South Plainfield High School (or SPHS) is a four-year, co-ed comprehensive community

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 ''Öffentlichkei ...

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 ...

located in South Plainfield in Middlesex County,

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 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 and operating as the sole secondary school in the South Plainfield Public Schools. The school offers numerous clubs, activities, and athletics. As of the 2021–22 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,079 students and 88.4 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 12.2:1. There were 175 students (16.2% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 47 (4.4% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.School data for South Plainfield High School

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. Accessed December 1, 2022.

Awards, recognition and rankings

In 1996, the

New Jersey Department of Education The New Jersey Department of Education (NJ DOE) administers state and federal aid programs affecting more than 1.4 million public and non-public elementary and secondary school children in the state of New Jersey. The department is headquartered ...

recognized the school with the "Best Practices Award" for its Respect All Races Everywhere (R.A.R.E.) Program in which administrators, staff, and students work together to make cultural and ethnic diversity an instructional theme. The school was the 157th-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 227th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 148th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed. The magazine ranked the school 158th in 2008 out of 316 schools. The school was ranked 160th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state. Schooldigger.com ranked the school 183rd out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (an increase of 25 positions from the 2010 ranking) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the two 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), mathematics (78.9%) and language arts literacy (93.5%). And in 2019, U.S. News ranked the school #96 in New Jersey high schools.

Extracurricular activities

Music

Three music teachers are currently employed at South Plainfield High School: William Haughwout (director of bands), Donna Kregler (director of choirs), and Sarah LiVecchi (director of orchestras). As of 2018, William Haughwout is the permanent band director, succeeding Ryan Dore.

Ensembles

* Marching Band * Concert Band * Wind Ensemble (starting 2017-18 school year) * Jazz Band * Lab Jazz Band * Orchestra * Chamber Orchestra * Concert Choir * Chamber Choir * Pit orchestra

Robotics

South Plainfield High School's FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) team Tiger Tech 5624 has achieved several awards and has gained several victories since starting its rookie year in 2015. * At the Mid Atlantic District event 'Bridgewater-Raritan' in 2015, Tiger Tech earned both Rookie All Star and Highest Rookie Seed awards. * At the Mid Atlantic District event 'North Brunswick' in 2015, Tiger Tech was an Alliance Captain as well as earning the Highest Rookie Seed award. * At the Mid Atlantic District Championship in 2015, Tiger Tech was awarded the Rookie Inspiration award. *At the Mid Atlantic District event 'Mount Olive' in 2016, Tiger Tech claimed a first-place victory as well as the Judges' award. *At the Mid Atlantic District event 'Bridgewater-Raritan', Tiger Tech earned a first-place victory for the second time in its 2016 season. *The team went on in 2016 to compete at the

FIRST Championship The FIRST Championship is a four-day robotics championship held annually in April at which FIRST student robotics teams compete. For several years, the event was held at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia, but moved to the Edward Jones Dome in ...

in St. Louis, and earned a ranking of 31st out of 75 in the Archimedes Division.

Athletics

The South Plainfield High School TigersSouth Plainfield 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, which is comprised of public and private high schools located in the Middlesex County area, and operates under the supervision of the

(NJSIAA). With 750 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 3 of the

Big Central Football Conference The Big Central Football Conference is a football-only athletic league of high schools in Central New Jersey. The 60-team league was formed in 2020. History The Big Central consists of the members of the former Mid-State 38 Conference and the foot ...

, which includes 60 public and private high schools in Hunterdon, Middlesex,

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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 ** ''Un ...

and

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counties, which are broken down into 10 divisions by size and location. The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Group III North for football for 2018–2020.

Wrestling

The wrestling team has won Group III state titles in 2001, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2016-2019, and won Group II state titles in 2000 and 2007. The 12 group titles won by the program are tied for the fifth-most of all teams in the state In 2007, the wrestling team took Central Group II with a 48-16 win over Raritan. The team then moved on to win a Group II state title that year with a 58-6 semifinal win against Point Boro and a 42-9 in the finals against Hackettstown. The 2017 team finished the season with a record of 30-1 after defeating Delsea Regional High School 38-23 in the tournament final to win the Group II state title, the program's tenth championship. In 2013,

Anthony Ashnault Anthony James Ashnault (born June 25, 1995) is an American freestyle wrestler and graduated folkstyle wrestler. In freestyle, he is a two-time Pan American Champion, having won the titles in 2019 and 2020. In folkstyle, he is an NCAA Divisio ...

became the first wrestler in state history to win four consecutive state championships while being undefeated in his high school wrestling career, finishing with an overall record of 170-0 during his four years at South Plainfield.

Baseball

In 2015, the baseball team won the NJSIAA Group III state baseball title, the program's first state championship, defeating Northern Burlington County Regional High School by a score of 8-4 in the tournament final.

Bowling

The girls bowling team was the overall state champion in 1980 (tied with 2,424 pins as co-champion with Lenape High School) and 1991.

Field hockey

The team won the North II Group III state sectional title in 2004.

Softball

The softball team won the Central Jersey state championship in 1975, won the Group II title in 1989 (vs.

Boonton High School Boonton High School is a comprehensive four-year public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Boonton, in Morris County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Boonton Public Schools. The school i ...

in the tournament final) and 2000 (vs. Pompton Lakes High School), and won the Group III titles in both 2005 (vs. Northern Burlington County Regional High School) and 2017 (vs. Steinert High School). The 1989 team defeated Boonton by a score of 5-3 in the playoff finals at

Trenton State College The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) is a public university in Ewing Township, New Jersey. It is part of New Jersey's public system of higher education. Established in 1855 as the New Jersey State Normal School, TCNJ was the first normal school, or ...

to win the Group II title and finish the season with a record of 21-3. The team won the 2000 Group II title with a 3-2 win in extra innings against Pompton Lakes in the tournament final. The 2005 softball team captured a North II Group III title with a 2-0 victory over

Voorhees High School Voorhees High School is a four-year public high school located in Lebanon Township, named for Foster McGowan Voorhees, the 30th Governor of New Jersey. It is one of two high schools in the North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District ...

in the sectional final. They then defeated North I, Group III sectional champion Sparta High School to advance to the Group III final, where they defeated Northern Burlington in the final to capture the Group III state championship. The team had won state titles in Group II in both 1989 and 2000. The team won the Group III state championship in 2017, defeating Steinert High School by a score of 3-2 in the tournament final on a walk-off run scored on a ground out. The team advanced to the inaugural

softball Tournament of Champions as the fourth seed, losing to fifth-seeded Non-Public B champion Immaculate Conception High School by a score of 4-3 in the first round.

Basketball

The boys' basketball team won the Group III state championship in 1964, defeating Summit High School in the tournament final. In 2007, the girls' basketball team was the Group III runner-up, falling to

Willingboro Willingboro Township is a Township (New Jersey), township in Burlington County, New Jersey, Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The township is a suburb of Philadelphia and part of the state's South Jersey region. As of the 202 ...

53-46 in the tournament final.

Soccer

In 2014, the boys soccer team captured a NJSIAA Group III state championship title, the program's first, with a 4-3 victory over

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 ...

in the tournament final.

Administration

The school's principal is John Foscolo. His administration team includes three assistant principals.

Notable alumni

(born 1995), freestyle wrestler. *

Patrick J. Diegnan Patrick J. Diegnan Jr. (born March 19, 1949) is an American Democratic Party politician who has represented the 18th Legislative District in the New Jersey Senate since 2016. Early life The youngest of seven children born to immigrants from ...

(born 1949), politician who has represented the 18th Legislative District in the

New Jersey Senate The New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. There are 40 legislative districts, representing districts with an average population of 232, ...

since 2016. *

Greg Garbowsky Gregory Robert Garbowsky (born September 10, 1986) also known as Garbo, is an American musician best known as the bass guitarist for the pop rock bands Ocean Grove and the Jonas Brothers. Early life and education Garbowsky was born and raised ...

(born 1986, class of 2004), musician best known as the bass guitarist for the

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...

bands Ocean Grove and

Jonas Brothers The Jonas Brothers () are an American pop rock band. Formed in 2005, they gained popularity from their appearances on the Disney Channel television network. They consist of three brothers: Kevin Jonas, Joe Jonas, and Nick Jonas. Raised in W ...

. *

Dontae Johnson Dontae Johnson (born December 1, 1991) is an American football cornerback who is a free agent. He played college football at NC State and was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He also previously playe ...

(born 1991),

cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such offensive running plays as sweeps and reverses. They create tur ...

who has played in the

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for the

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...

. * Dennis Madalone (born 1954), stunt-coordinator-turned-musician best known for his work on three of the

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...

spin-offs — '' Star Trek: the Next Generation'', ''

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (abbreviated as ''DS9'') is an American science fiction television series created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller. The fourth series in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise, it originally aired in syndication from ...

'' and '' Star Trek: Voyager''. *

Michelle Visage Michelle Lynn Case (nee Shupack), better known as Michelle Visage (born September 20, 1968), is an American singer, television host, actress, radio DJ and producer. She first gained recognition as a member of the musical group Seduction which ...

(born 1968), judge on '' RuPaul's Drag Race'', radio DJ, singer in the band

Seduction Seduction has multiple meanings. Platonically, it can mean "to persuade to disobedience or disloyalty", or "to lead astray, usually by persuasion or false promises". Strategies of seduction include conversation and sexual scripts, paralingual ...

, actress and media personality.Cook, Michael
"Michelle Visage"
''Get Out'', October 25, 2015. Accessed January 19, 2021. "She certainly has come a long way from the hallways of South Plainfield High School in Central New Jersey.... Visage is taking her life lessons and Jersey sass and putting it into ''The Diva Rules,'' which will truly help every gorgeous girl and boy channel their inner strength."

References

External links

South Plainfield High School
* {{Authority control Public high schools in Middlesex County, New Jersey South Plainfield, New Jersey