Glen Ridge High School (GRHS) is a comprehensive six-year

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

middle school A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school) is an educational stage which exists in some countries, providing education between primary school and secondary school. ...

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 ...

serving students in

seventh Seventh is the ordinal form of the number seven. Seventh may refer to: * Seventh Amendment to the United States Constitution * A fraction (mathematics), , equal to one of seven equal parts Film and television *"The Seventh", a second-season e ...

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 from Glen Ridge, 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 the lone secondary school of the Glen Ridge Public Schools. GRHS is accredited by the New Jersey Department of Education. As of the 2021–22 school year, the school had an enrollment of 827 students and 74.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.1:1. There were 3 students (0.4% 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 none eligible for reduced-cost lunch.School data for Glen Ridge High School
National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 1, 2022. The school's standardized test scores far exceed both the state and national averages. The Class of 2013's average

SAT The SAT ( ) is a standardized test widely used for college admissions in the United States. Since its debut in 1926, its name and scoring have changed several times; originally called the Scholastic Aptitude Test, it was later called the Schol ...

scores were 575 on the math section, 579 on the critical reading section and 565 on writing, totaling 1719 on the three sections combined (compared to a New Jersey averages of 495 math, 521 reading and 496 writing for 1512 overall). Among students taking the SAT, 69% of students met or exceed the combined score of 1550 considered by the College Board to indicate likely college success, vs. 44% statewide.Glen Ridge High School 2013 School Performance Report
New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed June 14, 2011. The graduation rate for the class of 2013 was 97%, with 91.2% of students passing the New Jersey High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).

History

After Glen Ridge was established as a borough in 1895 and an independent school district was formed, students in grades 9-12 were sent to attend Montclair High School on a tuition basis. Constructed in 1900, the Glen Ridge School served students in all 12 grades; the building, as expanded, became Glen Ridge High School in the 1920s. A 1966 referendum approved the construction of a new high school building, which was completed at a cost of $2.8 million (equivalent to $ million in ) and opened in November 1968, at which point the old building was repurposed as Glen Ridge Middle School.

Awards, recognition and rankings

The school was named one of America's Most Challenging High Schools by the Washington Post, ranked 16th in New Jersey and 508th nationally.School Performance report for Glen Ridge High School
New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 27, 2022. It was also named one of the Best High Schools by '' U.S. News & World Report'', 14th in New Jersey and 317th nationally. The school was ranked 30th Best Public School in New Jersey by Niche.com, while the school's teachers were ranked 10th best in the state. The school had been ranked 12th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 4th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed. The magazine ranked the school 5th in 2008 out of 316 schools. The school was ranked 10th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which included 316 schools across the state. Schooldigger.com ranked the school tied for 113th out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (a decrease of 21 positions from the 2010 ranking) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the mathematics (87.9%) and language arts literacy (94.0%) components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (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 nati ...

'', the school was ranked 37th in New Jersey and 1,193rd nationwide. The school was ranked 452nd 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, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely ...

's'' 2009 ranking of the top 1,500 high schools in the United States and was the 10th-ranked school in New Jersey, with 2.219 AP tests taken in 2008 per graduating senior and 30% of all graduating seniors passing at least one AP exam; The school was ranked 751st nationwide in 2008. In ''Newsweek's'' 2007 ranking of the country's top 1,200 high schools, Glen Ridge High School was listed in 871st place, the 23rd-highest ranked school in New Jersey. 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 836th in the nation among participating public high schools and 62nd among schools in New Jersey. The school was ranked 255th in the nation and 24th in New Jersey on the list of "America's Best High Schools 2012" prepared by ''The Daily Beast'' / ''

'', with rankings based primarily on graduation rate, matriculation rate for college and number of Advanced Placement /

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

/ ACT, average AP/IB scores and the number of AP/IB courses available to students.

Athletics

The Glen Ridge High School RidgersGlen Ridge High School
New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. compete in the Super Essex Conference, which consists of public and private high schools in Essex County and operates under the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA). Prior to the NJSIAA's 2010 realignment, the school had competed in the Colonial Hills Conference which included public and private high schools covering Essex County, Morris County and Somerset County in west

Central Jersey Central Jersey is the central region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The designation of Central New Jersey is a distinct administrative toponym. Geographic area and descriptions While the State of New Jersey is often divided into North and ...

. With 407 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 75 to 476 students in that grade range. The football team competes in the Ivy 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 football team is one of the 12 programs assigned to the two Ivy divisions starting in 2020, which are intended to allow weaker programs ineligible for playoff participation to compete primarily against each other. The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Group I North for football for 2018–2020. The mascot is the Ridger (a two-headed zebra). The school participates in a joint ice hockey team with Verona High School as the host school / lead agency. The co-op program operates under agreements scheduled to expire at the end of the 2023–24 school year. The co-op hockey team competes in the NJIHL Central Conference (Essex Division). Each year the team hosts the Holiday Tournament at the Richard J. Codey Arena in West Orange. The 2004-2005 season saw the team win its first conference championship. The boys track team won the Group III spring track state championship in 1923, 1924 and 1929, and won the Group I title in 1951, 1959-1966 and 1968. The 15 state titles won by the program are the third-most statewide, while the nine consecutive titles won from 1959 to 1967 are the state's longest streak. The boys' basketball team won the Group I state championship in 1944 (against Dumont High School in the finals of the playoffs), 1958 (vs.

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

) and 1988 (vs.

Burlington Township High School Burlington Township High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Burlington Township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Burlingto ...

). The 1944 team won the Group I title before a crowd of 1,200 at the Elizabeth Armory with a 41-40 victory against Dumont in the championship game. The 1958 team defeated Dunellen by a score of 80-68 in the finals to win the Group I title. In 1988, the team finished at 24-3 after defeating Burlington Township 59-58 in the Group I finals played at Rider College. The baseball team won the Group I state championship in 1975 (defeating runner-up Manville High School in the tournament final), 1981 (vs. Kingsway Regional High School), 1983 (vs.

), 1988 (vs.

Penns Grove High School Penns Grove High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Carneys Point Township and Penns Grove in Salem County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Pen ...

) and 1993 (vs.

Audubon High School ''For the high school in Iowa with the same name, see Audubon Community School District'' Audubon High School is a comprehensive six-year community public high school that serves students in seventh through twelfth grades from Audubon, in Camd ...

). The program's five state titles is tied for eighth-most state wide. The football team won the NJSIAA North II Group I state sectional championships in 1977, 1980 and 1982. The boys tennis team won the Group I state championship in 1978 (against runner-up

by - in the final match of the tournament) and 1979 (opponent not specified). The girls' soccer team won the Group I state championships in 2001 (defeating Pennsville High School in the tournament final), in 2012 (vs. Shore Regional High School) and 2013 (as co-champion with Shore Regional). In 2007, the team won the North II, Group I state sectional championship with a 3-1 win over second-seeded

North Arlington High School North Arlington High School is a public high school in North Arlington, Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is the lone secondary school of the North Arlington School District. As of the 2021–22 school year, the school had a ...

in the tournament final. The girls tennis team won the Group I state championship in 2009 (against Point Pleasant Beach High School in the final match of the tournament) and 2013 (vs.

Pennsville Memorial High School Pennsville Memorial High School is comprehensive community public high school in Pennsville Township, Salem County, New Jersey, United States, that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades as the lone secondary school of the Pennsville ...

). The Verona / Glen Ridge co-op ice hockey team won the McMullen Cup in 2009 and the McInnis Cup in 2016. The girls' lacrosse team won the Group I state championship in both 2011 and 2012, defeating Pingry School both years in the tournament final. The boys' lacrosse team defeated Mountain Lakes High School to win the Group I state championship in 2011. The boys soccer team won the Group I state title in 2019, defeating runner-up Bound Brook High School by a score of 2-1 in the tournament championship game, the program's first finals appearance.

Glen Ridge rape case

In 1989, a group of football players from the school were involved in the sexual assault of a developmentally disabled female student, with three of the athletes convicted of sexual assault in the case. Author Bernard Lefkowitz wrote about their crime in ''Our Guys: The Glen Ridge Rape and the Secret Life of the Perfect Suburb'', which was later produced as ''Our Guys'', a 1999

made-for-television movie A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature film, feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical f ...

. The case was the basis for the Season Eight '' Law & Order'' episode "Damaged", starring

Lauren Ambrose Lauren Anne D'Ambruoso (born February 20, 1978), known professionally as Lauren Ambrose, is an American actress and singer. She performs in television, film, and on Broadway. Ambrose had television roles as Claire Fisher in ''Six Feet Under'' ...

in the role of the mentally disabled student.

Administration

Core members of the school's administration are: *John Lawlor, Principal *Catlin Reily, Middle School Assistant Principal *Tim Liddy, High School Assistant Principal

Notable alumni

Tom Cruise Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (born July 3, 1962), known professionally as Tom Cruise, is an American actor and producer. One of the world's highest-paid actors, he has received various accolades, including an Honorary Palme d'Or and three Go ...

(born 1962 as Thomas Cruise Mapother IV), actor and producer. * Gary Cuozzo (born 1941), former NFL quarterback. *

Michael J. Doherty Michael J. Doherty (born May 24, 1963) is an American Republican Party politician who has served as the surrogate of Warren County, New Jersey since November 30, 2022. He previously served in the New Jersey Senate representing the 23rd Legisla ...

(born 1963, class of 1981), Surrogate of

Warren County, New Jersey Warren County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county's population was 109,632, representing an increase of 940 (0.9%) from the 108,692 residents counted at the 2010 census. The county bord ...

who served in the New Jersey Senate from 2009 to 2022. * Joe Dubuque (born 1982), amateur wrestler commonly referred to as "The Champ". * Sean Gleeson (born 1986), offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Rutgers Scarlet Knights football. *

Ezra Koenig Ezra Michael Koenig ( ; born April 8, 1984) is an American musician, singer-songwriter, producer, and internet radio personality. He is best known as the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of indie rock band Vampire Weekend. Additio ...

(born 1984), lead singer of

Vampire Weekend Vampire Weekend is an American rock band from New York City, formed in 2006 and currently signed to Columbia Records. The band was formed by lead vocalist and guitarist Ezra Koenig, multi-instrumentalist Rostam Batmanglij, drummer Chris Tomson ...

. * Rudy Mancuso (born 1992), actor, producer, internet personality, comedian and musician best known for his comedic videos on YouTube. * Kathy Mueller Rohan (class of 1974), former professional tennis player. * William Hazlett Upson (1891-1975, class of 1909), author best known stories featuring Alexander Botts, a salesman for the Earthworm Tractor Company. *

Dick Zimmer Richard Alan Zimmer (born August 16, 1944) is an American Republican Party (United States), Republican Party politician from New Jersey, who served in both houses of the New Jersey Legislature and in the United States House of Representatives. H ...

(born 1944), former member of the

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

who was a candidate for

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

in 1996 and 2008.Staff
''Official Congressional Directory, Volume 103''
p. 193.

United States Government Printing Office The United States Government Publishing Office (USGPO or GPO; formerly the United States Government Printing Office) is an agency of the legislative branch of the United States Federal government. The office produces and distributes information ...

, 1993. . Accessed June 14, 2011.

References

External links

Glen Ridge High School website
*
School Data for the Glen Ridge Public Schools
National Center for Education Statistics {{Authority control

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 ...

1895 establishments in New Jersey Educational institutions established in 1895 Public high schools in Essex County, New Jersey Public middle schools in New Jersey