughout the school. Hunterdon's principal described the program's effect this way: 'We have never seen a prevention curriculum that affected the numbers this substantially. We finally had a tool that was making a large difference.'"
  13. ^ Staff. "Drug tests 'help children say no': Random drug testing in schools could give children a way of resisting peer pressure to experiment, according to an anti-drugs campaigner.", BBC News, February 22, 2004. Accessed August 26, 2011."At Hunterdon Central Regional High School in Flemington, New Jersey, pupils are selected randomly by a computer in the school's medical centre and then called out of classes to have their saliva tested. It is reported the scheme has cut drug use by at least half in most year groups, after parents lost a court battle to stop testing when it was first introduced by the school more than three years ago."
  14. ^ Rene Kiriluk-Hill. "Bush Lauds HCHS Anti-Drug Efforts2 Administrators Called To D.C.." The Hunterdon County Democrat (Flemington, NJ) 13 Dec. 2007, NEWS: A1. NewsBank. Web. 30 Oct. 2009.
  15. ^ O'Brien, Walter. "Hunterdon school excels in drug fight", Courier News, December 12, 2007. Accessed August 26, 2011. "Superintendent Dr Lisa Brady and Principal Christina Steffner both of Hunterdon Central Regional High School in Raritan Township spent Tuesday morning with President George W Bush at the White House as he met with a round table of about a dozen people who have played pivotal roles in the war against drug use by American teens and who represent initiatives funded by the Office of National Drug Control Policy or ONDCP."
  16. ^ HISTORY OF THE NJSIAA BOYS' LACROSSE CHAMPIONSHIPS, NJSIAA. Accessed August 26, 2011.
  17. ^ Chodan, Melissa. "CN BOYS LAX PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Defenses tried but couldn't stop Diehl", Home News Tribune, June 13, 2008. Accessed August 26, 2011. "Despite teams' attempts to cut him off, Diehl still finished with 62 goals and 22 assists as the Red Devils won their fourth consecutive NJSIAA Group IV championship with him in the lineup."
  18. ^ Kinney, Mike; and Jandoli, Ron. "Hunterdon C edges Montclair on goal by Dyer in OT, 10-9", The Star-Ledger, June 4, 2006. Accessed August 19, 2007. "The senior attackman swept across the box and fired in his fourth goal 41 seconds into overtime to carry Hunterdon Central to its second consecutive NJSIAA Group 4 championship, 10-9, yesterday in Flemington."
  19. ^ 2006 Boys Lacrosse - Group IV, NJSIAA. Accessed July 6, 2006.
  20. ^ Girls Volleyball Group Champions, NJSIAA. Accessed August 26, 2011.
  21. ^ 2006 Football Tournament - Central, Group IV, NJSIAA, accessed December 5, 2006
  22. ^ Behre, Bob. "Hunterdon Central wins title", The Star-Ledger, December 2, 2007. Accessed December 3, 2007. " When it happened again last night in the NJSIAA/Gatorade North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 final, the team didn't flinch. Instead, it got a 5-yard (4.6 m) run by tailback Anthony Toresco and a subsequent 1-yard (0.91 m) TD plunge by quarterback Richie Lachner that gave Hunterdon Central, No. 8 in The Star-Ledger Top 20, a 10-point lead late in the third quarter on the way to a 23-13 victory over No. 7 Piscataway at Rutgers Stadium in Piscataway."
  23. ^ 2007 Football - North II, Group IV, NJSIAA. Accessed December 3, 2007.
  24. ^ Glickson, Grant. "HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL; Second Straight Title for Morristown", The New York Times, December 6, 1998. Accessed June 25, 2008. "The championship was Hunterdon's third. The Red Devils also won in 1974 and 1979."
  25. ^ 2007 Field Hockey - North II, Group IV, NJSIAA. Accessed November 12, 2007.
  26. ^ "Boys Fencing Foil Squad Capture State Championship", Hunterdon Central Regional High School, March 8, 2010. Accessed August 26, 2011. "Hunterdon Central's Boy's Fencing Foil Squad won the NJSIAA Squad Foil State Championship held at North Hunterdon. This is the first State Championship for either fencing program."
  27. ^ Karn, Jeff. "Ranney, Hunterdon Central, Ramapo win squad fencing titles", The Star-Ledger, February 27, 2011. Accessed August 26, 2011. "Ranney won its first state title of any kind when it grabbed the epee crown, Hunterdon Central repeated as foil champion and Ramapo continued a long tradition by winning the sabre title at the NJSIAA/Bollinger Squad Championships on Sunday at North Hunterdon in Annandale."
  28. ^ 2011-2012 Senior Administration, Hunterdon County Regional High School. Accessed August 26, 2011.
  29. ^ Vice Principals and House Offices, Hunterdon County Regional High School. Accessed August 26, 2011.
  30. ^ Hunterdon County School Directory, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed November 5, 2009.
  31. ^ Staff. "Built Jersey Tough", Inside Jersey, February 2011. Accessed March 3, 2011. "Bell was drawn to acting at a young age. In 2002, she left Hunterdon Central High School midway through her sophomore year to enroll at Talent Unlimited, a performing arts school on Manhattan’s Upper East Side."
  32. ^ Campbell, Bob. "Jersey locations paved way for 'Dummy' ", The Star-Ledger, September 12, 2003. Accessed August 20, 2007. "His angelic co-star Vera Farmiga is a child of Passaic County and a Hunterdon Central Regional High grad."
  33. ^ Biography for Vera Farmiga from the Internet Movie Database, accessed October 10, 2006
  34. ^ Nutt, Bill. "Profile: Danny Federici", Courier News, October 14, 2001. Accessed August 18, 2007. "Ask Flemington-born musician Danny Federici what he finds most satisfying about being a front man, and he replies, 'I got a chance to see what being the boss is all about.'... Federici, a graduate of Hunterdon Central High School, states that teachers have always encouraged his music, although at least one educator told him that he should complete his education if he were to have a career."
  35. ^ Credits for Jamie Graf from AlbumCredits, accessed October 19, 2008
  36. ^ Credits for Jamie Graf from MSN, accessed June 20, 2008
  37. ^ "TOM KEELEY - Hunterdon Central High School, 1997 Graduate." Hunterdon County Democrat (Flemington, NJ) 7 Aug. 1997,: NewsBank. Web. 30 Oct. 2009.
  38. ^ Robyn Kenney, USA Field Hockey. Accessed December 20, 2007.
  39. ^ [1]
  40. ^ Kent Osborne, The New York Times. Accessed January 30, 2011.
  41. ^ Brickman, Rachel S. "Central grad is Oscar nominee", The Star-Ledger, January 29, 2009. Accessed January 30, 2011. "The star of Kung Fu Panda 'had to risk failure to live his dream,' said Mark Osborne. The 1988 Hunterdon Central High School graduate, whose dad, Jeff, still lives in Flemington, was one of the film's two directors. "
  42. ^ Michael Steven Pohle Jr., The New York Times. Accessed January 30, 2011. "At Hunterdon Central Regional High School in Raritan Township, N.J., it was easy for Michael Steven Pohle to stand out. He played football, joined the lacrosse team, excelled at science and was considered a model student by his teachers."
  43. ^ Sroka, Pamela. "Beyond 'Geek'dom: Reality TV star says show changed life", Courier News (New Jersey), July 18, 2005. Accessed March 9, 2011. "Rubin graduated from Hunterdon Central Regional High School in 2001."
  44. ^ Victoria Rigg. "Central." Hunterdon County Democrat (Flemington, NJ) 26 Jun. 1997,: NewsBank. Web. 30 Oct. 2009.
  45. ^ Lin, Patrick; and Liu, Charles. "Central Alumna Stars in ‘Virginity Hit’", The Lamp Online, October 20, 2010. Accessed August 26, 2011. "Nicole Weaver, a student from Hunterdon Central’s Class of 2008 is playing a lead role in Will Ferrell’s The Virginity Hit, which was released on September 10."

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