Metuchen 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 ...

that serves 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 1 ...

s from Metuchen in Middlesex County,

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York (state), New York; on the ea ...

, United States, operating as the lone secondary school of the Metuchen School District. The school has been accredited by the

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (Middle States Association or MSA) was a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit association that performed peer evaluation and regional accreditation of public and private schools in the Mid-Atl ...

Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1929.Metuchen High School

Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed February 7, 2022. As of the 2020–21 school year, the school had an enrollment of 749 students and 63.2 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

student–teacher ratio Student–teacher ratio or student–faculty ratio is the number of students who attend a school or university divided by the number of teachers in the institution. For example, a student–teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that there are 10 student ...

of 11.9:1. There were 36 students (4.8% 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 17 (2.3% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.School data for Metuchen High School

National Center for Education Statistics The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES) that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance ...

. Accessed February 15, 2022.

History

The district's original high school, constructed at a cost of $45,380 (equivalent to $ in ) was completed in January 1909. The school had a total of 64 students and a graduating class of six. The current facility was completed and formally dedicated in October 1958, at which time the previous building becoming Franklin Middle School.

Awards, recognition and rankings

The school was the 77th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 339 schools statewide in ''

New Jersey Monthly ''New Jersey Monthly'' is an American monthly magazine featuring issues of possible interest to residents of New Jersey. The magazine was started in 1976. It is based in Morristown. In addition to articles of general interest, the publication fe ...

'' magazine's September 2014 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", using a new ranking methodology. The school had been ranked 19th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 54th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed. The magazine ranked the school 86th in 2008 out of 316 schools. The school was ranked 56th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state. Schooldigger.com ranked the school tied for 99th out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (a decrease of 26 positions from the 2010 ranking) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the mathematics (88.6%) and language arts literacy (94.7%) components of the

High School Proficiency Assessment The High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA, pronounced "hess-pah" (/ˈhɛspə/) or sometimes just "H-S-P-A") was a standardized test that was administered by the New Jersey Department of Education to all New Jersey public high school students in ...

(HSPA).

Athletics

The Metuchen High School BulldogsMetuchen High School

New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) is an association of hundreds of New Jersey high schools that regulates high school athletics and holds tournaments and crowns champions in high school sports. State championsh ...

. Accessed October 20, 2020. compete in the

Greater Middlesex Conference The Greater Middlesex Conference is an athletic conference comprising 34 public and private high schools located in the greater Middlesex County, New Jersey area. The league operates under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic At ...

, which is comprised of public and private high schools located in the Middlesex County area. The league operates under the supervision of the

(NJSIAA). With 522 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 486 to 758 students in that grade range. The football team competes in Division 2B of the Big Central Football Conference, which includes 60 public and private high schools in Hunterdon, Middlesex,

Somerset Somerset ( , ; Archaism, archaically Somersetshire , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, county in South West England which borders Gloucestershire and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east and Devon to the so ...

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''U ...

and

Warren A warren is a network of wild rodent or lagomorph, typically rabbit burrows. Domestic warrens are artificial, enclosed establishment of animal husbandry dedicated to the raising of rabbits for meat and fur. The term evolved from the medieval Angl ...

counties, which are broken down into 10 divisions by size and location. The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Group II South for football for 2018–2020. The school participates together with J. P. Stevens High School in a joint ice hockey team in which Edison High School is the host school / lead agency. The co-op program operates under agreements scheduled to expire at the end of the 2023–24 school year. The school was recognized as the Group I winner of the NJSIAA ShopRite Cup in 2006–07, which recognizes overall athletic achievement by schools in Groups I-IV, Group A and Group B, based on the all-around best athletic program within each group in the state of New Jersey. The award for the 2006-07 ShopRite Cup recognized the school for achieving 2nd place in girls' soccer, 2nd in boys' soccer, 1st in girls' cross country, 4th in boys' cross country, a tie for 3rd in football, and 1st in boys' track and field. The team repeated as Group I winner in the 2007-08 ShopRite Cup, with first-place finishes in girls' soccer, boys' winter track relays and boys' spring track, a second-place finish in boys' winter track individual and a third place in girls' cross-country, with an additional nine points awarded for having no disqualifications in all three athletic seasons. The boys track team won the Group II spring track state championship in 1940 (as co-champion) and won the Group I title in 1995, 1997, 1999, 2002, 2006-2008. The boys' cross country team won the Group III state championship in 1953, won the Group II title in 1961 and won the Group I championship in 1994, 2015 and 2016. In 2017, the team became the first Group I school to win the Greater Middlesex County championship. The boys' track team won the indoor relay championship in Group I/II in 1972 and 1973 (as co-champion with Saddle Brook High/Middle School), and the Group I title in 1992, 1997, 1999, 2003 and 2008; The seven titles are tied for third-most among public high schools in the state. The girls team won the indoor relay title in Group I in 1996. The 1985 football team won the Central Jersey Group I state sectional title with a 7-0 victory against

Keyport High School Keyport High School is a four-year public high school in Keyport, in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades, operated as the lone secondary school of the Keyport Public Schools. Students f ...

in the championship game. The boys track team won the winter / indoor track state championship in Group I in 1990 (as co-champion), 1993, 1997 and 1999. The girls team won the Group I title in 1996. The girls track team won the winter track Group I state title in 1994 and 1996. The girls cross country team won the Group I state championship in 2006, 2012, 2016 and 2017, and won the Group II title in 2018. In 2007, the girls' soccer team won the Central Jersey, Group I state sectional championship with a 1–0 win over Robbinsville High School in the tournament final. The win marked the team's third consecutive sectional title, their first three-peat since 1988–90. The team moved on to win the Group I state championship with a 1–0 win over Glen Ridge High School in the tournament final, the team's first ever state title.

Marching Band

The Pride of Metuchen High School Marching Band consists of over 80 wind, percussion, and color guard members. The band performs at all school football games and participates in many

Tournament of Bands The Tournament of Bands (TOB) is one of the largest competitive band organizations in the United States and is one of several major circuits in the mid-Atlantic states (other circuits include Cavalcade of Bands and USBands). TOB was founded in 1972 ...

and USBands competitions located in the New Jersey area. At the 2013 New Jersey state championships at Rutgers University, the marching band won 3rd place in Group 4 Open competition. The Pride of Metuchen were the 2015-16 Tournament of Bands Group 3 A, Atlantic Coast Champions.

Administration

The school's principal is Ed Porowski. His administration team includes the assistant principal Brian Stike.

Notable alumni

* Marqus Blakely (born 1988), basketball player who has played for the

Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...

. * Padi Boyd, astrophysicist who is the head of NASA's Exoplanets and Stellar Astrophysics Laboratory. *

David Copperfield ''David Copperfield'' Dickens invented over 14 variations of the title for this work, see is a novel in the bildungsroman genre by Charles Dickens, narrated by the eponymous David Copperfield, detailing his adventures in his journey from inf ...

(born 1956), illusionist. * Scott Cowen (born 1946, class of 1964), 14th president of Tulane University. * Paula Danziger (1944-2004),

children's author Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. Modern children's literature is classified in two different ways: genre or the intended age of the reader. Children's ...

who wrote more than 30 books, including her 1974 debut

young adult novel Young adult fiction (YA) is a category of fiction written for readers from 12 to 18 years of age. While the genre is primarily targeted at adolescents, approximately half of YA readers are adults. The subject matter and genres of YA correlate ...

, '' The Cat Ate My Gymsuit''. * Jim Fielding, track star. * Gail Fisher (1935-2000), pioneering

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...

actress best known for her role in ''

Mannix ''Mannix'' is an American detective television series that ran from 1967 to 1975 on CBS. It was created by Richard Levinson and William Link, and developed by executive producer Bruce Geller. The title character, Joe Mannix, is a private inve ...

'' TV series. *

Katelynn Flaherty Katelynn Christine Flaherty (born February 15, 1996) is a former American basketball player. She played college basketball for the Michigan Wolverines, where she is Michigan's all-time leading scorer in points, man or woman, with 2,776 career poi ...

(born 1996), former

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player for the

Michigan Wolverines The Michigan Wolverines comprise 29 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except women's water polo, which competes in the NCAA inter-divisi ...

, who is the school's all-time leading scorer in points, man or woman, with 2,776 career points. *

Robert Hegyes Robert Bruce Hegyes (pronounced ''Hedyesh''; May 7, 1951 – January 26, 2012) was an American actor best known for his portrayal of high school student Juan Epstein on the 1970s American sitcom ''Welcome Back, Kotter'' and as detective Mann ...

(1951-2012), TV actor, best known for his role as ''Epstein'' on the 1970s sitcom ''

Welcome Back, Kotter ''Welcome Back, Kotter'' is an American sitcom starring Gabe Kaplan as a high-school teacher in charge of a racially and ethnically diverse remedial education class called the "Sweathogs." Recorded in front of a live studio audience, the ser ...

''. * Brian Ralph (born 1973),

alternative Alternative or alternate may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki'' * ''The Alternative'' (film), a 1978 Australian television film * ''The Alternative ...

cartoonist A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comic book illustrators in that they produce both the literary and ...

, whose graphic novel, ''Daybreak'', was adapted for the

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...

series '' Daybreak''. * Nancy A. Roseman (class of 1976), 28th president of

Dickinson College , mottoeng = Freedom is made safe through character and learning , established = , type = Private liberal arts college , endowment = $645.5 million (2022) , president = ...

. *

Tom Ruegger Tom Ruegger () is an American animator and songwriter. Ruegger is known for his association with Disney Television Animation and Warner Bros. Animation. He also created '' Tiny Toon Adventures'', ''Animaniacs'', '' Pinky and the Brain'', and '' Hi ...

, animator, screenwriter, storyboard artist and lyricist, who created ''

Animaniacs ''Animaniacs'' is an American animated comedy musical television series created by Tom Ruegger for Fox Broadcasting Company's Fox Kids block in 1993, before moving to The WB in 1995, as part of its Kids' WB afternoon programming block, until ...

'' and '' Histeria!''. * Quinn Shephard (born 1995), actress, writer, director and producer, whose directorial debut film ''

Blame Blame is the act of censuring, holding responsible, or making negative statements about an individual or group that their actions or inaction are socially or morally irresponsible, the opposite of praise. When someone is morally responsible for ...

'' was shot in Metuchen and in the school. * Robert Taub (born 1955, class of 1973), concert pianist, recording artist, scholar, author and entrepreneur. * Jack Waldman (1952–1986), jazz and rock musician, composer, producer, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist * Richard Wenk (born 1956, class of 1974), screenwriter and director best known for his work on ''

The Expendables 2 ''The Expendables 2'' is a 2012 American action film directed by Simon West, written by Richard Wenk and Sylvester Stallone and based on a story by Ken Kaufman, David Agosto and Wenk. Brian Tyler returned to score the film. It is the sequel ...

'' (2012), '' The Equalizer'' (2014), and '' The Magnificent Seven'' (2016).Tufaro, Greg
"Metuchen 'welcomes back' alumni for Hall of Fame nominations"
''

Courier News The ''Courier News'' is a daily newspaper headquartered in Somerville, New Jersey, that serves Somerset County and other areas of Central Jersey. The paper has been owned by Gannett since 1927. Notable employees * John Curley, former pres ...

'', July 26, 2015. Accessed March 6, 2022. "Some of the school's most prominent graduates have had or are still enjoying successful careers in the arts. They include actor Robert Hegyes (Class of 1969), who starred in the iconic 1970s TV sitcom ''Welcome Back Kotter,'' Robert Taub (Class of 1973), an internationally acclaimed concert pianist, Tommy Ruegger (Class of 1972), a top Hollywood animator best known for writing and co-creating ''Animaniacs'' and ''Tiny Toons,'' and Hollywood writer and director Richard Wenk (Class of 1974). " * Julian E. Zelizer (born 1969), author and Professor of Political History at

Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...

, and

CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by t ...

contributor.

References

External links

Metuchen High SchoolMetuchen School District
*
School Data for the Metuchen School District

{{Authority control 1909 establishments in New Jersey Educational institutions established in 1909 Metuchen, New Jersey Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools Public high schools in Middlesex County, New Jersey