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West Side High School is a four-year 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 ...
complex in
Newark Newark most commonly refers to: * Newark, New Jersey, city in the United States * Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey; a major air hub in the New York metropolitan area Newark may also refer to: Places Canada * Niagara-on-the ...
, in Essex 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, operating as part of the
Newark Public Schools Newark Board of Education is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade in the city of Newark in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. The state took over the district i ...
. As of the 2020–21 school year, the school had an enrollment of 620 students and 44.0 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 14.1:1. There were 354 students (57.1% 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 35 (5.6% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.School data for West Side 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.
The West Side campus has hosted two separate high school programs that operate independently but have shared a facility and athletic programs: * Newark Early College High School, which prepares students in grades 7–12 to complete up to 60 college-level credits during their high school career *
Newark Vocational High School Newark Vocational High School is a four-year comprehensive community public high school in Newark, in Essex County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in ninth through tenth grades, and operating as part of the Newark Public Schools. ...
prepares students in grades 9-12 for college and career options.


History

West Side High School opened on September 14, 1925, in a building designed to provide students with classrooms, an auditorium, gyms, and other facilities, serving 520 boys and 809 girls. The school had 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 educational accreditation, accreditation of public and priva ...
Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools until 2011, when the school's accreditation status was removed.


Awards, recognition and rankings

The school was the 326th-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 268th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 319th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed. The magazine ranked the school 313th in 2008 out of 316 schools. The school was ranked 313th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state. The school has twice received gifts of $50,000 from
Ellen DeGeneres Ellen Lee DeGeneres ( ; born January 26, 1958) is an American comedian, television host, actress, writer, and producer. She starred in the sitcom ''Ellen'' from 1994 to 1998, which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award for " The Puppy Episode". Sh ...
. West Side also received a gift of $500,000 from
Oprah Winfrey Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954), or simply Oprah, is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', br ...
to be used for the school's summer initiative.


Athletics

The West Side High School RoughridersWest Side 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 Super Essex Conference, which is comprised of public and private high schools in Essex County and was established following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the
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 ...
(NJSIAA). Prior to the 2009 realignment, the team had been in the Skyline Division of the
Northern Hills Conference The Northern Hills Conference, was an athletic conference of nineteen private and public high schools located in Essex, Morris and Passaic counties in Northern New Jersey. There were nineteen member Northern Hills Conference schools, split into t ...
, which included schools in Essex,
Morris Morris may refer to: Places Australia *St Morris, South Australia, place in South Australia Canada * Morris Township, Ontario, now part of the municipality of Morris-Turnberry * Rural Municipality of Morris, Manitoba ** Morris, Manitob ...
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 69,7 ...
counties. With 728 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 the Freedom White 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 school was classified by the NJSIAA as Group II North for football for 2022–2024. The boys' cross country team won the Group IV state championship in 1949, 1950 (as co-champion with
Asbury Park High School Asbury Park High School is a comprehensive high school, comprehensive, four-year community state school, public Secondary education in the United States, high school serving students in ninth grade, ninth through twelfth grades. It is in a land ...
), 1951, 1953 and 1954. The boys' track team won the Group III indoor relay state championship in 1988 The boys track team won the Group II spring track state championship in 1988 and the Group IV title in 1989. The 1993 girls' basketball team won the Group III state championship with a 60–50 defeat in the tournament final of
Egg Harbor Township High School Egg Harbor Township High School is a comprehensive community public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Egg Harbor Township in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, operating as the lone secondary school ...
, the state's top-ranked team and the group's defending champion. Entering the Tournament of Champions as the fourth-seeded team, West Side defeated number five seed
Haddonfield Memorial High School Haddonfield Memorial High School is a four-year comprehensive community public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grade from Haddonfield, in Camden County, New Jersey, United States, operating as the lone secondary sch ...
by a score of 44–39 in the quarterfinals and top-seeded
St. Rose High School St. Rose High School is a co-educational four-year Catholic school, Catholic high school in Belmar, New Jersey, Belmar, in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. The school operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Trento ...
by 48–38 in the semis before falling to second-seed St. John Vianney High School in the finals by a score of 57–43 to finish the season with a 30–4 record. The football team won the 2007 North II Group III state sectional championship with a 20–0 win against
South Plainfield High School South Plainfield High School (or SPHS) is a four-year, co-ed comprehensive community public high school located in South Plainfield in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades and operating ...
in a game played 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 sp ...
, earning the team its first ever sectional title. Since 2009, the football team plays their home games at Untermann Field, which is shared with other public schools in Newark, following the closure and demolition of Newark Schools Stadium, which was constructed in 1925 and closed in 2006. The boys basketball team won the Group II state championship in 2016 and 2017, defeating Camden High School in the tournament final both years. Down by 17 points at halftime, the 2016 team scored two foul shots with less than two seconds remaining in the game to defeat Camden 85–53 in the Group II championship game. The team won its second consecutive Group II title with a 51–49 win in the championship game. The team advanced to the Tournament of Champions both seasons, coming into the 2016 ToC seeded fourth and falling 71–62 to fifth-seeded
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 = ...
in the quarterfinals; the 2017 team was the fifth seed, again falling in the quarterfinals to Teaneck, this time in overtime by a score of 70–62 to finish the season with a record of 25–7.


Notable alumni

* Alma Adams (born 1946; class of 1964), educator and longtime North Carolina state legislator. *
Hugh Joseph Addonizio Hugh Joseph Addonizio (January 31, 1914 – February 2, 1981) was an American Democratic Party politician who was sentenced to prison for corruption. He was the 33rd Mayor of Newark, New Jersey, from 1962 to 1970, and a U.S. Congressman from ...
(1914-1981), politician who served for 13 years as a
U.S. Congressman 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 ...
before serving as
Mayor of Newark The Mayor of Newark is the head of the executive branch of government of Newark, New Jersey, United States. The mayor has the duty to enforce the municipal charter and ordinances; prepare the annual budget; appoint deputy mayors, department he ...
from 1962 to 1970. * Dino Boyd (born 1996),
offensive lineman In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numbe ...
for the
Ottawa Redblacks The Ottawa Redblacks (officially stylized as REDBLACKS) ( French: Le Rouge et Noir d'Ottawa) are a professional Canadian football team based in Ottawa, Ontario. The team plays in the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). Startin ...
of the
Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
. * Ray Chambers (born 1942), philanthropist and humanitarian. *
Sandra Bolden Cunningham Sandra Bolden Cunningham (born September 4, 1950) is an American Democratic Party politician, who has been serving in the New Jersey State Senate since 2007, where she represents the 31st Legislative District. She was sworn into office on Nov ...
(born 1950), member of 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 2007, where she represents the 31st Legislative District. * Jerry Gant (1961-2018), visual artist, poet, performance artist and educator. *
Bernard Gersten Bernard Gersten (January 30, 1923 – April 27, 2020) was an American theatrical producer. Beginning in the 1960s through the early 2000s, Gersten played a major role in shaping American drama and musical theatre. From 1960 to 1978, Gersten wo ...
(1923–2020),
theatrical producer A theatrical producer is a person who oversees all aspects of mounting a theatre Stagecraft, production. The producer is responsible for the overall financial and managerial functions of a production or venue, raises or provides financial backin ...
. * Frederick Bernard Lacey (1920-2017)
United States district judge The United States district courts are the trial courts of the United States federal judiciary, U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each United States federal judicial district, federal judicial district, which each cover o ...
of the
United States District Court for the District of New Jersey The United States District Court for the District of New Jersey (in case citations, D.N.J.) is a federal court in the Third Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the ...
. * Rocco Neri (1919-2011), politician who represented the 28th Legislative District 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 for ...
from 1974 to 1976. *
Aulcie Perry Aulcie Perry ( he, אולסי פרי) (born July 3, 1950) is a retired American-Israeli professional basketball player. He helped Maccabi Tel Aviv win two EuroLeague championships, during his nine seasons with the team. During his playing caree ...
(born 1950), professional basketball player. * Charlie Persip (born 1929),
jazz drummer Jazz drumming is the art of playing percussion (predominantly the drum kit, which includes a variety of drums and cymbals) in jazz styles ranging from 1910s-style Dixieland jazz to 1970s-era jazz fusion and 1980s-era Latin jazz. The techniques an ...
. * Redman (born 1970 as Reginald Noble), rapper, DJ, record producer and actor. *
Richie Regan Richard Joseph Regan (November 30, 1930 – December 24, 2002) was an American basketball player and coach who played in the NBA for the Rochester / Cincinnati Royals Raised in Newark, New Jersey, Regan played prep basketball at West Side High ...
(1930-2002), basketball player and coach who played in the NBA for the Rochester / Cincinnati Royals. *
Rod Steiger Rodney Stephen Steiger (; April 14, 1925July 9, 2002, aged 77) was an American actor, noted for his portrayal of offbeat, often volatile and crazed characters. Cited as "one of Hollywood's most charismatic and dynamic stars," he is closely assoc ...
(1925–2002), actor dropped out at age 16 after joining the United States Navy. *
Dave Toma David Toma (born 1934) is a former police officer whose undercover work and battles with his superiors became the basis of the television series '' Toma'', which ran on the ABC network from 1973 to 1974. Born and raised in Newark, New Jersey as th ...
, former
Newark Police Department Established in April 1857, the Newark Police Department (NPD) is the primary law enforcement agency serving Newark, New Jersey, and the largest municipal law enforcement agency in New Jersey. As of December 2017 the force had 1,146 officers. I ...
police detective whose undercover work and battles with his superiors became the basis of the television series '' Toma'', which ran on the
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
network from 1973 to 1974. *
Art Weiner Art Weiner (August 16, 1926 – December 25, 2013) played American football as an All American end at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 1946–1949 before playing in the National Football League for the New York Yanks. Born an ...
(1926-2013),
end End, END, Ending, or variation, may refer to: End *In mathematics: ** End (category theory) ** End (topology) **End (graph theory) ** End (group theory) (a subcase of the previous) **End (endomorphism) *In sports and games **End (gridiron footbal ...
who played in the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
for the
New York Yanks The New York Yanks were an American football team that played in the National Football League under that name in the 1950 and 1951 seasons. Season by season overview 1949 The team began in 1944 as the Boston Yanks, owned by Kate Smith's manag ...
. *
Tahir Whitehead Tahir Ali Whitehead (born April 2, 1990) is a former American football linebacker. He played college football for Temple University, and was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Early years A native of Newa ...
(born 1989; class of 2008), professional football
linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, p ...
who has played in the NFL for the
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
. *
Barrence Whitfield Barrence Whitfield (born Barry White, June 13, 1955) is an American soul and R&B vocalist, best known as the frontman for Barrence Whitfield & the Savages. White was born in Jacksonville, Florida. When he was a child, his family moved to Eas ...
(born 1955), soul and R&B vocalist, best known as the frontman for Barrence Whitfield & the Savages. * Kevin Widemond (1985-2009)
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 who played for the Portuguese basketball club Ovarense.via
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...

"Kevin Widemond, basketball player from Newark, dies during game in Portugal"
NJ Advance Media for
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 ...
, October 26, 2009, updated April 1, 2019. Accessed November 11, 2019. "Widemond, who was first-team All-Newark in 2003 as a guard for Newark West Side High School, had played 10 minutes in the third-place playoff game of the cup competition, which was canceled following his death."


References


External links

* * {{Authority control 1925 establishments in New Jersey Educational institutions established in 1925 High schools in Newark, New Jersey Public high schools in Essex County, New Jersey