Memorial High School is a four-year comprehensive

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichk ...

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

West New York West New York is a town in the northern part of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States, situated upon the New Jersey Palisades. As of the 2020 United States census, the town's population was 52,912. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates ...

, in

Hudson County Hudson County is the most densely populated county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It lies west of the lower Hudson River, which was named for Henry Hudson, the sea captain who explored the area in 1609. Part of New Jersey's Gateway Region in ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, United States, serving students in ninth through

twelfth grade Twelfth grade, 12th grade, senior year, or grade 12 is the final year of secondary school in most of North America. In other regions, it may also be referred to as class 12 or Year 13. In most countries, students are usually between the ages of 17 ...

s. The school is the lone secondary school of the

West New York School District West New York School District is a public school district serving students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade in West New York, in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. The district is one of 31 former Abbott districts statewide t ...

, an

Abbott district ''Abbott'' districts are school districts in New Jersey that are provided remedies to ensure that their students receive public education in accordance with the state constitution. They were created in 1985 as a result of the first ruling of ''Abb ...

that serves all of West New York. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1970; the school's accreditation expires in December 2021. As of the 2020–21 school year, the school had an enrollment of 2,115 students and 154.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.7:1. There were 1,496 students (70.7% of enrollment) eligible for

free lunch A free lunch is the providing of a meal at no cost, usually as a sales enticement to attract customers and increase revenues from other business. It was once a common tradition in saloons and taverns in many places in the United States, with th ...

and 209 (9.9% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.School data for Memorial High School
National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 15, 2022.

History

Memorial High School was established in 1926. In 2005, the

New Jersey Schools Development Authority The New Jersey Schools Development Authority (commonly referred to as NJSDA or SDA) is the State agency responsible for fully funding and managing the new construction, modernization and renovation of school facilities projects in 31 New Jersey sch ...

determined that the Memorial High School building was equipped to hold 918 students, making the school 882 students over capacity. In January 2012, the NJSDA forwarded the West New York Board of Education's application for the purchase of St. Joseph of the Palisades Elementary School to

Vatican City Vatican City (), officially the Vatican City State ( it, Stato della Città del Vaticano; la, Status Civitatis Vaticanae),—' * german: Vatikanstadt, cf. '—' (in Austria: ') * pl, Miasto Watykańskie, cf. '—' * pt, Cidade do Vati ...

, with which West New York hopes to turn into a "freshman/sophomore academy" to house between 700 and 800 of the high school's students. Upon the anticipated papal approval of the purchase of the school, which belongs to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark, the SDA will make a final decision on development plans. In March 2012, the portion of 56th Street in front of the school was dedicated as Rebeka Verea Way, in tribute to Rebeka Verea, who died in a car accident in

North Bergen North Bergen is a township in the northern part of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the township had a total population of 63,361. The township was founded in 1843. It was much diminished in territory by ...

the night of her graduation in 2005. Though she graduated from

Cliffside Park High School Cliffside Park High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grade from Cliffside Park, in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, operating as the lone secondary school of the Cli ...

, her father runs a medical practice based in West New York, and is the chief medical officer at North Hudson Community Action Corporation, which is also based in West New York.

Awards, recognition and rankings

In 2011, the College Board recognized Memorial High School as the 2011 winner of its "AP District of the Year Award" in the small schools category, in recognition of the district's efforts to expand the scope of Advanced Placement courses offered in the school and the improved results of those taking AP exams, with the school offering about 10 different AP courses after it started its first AP class in the 1980s. The school was the 280th-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. The school had been ranked 307th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 273rd in 2010 out of 322 schools listed. The magazine ranked the school 282nd in 2008 out of 316 schools. The school was ranked 261st in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state. Schooldigger.com ranked the school 204th out of 376 public high schools statewide in its 2010 rankings (a decrease of 42 positions from the 2009 rank) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the language arts literacy and mathematics components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).

Athletics

The Memorial High School TigersMemorial High School
New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. compete in the

Hudson County Interscholastic League The Hudson County Interscholastic League (formerly known as the Hudson County Interscholastic Athletic Association) is a New Jersey high school sports association operating under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Asso ...

(HCIAA), which is comprised of public and private high schools in Hudson County, and was established following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. With 1,502 students in grades 10–12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Group IV for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 1,060 to 5,049 students in that grade range. The football team competes in the Ivy Red division of the

North Jersey Super Football Conference The North Jersey Super Football Conference is a football-only athletic league of high schools in New Jersey. The 115-team league was formed in 2016. History The NJSFC consists of nearly all of the football playing members of four conferences that w ...

, which includes 112 schools competing in 20 divisions, making it the nation's biggest football-only high school sports league. 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. The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Group V North for football for 2018–2020. The boys' basketball team won the Group IV state championship in 1939 (defeating Bloomfield High School in the tournament final) and 1942 (vs.

Asbury Park High School Asbury Park High School is a comprehensive, four-year community public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades. It is in a landmark building in Asbury Park, in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States, that was cons ...

), and won the Group III title in 1966 (vs. Sterling High School). The 1933 team won the Group IV state title with a 50–33 win against Bloomfield in the championship game played before a crowd of 4,000. In 2002, the team won the North I Group IV state title, defeating Hackensack High School 65–62. The boys track team won the Group IV spring track state championship in 1957. The boys' track team won the Group III indoor relay state championship in 1974. The boys cross country running team won the Group IV state championship in 1978. The boys' baseball team won the Group IV state title in 1988 against Madison Central High School in the title game. In 2001, the team made it to the finals of the North I Group IV state tournament, falling to rival

North Bergen High School North Bergen High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school, serving students in ninth through twelfth grade from North Bergen, in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the North Bergen School District. T ...

by a score of 4–3 in the final game.

School clubs

Clubs and extracurricular program include: *Drama Club *National Honors Society *M.O.M.S. (My Outreach Mission) *School Band *School Chorus *Student Council *Together In Greatness (TIGs)

Administration

The school's principal is Oscar Guerrero. His administration team includes four assistant principals.

Notable alumni

* George Alvarez, actor known for his work on the

soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...

s '' General Hospital'', ''

Port Charles ''Port Charles'' (commonly abbreviated as ''PC'') is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from June 1, 1997, to October 3, 2003. It was a spin-off of the series ''General Hospital'', which has been running since 1963 and takes pl ...

'' and '' Guiding Light''. *

Warren Boroson Warren Boroson (born January 22, 1935) is an American author and journalist. He has written over 20 books, including ''How to Pick Stocks Like Warren Buffett'', ''Keys to Investing in Mutual Funds'' and ''How to Buy a House for Nothing (or Little ...

(born 1935), financial journalist, author and playwright. * Sebastian Capozucchi (born 1995), professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...

who plays as a defender for

USL League One USL League One (USL1) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that had its inaugural season in 2019. The Division III league is operated by United Soccer League, the same group that operates the Division II USL Championshi ...

club Chattanooga Red Wolves. *

Vincent J. Dellay Vincent John Dellay (June 23, 1907, Union City, New Jersey – April 16, 1999, Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey) was an American banker, World War II veteran, and politician who represented New Jersey's 14th congressional district in the Unite ...

(1907–1999), represented New Jersey's 14th congressional district in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from 1957 to 1959. *

Alan Gewirth Alan Gewirth (November 28, 1912 – May 9, 2004) was an American philosopher, a professor of philosophy at the University of Chicago, and author of '' Reason and Morality'' (1978), ''Human Rights: Essays on Justification and Applications'' (19 ...

(1912–2004, class of 1930), philosopher, a professor of philosophy at the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chic ...

and author of ''

Reason and Morality ''Reason and Morality'' is a 1978 book about ethics by the philosopher Alan Gewirth. The work for which he is best known, it received positive reviews. The work is defended by the legal scholar Deryck Beyleveld in ''The Dialectical Necessity of M ...

''. *

John Mahnken John Emmanuel Mahnken (June 16, 1922 – December 14, 2000) was an American professional basketball player. A 6'8" center from West New York, New Jersey, Mahnken played high school basketball at Memorial High School in his hometown.

(1922–2000), former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

player. *

April Jeanette Mendez April Jeanette Mendez (born March 19, 1987) is an American author and retired professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in WWE under the ring name AJ Lee. She is currently an executive producer and color commentator for Women of Wre ...

(born 1987, class of 2005), retired professional wrestler who worked for

WWE World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vari ...

under the ring name AJ Lee. * Nelson J. Perez (born 1961),

prelate A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Christian clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which means 'carry before', 'be set above or over' or 'pre ...

of the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

who serves as the 10th archbishop of the

Archdiocese of Philadelphia The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Philadelphia is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in southeastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. It covers the City and County of Philadelphia as well a ...

Gene Prebola Eugene Nicholas Prebola (June 30, 1938 – December 10, 2021) was an American football tight end who played four seasons in the American Football League (AFL) with the Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in ...

(born 1938), football

tight end The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Lik ...

who played for the Oakland Raiders and the

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquar ...

. *

Nicholas Sacco Nicholas J. Sacco (born November 17, 1946) is an American Democratic Party politician, who has been serving in the New Jersey State Senate since 1994, where he represents the 32nd Legislative District. Sacco serves in the Senate as the chair ...

(born 1946), politician, who has served as mayor of

and in the New Jersey Senate, where he represents the

New Jersey's 32nd legislative district New Jersey's 32nd Legislative District is one of 40 districts that make up the map for the New Jersey Legislature. It encompasses the Bergen County boroughs of Edgewater and Fairview and the Hudson County municipalities of East Newark, Gutte ...

. *

Albio Sires Albio B. Sires (; born January 26, 1951) is a Cuban-born American businessman and politician who has served as the U.S. representative for since 2006. The district, numbered as the from 2006 to 2013, includes most of northern and eastern Jers ...

(born 1951), Member of the

from . * John Skevin (1927–1993), politician who served in both houses of the New Jersey Legislature * Jack Stephans (1939–2020, class of 1957),

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...

coach who was head coach at

Jersey City State College New Jersey City University (NJCU) is a public university in Jersey City, New Jersey. Originally chartered in 1927, and known as Jersey City State College for 40 years of its history, New Jersey City University consists of the School of Business, ...

William Paterson University William Paterson University, officially William Paterson University of New Jersey (WPUNJ), is a public university in Wayne, New Jersey. It is part of New Jersey's public system of higher education. Founded in 1855 and was named after American ju ...

and Fordham University. *

Isabel Toledo Isabel Toledo (born Maria Isabel Izquierdo; April 9, 1960 – August 26, 2019) was a Cuban-American fashion designer based in New York City. She was widely recognized in the fashion industry for her attention to craftsmanship and the "sophisticate ...

(1960-2019), fashion designer. *

Anthony P. Vainieri Anthony P. Vainieri (born February 15, 1928) is an American Democratic Party politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from the 32nd Legislative District from 1984 to 1986. Owner of the Vainieri Funeral Home in North Bergen, he ...

(born 1928), politician who served in the

New Jersey General Assembly The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. Since the election of 1967 (1968 Session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts f ...

from the 32nd Legislative District from 1984 to 1986. *

Silverio Vega Silverio "Sal" A. Vega (4 September 1956 in Cardenas, Matanzas, Cuba) is a Cuban American Democratic Party politician, who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2006 to 2008, where he represented the 33rd legislative district and ser ...

(born 1956), former Mayor of West New York, who earlier served in the

and on the Hudson County

Board of Chosen Freeholders In New Jersey, a Board of County Commissioners (until 2020 named the Board of Chosen Freeholders) is the elected county-wide government board in each of the state's 21 counties. In the five counties that have an elected county executive, the ...

. *

Armando Vilaseca Armando Vilaseca was the former Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Education. After leaving Cuba in 1964, Vilaseca settled in West New York, New Jersey, a community with a significant Cuban American community. There he attended Memorial Hi ...

, Commissioner of the

Vermont Department of Education The Vermont Agency of Education is the state education agency of Vermont. It is headquartered in the National Life building in Montpelier. In 2018, Daniel M. French, Ed.D, was named Secretary of Education and he continues to lead in that capac ...

. * Jacqueline Walker (born 1941), politician who served in the

from 1984 to 1986. * Warren Wolf (1927–2019), Memorial High School football player and assistant coach, longtime Brick Township High School football coach, and politician.

References

External links

Memorial High SchoolWest New York School District
*
School Data for the West New York School District
National Center for Education Statistics {{Authority control 1926 establishments in New Jersey Educational institutions established in 1926 Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools Public high schools in Hudson County, New Jersey West New York, New Jersey