Ridgewood 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 sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...

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 ...

in Ridgewood, in

Bergen County Bergen County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.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 Delawa ...

, United States, serving students in

ninth In music, a ninth is a compound interval consisting of an octave plus a second. Like the second, the interval of a ninth is classified as a dissonance in common practice tonality. Since a ninth is an octave larger than a second, its ...

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 as the lone secondary school of the

Ridgewood Public Schools The Ridgewood Public Schools is a comprehensive community public school district serving students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from suburban Ridgewood, in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020–21 school y ...

. As of the 2020–21 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,775 students and 133.6 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 students ...

of 13.3:1. There were 23 students (1.3% 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 12 (0.7% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.School data for Ridgewood 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 financ ...

. Accessed February 15, 2022.

History

Ridgewood High School was created in 1892, with the creation of a formal ninth grade class and a sophomore class was added the following year. A high school building was established in 1895, and the school received formal recognition from the state as an approved high school.History of RHS
Ridgewood High School. Accessed February 1, 2022. "Ridgewood High School was founded in 1892 when the principal, B.C. Wooster, reorganized the ninth grade into a freshman class and made it the first‑year class of high school." The campus includes one central building, which, along with the original gym, was completed in 1919 at a total cost of $285,000 (equivalent to $ in ). The building features brick walls, a slate roof and other stone features. The building was planned to be opened at an earlier date but it was postponed because of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

.History of Ridgewood High School
Ridgewood High School. Accessed March 20, 2016. The building was designed by the architectural firm of Tracy and Swartwout, which also designed the

Missouri State Capitol The Missouri State Capitol is the home of the Missouri General Assembly and the executive branch of government of the U.S. state of Missouri. Located in Jefferson City at 201 West Capitol Avenue, it is the third capitol to be built in the cit ...

building. Students from Glen Rock had attended the high school for grades 10-12 from the time the borough was created. The Glen Rock district was informed in March 1952 by Ridgewood that its students could not be accommodated any longer in Ridgewood after the 1954-55 school year. Glen Rock High School opened in September 1956 with only tenth graders, as those in eleventh and twelfth grades completed their education through graduation at Ridgewood High School. The newest part of the school, the science wing, was completed in 2001 and contains 15 laboratory classrooms, three computer labs and a new industrial arts center. A new fitness center, gymnasium, and multipurpose room, the Campus Center, were also included in the renovation. Due to their proximity to the

Ho-Ho-Kus Brook Ho-Ho-Kus Brook is a tributary of the Saddle River (which is itself a tributary of the Passaic River) in Bergen County, New Jersey, in the United States.Gertler, Edward. ''Garden State Canoeing'', Seneca Press, 2002. The brook originates in Mah ...

, the school's fields often flood during heavy rains and spring runoff.

Awards, recognition and rankings

During the 1986–87 school year, Ridgewood High School was recognized with the National Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the

United States Department of Education The United States Department of Education is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government. It began operating on May 4, 1980, having been created after the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was split into the Departmen ...

, the highest award an American school can receive. The school was the 28th-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 28th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 20th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed. The magazine ranked the school 7th in 2008 out of 316 schools. The school was ranked 24th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which included 316 schools across the state. Schooldigger.com ranked the school tied for 40th out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (an increase of 8 positions from the 2010 ranking), which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the mathematics (94.6%) and language arts literacy (96.5%) 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). In the 2011 "Ranking America's High Schools" issue by ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large n ...

'', the school was ranked 27th in New Jersey and 917th nationwide. In ''

Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis (businessman), Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print m ...

''s May 22, 2007 issue, ranking the country's top high schools, Ridgewood High School was listed in 549th place, the tenth-highest ranked school in New Jersey. The school was ranked 472 in ''Newsweek''s May 8, 2006, issue, listing the Top 1,200 High Schools in The United States,Top 1,200 High Schools in The United States
''

'' May 8, 2006. and was ranked 323 in ''Newsweek''s 2005 survey.America's Best High Schools
''

,'' August 5, 2005, backed up by the

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

as of September 15, 2005. Accessed November 25, 2015. In its 2013 report on "America's Best High Schools," ''

The Daily Beast ''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. It was founded in 2008. It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief from 2018 to 2021. In a 20 ...

'' ranked the school 363rd in the nation among participating public high schools and 32nd among schools in New Jersey. The school was ranked 273rd in the nation and 25th 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 Advanced Placement (AP) is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board which offers college-level curricula and examinations to high school students. American colleges and universities may grant placement and course ...

International Baccalaureate The International Baccalaureate (IB), formerly known as the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), is a nonprofit foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and founded in 1968. It offers four educational programmes: the IB D ...

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. In Spring 2013, Medha Kirtane, a Social Studies teacher at RHS, was honored as an "exceptional" secondary school teacher by

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 ...

. An alumnus of Williams College and Harvard Graduate School, Kirtane was recognized along with three other teachers from across the state.

Academic team

Ridgewood High School has had success with its academic teams. Recent successes have included victories in 2013 and 2014 at various local tournaments. Ridgewood's JV History Bowl team won the Northern New Jersey History Bowl in January 2013 and later finished as a quarterfinalist at the 2013

National History Bowl The National History Bee and Bowl (NHBB) are nationwide history quiz competitions for high school, middle school, and elementary students in the United States. International Academic Competitions oversees both NHBB and the comparable Internat ...

National Championships. In 2015, Ridgewood's Varsity History Bowl finished tied for ninth place at the National Championships. Ridgewood High School was also the site of the 2010 Tri-State History Bowl, a history quiz tournament which served as the pilot competition for what became the

National History Bee and Bowl The National History Bee and Bowl (NHBB) are nationwide history quiz competitions for high school, middle school, and elementary students in the United States. International Academic Competitions oversees both NHBB and the comparable Internation ...

Athletics

The Ridgewood High School MaroonsRidgewood 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

Big North Conference The Big North Conference is a high school athletic conference in New Jersey. It is one of six North Jersey "super athletic conferences" created by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) in 2009. There are 41 member ...

, which is comprised of public and private high schools in Bergen and

Passaic Passaic ( or ) is a city in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city had a total population of 70,537, ranking as the 16th largest municipality in New Jersey and an increase of 656 from the 69, ...

counties, and was established following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the

. For the 2009-10 school year, Ridgewood was part of the North Jersey Tri-County Conference, a conference established on an interim basis to facilitate the realignment. Until the NJSIAA's 2009 realignment, the school had participated in Division A of the

Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League The Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League, abbreviated NNJIL, was a former athletic conference located in Bergen County, Passaic County and Essex County, New Jersey. The NNJIL was separated into three divisions, according to the classificatio ...

, which included high schools located in Bergen,

Essex Essex () is a Ceremonial counties of England, county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the Riv ...

and Passaic counties, and was separated into three divisions based on NJSIAA size classification. With 1,414 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 Freedom Red 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. The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Group V North for football for 2018–2020. The school's sports teams are nicknamed the Maroons. Ridgewood High School athletics are broadcast locally on RHS-TV Sports, a student-produced sports television network, every Tuesday night at 8PM throughout the school year. The boys track team won the Group III spring track state championship in 1939. The boys' tennis team won the overall state championship in 1952 (vs. Montclair High School), 1954-1956 (vs.

William L. Dickinson High School William L. Dickinson High School is a four-year comprehensive community public high school located in Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades as part of the Jersey City Public Sc ...

all three years), 1958 (vs.

Princeton High School Princeton High School may refer to: *Princeton High School (Illinois), Princeton, Illinois *Princeton Community High School, Princeton, Indiana *Princeton High School (Minnesota), Princeton, Minnesota *Princeton Junior-Senior High School, Princeton ...

) and 1966 (vs. Westfield High School), and won the Group IV state championship in 1968 (vs.

Teaneck High School , motto_translation = To enrich the mind and improve the character , fundingtype = Public , schooltype = high school , grades = 9– 12 , district = Teaneck Public Schools , enrollment = 1,239 (as of 2021–22) , faculty = ...

); the six overall state titles, all won in the era before the Tournament of Champions format began in 1992, are tied for the fourth-most of any school in the state. The 1952 team defeated Summit High School in the semifinals and moved on to beat Montclair 3-0 in the finals to win the overall state tennis title and finish the season undefeated. In 2007, the boys' tennis team won their second state sectionals title in three years, defeating Livingston High School 3-2 to win the North I, Group IV championship. The 2008 boys' tennis Team won their third consecutive North I, Group IV state sectional championship with a 4-1 win in the tournament final over Livingston High School. In 2009, the Maroons defeated Bergen Tech 4-1 at Paramus High School for their fourth consecutive North I Group IV state sectional championship. The boys' soccer team won the Group III title in 1953 (as co-champion with Hamilton High School), and won the Group IV state title in 1956 (as co-champion with Kearny High School) and 1957 (awarded by NJSIAA). The football team was awarded the sectional championship by the

in 1960 (as co-champion). Since the playoff system was introduced in 1974, the team has won the North I Group IV state sectional championships in 1991, 2003 and 2004, and won the North I Group V state sectional title in 2016, 2018 and 2019. The 1991 team, under coach Chuck Johnson, finished the season with an 8-3 record after defeating

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 26-15 in the tournament final to win the North I Group IV state championship, the first ever for the Maroons in the playoff era. In 2003, the football team defeated

Morristown High School Morristown High School (MHS) is a four-year public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades from three communities in Morris County, United States, operating as part of the Morris School District. The school serves students ...

by a score of 35-6 in the NJSIAA North I Group IV title game at

Giants Stadium Giants Stadium (sometimes referred to as Giants Stadium at the Meadowlands or The Swamp) was a stadium located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. The venue was open from 1976 to 2010, and it primarily hosted spo ...

. In 2004, the football team repeated the feat by defeating

Hackensack High School Hackensack High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in Hackensack, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Hackensack Public Schools. Hackensack High School serves students from the Bergen County, New Je ...

27-20, again at Giants Stadium. The team defeated Passaic County Technical Institute in 2016 to win the North I, Group V state sectional championship by a score of 14-13, finishing the season undefeated for the first time since 1957, with a 12-0 record. In 2018, the team won their second North II Group V title with a 27-7 win against Montclair High School in the sectional finals. The team repeated as the North I Group V state sectional championship in 2019 and then went on to defeat previously undefeated North II champion Union High School by a score of 41-37 to win the Group V North regional championship game. The girls tennis team won the Group IV state championship in 1977 (against

Cherry Hill High School East Cherry Hill High School East (also known as Cherry Hill East or CHE) is a four-year comprehensive public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades in Cherry Hill, in Camden County, New Jersey, United States, operating a ...

in the final match of the tournament) and 1980 (vs. Cherry Hill East). The softball team won the Group IV state title in 1979 (defeating Woodbridge High School in the tournament final) and 1983 (vs.

Cherry Hill High School West Cherry Hill High School West (also known as Cherry Hill West or CHW) is a four-year comprehensive public high school, serving students in ninth grade through twelfth grades in Cherry Hill, Camden County, New Jersey, United States, operating a ...

). The 1983 team finished the season with a 29-0 record after winning the Group IV title with a 7-0 victory against Cherry Hill West in the championship game.

NJ.com NJ.com is a digital news content provider and website in New Jersey owned by Advance Publications. According to a report in ''The New York Times'' in 2012, it was the largest provider of digital news in the state at the time. In 2018, comScore r ...

/ ''

The Star-Ledger ''The Star-Ledger'' is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to '' The Jersey Journal'' of Jersey City, ''The Times'' of Trenton and the '' Staten Island Advance'', all of ...

'' ranked Ridgewood as their number-one softball team in the state in 1983. The team, coached by Patricia Auger, won the 2005 Bergen County Championship and 2006 North I Group IV state sectional championship, defeating Bloomfield High School by 3-0. The girls' cross country team won the Group IV state championship in 1980, 1992, 1998 and 1999. Team members won individual Group IV championships in 1984, 1993, 1997 and 2001. The girls volleyball team won the Group IV state championship in 1986 (against runner-up

Paramus High School Paramus High School is an American four-year comprehensive public high school, located in Paramus, in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades as the lone secondary school of the Paramus Public ...

in the final match of the playoffs), 1987 (vs.

Paramus Catholic High School Paramus Catholic High School is a co-educational Roman Catholic high school located in Paramus in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The school, founded in 1965, under Archbishop Thomas A. Boland, and Superintendent of Schools, M ...

) and 1996 (vs. Immaculate Heart Academy). The 1986 team finished the season with a 23-1 record after winning the Group IV title in three games (13-15, 15-12 and 15-8) against a Paramus team that had come into the finals undefeated and was four points away from winning in the second game. The girls' track team won the Group IV indoor relay state championship in 1987, 1988 and 1989. The girls track team won the indoor track Group IV state championship in 1988, 1989, 2016 and 2019. The program's four state group titles are tied for tenth-most in the state. The girls' outdoor track and field team won the Group IV state championship in 1988 and 1989. The boys'

lacrosse Lacrosse is a team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game was extensiv ...

team won state championships in 1990 (defeating

Arthur L. Johnson High School Arthur L. Johnson High School is a four-year public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Clark and Garwood in Union County, New Jersey, United States, operating as the lone secondary school of the Clark Public ...

in the final game of the state tournament) and 1991 (vs. Montclair High School), along with Group III championships in 2004 (vs. Westfield High School), 2006 (vs. Randolph High School), 2008 (vs. Montgomery High School), 2009 (vs. Shawnee High School), 2012 (vs.

), 2013 (vs. Shawnee), 2014 (vs.

Moorestown High School Moorestown High School (MHS) is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Moorestown in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States, operating as the lone secondary school of the M ...

) and 2015 (vs. Shawnee). The program's 10 state group titles are tied for fourth-most statewide. The 1991 team finished the season 19-0 and brought their streak to 34 consecutive wins after taking their second straight state title with a 10-8 win against Montclair in the championship game. The 2009 team won the Group III title in 2009 with an 11-6 win against Shawnee in the finals. In 2011, Ridgewood High School won the Gibbs League and won the Bergen County Tournament Championship vs.

Don Bosco Preparatory High School , motto_translation = To Increase in Knowledge and Grace , accreditation = Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools , rival = Bergen Catholic High SchoolSaint Joseph Regional High School , mascot = , ma ...

. Ridgewood High School has made it to the final four of the Tournament of Champions (which includes all six state group champions) both in 2012 when they lost to

Bridgewater-Raritan High School Bridgewater-Raritan High School (commonly abbreviated as BRHS) is a four-year comprehensive public high school. It is the lone secondary school of the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District serving students in ninth through twelfth grade ...

in triple overtime (Ranked top 20 in the country by ''InsideLacrosse'' magazine in 2012) and in 2013 to Don Bosco Prep High School (Ranked 25th in the country by ''InsideLacrosse'' magazine in 2013). The Ridgewood boys' cross country team has won Group IV state championships in 1991 and 1992.NJSIAA Boys Cross Country State Group Champions

. Accessed October 20, 2020. The team, headed by Coach Mike Glynn since the 1970s (with the exception of a two-year break), has won multiple titles at the Bergen County Meet of Champions since the 1990s, earning Glynn recognition from ''

The Record The Record may refer to: Music * ''The Record'' (album), a 1982 studio album by the hardcore-punk band Fear * The Records, an English power pop band * '' Their Greatest Hits: The Record'', a 2001 greatest-hits album by the pop-music group Bee G ...

'' in 2010 as its Coach of the Decade. Notable runners in previous years include Joe Lemay, who went on to represent the United States at the World Half Marathon Championships and the World Cross-Country Championships, and Bob Keino (son of Kenyan Olympian

Kip Keino Kipchoge Hezekiah Keino (born 17 January 1940) is a retired Kenyan track and field athlete. He was the chairman of the Kenyan Olympic Committee (KOC) until 29 September 2017. A two-time Olympic gold medalist, Keino was among the first in a lon ...

), who won the New Jersey State Meet of Champions in both 1992 and 1993. Taro Shigenobu qualified for the

Nike Cross Nationals Nike Cross Nationals (NXN) (formerly known as Nike Team Nationals) is an invitational cross country meet that serves as the unofficial team national championship of United States high school cross country. Sponsored by Nike, It was designed to h ...

in 2008, and was recognized by ''The Record'' as its runner of the year in 2009 and as part of its All-Decade team in 2010, joining Michael Cator, Byron Williams and Ari Zamir on its list of top Bergen County runners.Staff
"All-Decade boys' cross-country"
''

'', June 10, 2010. Accessed September 1, 2011. In 2017, the Ridgewood Boys won their first Bergen Meet of Champions title since 2005 under coach Patrick Ryan, defeating Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest, 88-94. The girls' basketball team won the Group IV state championship in 1991 with a win against

Piscataway High School Piscataway High School is a four-year comprehensive community public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades from Piscataway in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States, operating as the lone secondary school of the P ...

in the final game of the tournament. The ice hockey team won the Handchen Cup in 1999 and the McMullen Cup in 2006. In 2007, the girls'

indoor track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...

were North I, Group IV state sectional champions, edging out

East Orange Campus High School East Orange Campus High School is a comprehensive high school, comprehensive community state school, public Secondary education in the United States, high school serving students in ninth grade, ninth through twelfth grades in the city of East O ...

. That year, the team came in 2nd nationally for the Shuttle Hurdle Relay; Although not running as fast as they did in 2007, the team came 1st in 2008 for the Shuttle Hurdles at the

National Scholastic Indoor Championships The National Scholastic Indoor Championships or "NSIC" are, along with Nike Indoor Nationals, one of two American high school national championship indoor track and field meets. High school participants from across the country compete for the hono ...

. In 2008, the boys' outdoor track and field team placed 6th nationally in the Sprint Medley Relay, the first sprint team to place at Nationals for RHS after numerous previous Top 6 finishes in the Distance Medley Relay. The girls' lacrosse team won the Group IV state championship in 2010 (defeating Cherokee High School in the tournament final), 2011 (vs. Washington Township High School) and 2012 (vs.

Clearview Regional High School Clearview Regional High School is a regional public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades from Harrison Township and Mantua Township, two communities in Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States, operating as pa ...

); the team won the Tournament of Champions in 2010 vs.

West Morris Mendham High School West Morris Mendham High School (also known as Mendham High School) is home of the Minutemen, and is a four-year comprehensive regional public high school that serves students in ninth though twelfth grades as part of the West Morris Regional ...

and 2011 vs.

. In 2010, the team won the Tournament of Champions with a 7-6 win against West Morris Mendham in its first appearance in the tournament. They won again in 2011 with a 10-9 comeback victory against rival Moorestown. Girls' soccer coach Jeff Yearing, in his 25th year of coaching, won his 400th career game in September 2011, placing him second among all active Bergen County coaches. The Ridgewood boys' track and field teams have also experienced notable success. In the 2013 spring season, the Maroons boys won the Bergen County Relays championship, Big North league championship, the Bergen County Team championship, (over perennial powerhouse

), and their fourth consecutive North I Group IV state sectional championship. The sectional championship qualified RHS for New Jersey's first ever group team championship in

Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey Egg Harbor Township is a township in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The U.S. Census Bureau in the 2020 census reported the population as 47,842, an increase of 4,519 over the 43,323 counted in the previous decade in the 20 ...

, where the Maroons finished second. At the New Balance Nationals, the team set a new school and county record in the 4x800 meter relay, finishing fifth in the nation with a time of 7:39.57. The team's coaches are Josh Saladino and Mike Glynn. In 2017, the girls' varsity ski team won the state championship. Individually, ski racers from Ridgewood won the Overall Women's state championship and the Giant Slalom Men's state championship. In 2019 the girls' varsity ski team won the Liberty Championship, Giant Slalom State Championship, Slalom State Championship, and Overall State Championship. They finished the season undefeated, 20-0. Kaitlyn Devir won the Overall State Championship and Jane McKinley placed 3rd. In 2020 Ridgewood girls won their third Overall State Championship in four years. The boys team won the State Slalom Championship for the first time in program history. Jane McKinley, Eddie O'Keefe and Cole Sherman were named to the All-State Team In 2019, the boys’ baseball team also won their first ever NJSIAA Group IV state title, defeating

Eastern Regional High School Eastern Regional High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school for students in ninth through twelfth grades from Berlin Borough, Gibbsboro and Voorhees Township, three communities in Camden County, New Jersey, United States, o ...

by a score of 2-1 in the group final. That same season, the team won their first championship in the 61-year history of the Bergen County Tournament, defeating

Saint Joseph Regional High School Saint Joseph Regional High School (known as SJR, St. Joe's or Joe's) is a private, Roman Catholic, college preparatory school for boys, located on a campus in Montvale, in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. The school operates under th ...

by a score of 10-7 in the tournament final.

Music

Ridgewood High School's music department offers three orchestras, three choirs, three concert bands, a marching band, two jazz ensembles, and numerous small ensembles. Ridgewood High School was named a Grammy Signature School in 2004. The three curricular bands are the symphonic band, concert band, and wind ensemble, conducted by John W. Luckenbill III and Jeffery G. Haas. The symphonic band is an entry-level band where students focus on sharpening their skills in rhythm, pitch, and balance. The use of method books and exercises is supplemented by appropriate concert selections (Level 2.5 to 3), and these skills are developed in an enjoyable environment.

Administration

The school's principal is Jeffrey M. Nyhuis. His core administration team includes two assistant principals.

Demographics

As of the 2020-21 school year Ridgewood High was 66% White, 18% Asian, 10% Hispanic, 1% Black, 0.1% Hawaiian Native/Pacific Islander, and 0% American Indian/Alaskan Native. RHS's feeder schools are Benjamin Franklin Middle School and George Washington Middle School.

Notable alumni

* Robert T. Bakker (born 1945, class of 1963), paleontologist * Guy Benson (born 1985), conservative talk radio personality;

Fox News The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is o ...

contributor *

Alex Bleeker Alexander William Bleeker (born July 28, 1986) is an American musician and guitarist. He is best known as the bassist of the American indie rock band Real Estate, with whom he has recorded four studio albums, and as the frontman and primary rec ...

(born 1986), musician and guitarist best known as the bassist of the American

indie rock Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the music they produ ...

band

Real Estate Real estate is property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this (also) an item of real property, (more genera ...

.Mushinske, Joram
"Real Estate bassist Alex Bleeker talks about the band’s Ridgewood roots"
''

'', June 11, 2018. Accessed October 17, 2018. "Founding members Martin Courtney (vocals/guitar), Matt Mondanile (guitar/vocals) and Bleeker first met in elementary school and became closer friends at George Washington Middle School in Ridgewood. '“We would all play together in basements and open mic nights at Ridgewood High School along with urrent Real Estate guitaristJulian Lynch and other friends,' Bleeker recalls" *

Andy Blitz Andrew Blitz (born June 28, 1971) is an American comedian, writer, producer and actor best known for his sketch comedy and writing work on the late-night talk show ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien''. He has received nine Emmy Award nominations. ...

(born 1971, class of 1989), comedian, writer, producer and actor best known for his

sketch comedy Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. The form developed and became popular in vaudeville, and ...

and writing work on the late-night

talk show A talk show (or chat show in British English) is a television programming or radio programming genre structured around the act of spontaneous conversation.Bernard M. Timberg, Robert J. Erler'' (2010Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Sh ...

Late Night with Conan O'Brien ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien. NBC aired 2,725 episodes from September 13, 1993, to February 20, 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and music ...

''Kleimann, James
"Sketch Comedy Star Remembers Peculiar Ridgewood Childhood; On WTF Pod, Andy Daly talks why the high school football coach put out a 'hit' on him, his failed protests against student parking, and more."
Ridgewood Patch, August 28, 2012. Accessed September 5, 2017. "Ridgewood native and sketch comedy master Andy Daly appeared on WTF Podcast with Marc Maron on Monday, revealing a blisteringly funny time spent at Ridgewood High School in the 1980s.... The 1989 RHS grad was the proverbial busy body, active in extracurriculars like the TV club, as well as local government." * Tara M. Chaplin, psychologist. *

Tyler Clementi Tyler Clementi (December 19, 1991 – September 22, 2010) was an American student at Rutgers University–New Brunswick who jumped to his death from the George Washington Bridge over the Hudson River at the age of 18, on September 22, 2010. On S ...

(1991-2010, class of 2010), Rutgers University student who committed suicide after his intimate encounter with another man was streamed online * Kelly Conheeney (born 1991),

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

player;

midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...

for

Sky Blue FC NJ/NY Gotham FC is a professional women's soccer team based in Harrison, New Jersey. Founded in 2006 as Jersey Sky Blue, the team was known as Sky Blue FC from 2008 until 2020. A founding member of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) in 2013 ...

in the

NWSL The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) is a professional women's soccer league at the top of the United States league system. It is owned by the teams and, until 2020, was under a management contract with the United States Soccer Federatio ...

Martin Courtney Martin Courtney IV (born September 28, 1985) is an American musician and the frontman of the American indie rock band Real Estate. In 2015, Courtney also released his first solo album, ''Many Moons,'' followed by his second solo album, ''Magic S ...

(born 1985), founder of indie rock band

Andy Daly Andrew J. Daly (born April 15, 1971) is an American actor, comedian and writer. He starred as Forrest MacNeil on the Comedy Central series ''Review'', and had a supporting role in the HBO comedy series ''Eastbound & Down'' as Terrence Cutler. ...

(born 1971, class of 1989), actor, comedian, and writer * Gerry Duggan (born 1974, class of 1992), television writer and comic book author *

Willie Geist William Russell Geist (born May 3, 1975) is an American television personality and journalist. He is co-anchor of MSNBC's ''Morning Joe'' and anchor of ''Sunday Today with Willie Geist''. Geist also frequently serves as a fill-in anchor on bot ...

(born 1975), co-host of

MSNBC MSNBC (originally the Microsoft National Broadcasting Company) is an American news-based pay television cable channel. It is owned by NBCUniversala subsidiary of Comcast. Headquartered in New York City, it provides news coverage and political ...

's ''

Morning Joe ''Morning Joe'' is an American morning news and liberal talk show, airing weekdays from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on the cable news channel MSNBC. It features former Republican Congressman Joe Scarborough reporting and discu ...

'' * Elizabeth Hawes (1903-1971),

clothing designer Fashion design is the art of applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction and natural beauty to clothing and its accessories. It is influenced by culture and different trends, and has varied over time and place. "A fashion designer creates ...

, outspoken critic of the

fashion industry Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashio ...

, and champion of

ready to wear Ready-to-wear (or ''prêt-à-porter''; abbreviated RTW; "off-the-rack" or "off-the-peg" in casual use) is the term for ready-made garments, sold in finished condition in standardized sizes, as distinct from made-to-measure or bespoke clothing ...

and people's right to have the clothes they desired, rather than the clothes dictated to be fashionable. *

Sonny Igoe Owen Joseph "Sonny" Igoe (October 8, 1923 – March 28, 2012) was an American jazz drummer and music educator who, toured with the orchestras of Tommy Reed (1913–2012), Les Elgart, Ina Ray Hutton, Benny Goodman, and Woody Herman from the mid- ...

(1923-2012, class of 1939), jazz drummer * Walter M. D. Kern (born 1937), politician who served in the

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 Delawa ...

General Assembly A general assembly or general meeting is a meeting of all the members of an organization or shareholders of a company. Specific examples of general assembly include: Churches * General Assembly (presbyterian church), the highest court of pres ...

from 1978 to 1990, where he represented the 40th Legislative District. *

Younghoe Koo Younghoe Koo (; pronounced ; born August 3, 1994) is a South Korean player of American football who is a placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2020. Koo played college fo ...

(born 1994), football kicker currently under contract with the

Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcon ...

L.A. Beast Kevin Thomas Strahle (born January 6, 1984), better known as the L.A. Beast, is an American professional competitive eater who hosts a challenge-based channel on YouTube. Strahle started making videos in his hometown of Ridgewood, New Jersey, ...

(born 1984), alias of Kevin Strahle, competitive eater * Robert Sean Leonard (born 1969), actor who started acting while at the school and was given work study credit for his theatrical work *

Alfred Lutter Alfred William Lutter III (born March 21, 1962) is an American entrepreneur, engineer, consultant, and former child actor. Life and career Lutter was born on March 21, 1962, in Ridgewood, New Jersey, where he also grew up. He graduated from R ...

(born 1962) entrepreneur, engineer, consultant, and former

child actor The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting on stage or in movies or television. An adult who began their acting career as a child may also be called a child actor, or a "former child actor". Closely associated t ...

, best known for his appearance in ''

Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore ''Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore'' is a 1974 American comedy drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Robert Getchell. It stars Ellen Burstyn as a widow who travels with her preteen son across the Southwestern United States i ...

''. * David Madden (born 1981, class of 1999), 19-day champion on ''

Jeopardy! ''Jeopardy!'' is an American game show created by Merv Griffin. The show is a quiz competition that reverses the traditional question-and-answer format of many quiz shows. Rather than being given questions, contestants are instead given genera ...

''; founder and executive director of the

* Andrew Maguire (born 1939), politician who represented

New Jersey's 7th congressional district New Jersey's 7th congressional district includes all of Hunterdon and Warren Counties; and parts of Morris, Somerset, Sussex, and Union Counties. The district is represented by Republican Thomas Kean Jr., who was first elected in 2022, de ...

from 1975 to 1981 * Julia Meade (1925–2016, class of 1944), film and stage actress who was a frequent pitch person in live commercials in the early days of television in the 1950s. * Michael Mercurio (born 1972), actor who has appeared in film, theatre, and television, often portraying psychologically disturbed characters. *

Matt Mondanile Matthew A. Mondanile is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American indie rock band Real Estate, with whom he recorded three studio albums, and for his solo music project Ducktails ...

(born 1985), guitarist, singer and songwriter best known as the former lead guitarist of the American

band

. * Richard Muenz (born 1948), actor *

Helen Nearing Helen Knothe Nearing (February 23, 1904 – September 17, 1995) was an American author, advocate of simple living and a lifelong vegetarian. Biography Helen Knothe was born on February 23, 1904, in Ridgewood, New Jersey, as the daughter of Fr ...

(1904-1995), author and advocate of

simple living Simple living refers to practices that promote simplicity in one's lifestyle. Common practices of simple living include reducing the number of possessions one owns, depending less on technology and services, and spending less money. Not only is ...

. *

Kim Ng Kimberly J. Ng (; born November 17, 1968) is an American executive in Major League Baseball. She is currently the general manager of the Miami Marlins and the highest-ranking female baseball executive. She is the first woman to serve as general ...

(born 1968), Major League Baseball executive. * James "Buddy" Nielsen (born 1984), musician,

Senses Fail Senses Fail is an American rock band formed in Ridgewood, New Jersey, in 2001. Founded by vocalist James "Buddy" Nielsen, drummer Dan Trapp, guitarists Garrett Zablocki and Dave Miller, and bassist James Gill (replaced by Mike Glita shortly af ...

* Patti O'Reilly (born 1968, class of 1986), former professional tennis player. *

Cassie Ramone Cassie Grzymkowski (born March 17, 1986), better known by her stage name Cassie Ramone, is an American musician and artist. Ramone rose to prominence as the guitarist and vocalist of indie rock band Vivian Girls, who broke up in 2014, and later ...

(born 1986), musician and artist who rose to prominence as the guitarist and vocalist of

band

Vivian Girls Vivian Girls is an American band based in Brooklyn, New York. The only consistent members have been Cassie Ramone and Katy Goodman, on guitar and bass, respectively; the group has had several drummers throughout its history. They took their n ...

. * Kenneth Rapuano,

Marine Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military ...

who has held various global security-related posts within the U.S. federal government. *

Nelson Riddle Nelson Smock Riddle Jr. (June 1, 1921 – October 6, 1985) was an American arranger, composer, bandleader and orchestrator whose career stretched from the late 1940s to the mid-1980s. He worked with many world-famous vocalists at Capitol Recor ...

(1921–1985), bandleader, arranger and orchestrator * Thomas M. Ryan Jr. (born 1928, class of 1946), retired United States Air Force four-star general * David Schenker (born 1968, class of 1986), diplomat who has served as Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs. *

Todd Stitzer H. Todd Stitzer (born 10 March 1952) is an American businessman who served as the chief executive officer of Cadbury plc from 2003 to 2010. Early life Stitzer was born in the United States, the son of a YMCA director and a nurse, and is a natural ...

(born 1952), businessman who served as the

chief executive officer A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especiall ...

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from 2003 to 2010. *

Ali Stroker Alyson Mackenzie Stroker (born June 16, 1987) is an American actress, author and singer. She is the first wheelchair-using actor to appear on a Broadway stage, and also the first to be nominated for and win a Tony Award. Stroker was a finalist on ...

(born 1987), Tony Award winning actress and singer, who is the first actress needing a wheelchair for mobility known to have appeared on a Broadway stage. * Kazbek Tambi (born 1961, class of 1979), current

Seton Hall University Seton Hall University (SHU) is a private Catholic research university in South Orange, New Jersey. Founded in 1856 by then-Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley and named after his aunt, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Seton Hall is the oldest diocesa ...

women's

head coach and former professional soccer player; inducted into the RHS Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004RHS Athletic Hall of Fame: Kazbek Tambi - Class of 1979
Ridgewood High School, backed up by the

as of March 3, 2009. Accessed June 30, 2011. "A three-year starter at RHS, Tambi is still the fourth all-time scorer in soccer at RHS with 81 career points." * Donald L. Totten (1933–2019), mechanical engineer and politician who served in the

Illinois House of Representatives The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The House under the current constitution as amended in 1980 consists of 118 re ...

from 1973 to 1981 and in the

Illinois Senate The Illinois Senate is the upper chamber of the Illinois General Assembly, the legislative branch of the government of the State of Illinois in the United States. The body was created by the first state constitution adopted in 1818. Under the ...

from 1981 to 1983. *

David Van Tieghem David Van Tieghem (born April 21, 1955) is an American composer, percussionist and sound designer, best known for his philosophy of utilizing any available object as a percussion instrument and for his collaborations with the experimental artists ...

(born 1955), percussionist, composer and sound designer *

Michael Zegen Michael Jonathan Zegen (born February 20, 1979) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in the television series '' Rescue Me'' (2004–2011), ''Boardwalk Empire'' (2011–2014), and '' The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel'' (2017–present). ...

(born 1979), actor best known for his role as Joel Maisel on ''

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel ''The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel'' is an American period comedy-drama television series, created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, that premiered on March 17, 2017, on Amazon Prime Video. Set in the late 1950s and early 1960s, it stars Rachel Brosnahan as ...

''.Stiansen, Laura Adams
"''The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel'' praised by Ridgewood's Michael Zegen for its Emmy wins"
''

'', September 18, 2018. Accessed December 20, 2018. "But the 39-year-old actor, who now calls New York City home, hasn’t forgotten his Jersey roots ('I still prefer Paramus Park to Garden State Plaza,' he says. 'Guess I’m just nostalgic') or the Ridgewood High School theater program that helped him develop his passion (and that he used to consider his 'home')."

References

External links

Ridgewood High School website
*
School Data for the Ridgewood Public Schools

The RHS Band Program
{{Authority control Ridgewood, New Jersey 1892 establishments in New Jersey Educational institutions established in 1892 Public high schools in Bergen County, New Jersey

History

Awards, recognition and rankings

Academic team

Athletics

Music

Administration

Demographics

Notable alumni

See also

References

External links