New Brunswick High School
Encyclopedia
New Brunswick High School (NBHS) is a four-year comprehensive public high school
located in New Brunswick
, in Middlesex County
, New Jersey
, United States, operating as part of the New Brunswick Public Schools
.
As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,480 students and 86 classroom teachers (on an FTE
basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 17.21.
The school was the 282nd-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 322 schools statewide, in New Jersey Monthly
magazine's September 2010 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", after being ranked 303rd in 2008 out of 316 schools. The school was ranked 302nd in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state.
The first dedicated high school facility in New Brunswick, known as Livingston Avenue High School, was built in 1875 on the Livingston Avenue
property where Roosevelt Elementary School currently stands. Previously, the "high school department" took up the second and third floors of the Bayard Street School, and the New Brunswick's first graduating high school class was in July 1869.
The second high school facility was completed in 1916, and contained 30 classrooms and an 800-seat auditorium. A new gym
nasium was built as part of an addition in 1941, and another addition was built in 1945. This facility was repurposed as A. Chester Redshaw Elementary School following the construction of the current high school facility. Redshaw Elementary was closed in 2005 and demolished in 2006, and a new elementary school is planned for the site.
The next facility was located on Livingston Avenue, near the North Brunswick Township
border. Construction was completed in 1964. The 166,000-square-foot (15,400 m²) facility contains 67 classrooms (including dedicated classrooms for music and industrial arts classes), a gym
nasium, a cafeteria
, an auditorium
, a library
, and office space. The school was originally built to hold 1,200 students, and overcrowding necessitated the use of modular classrooms
.
The current high school building opened in January 2010. The 400,000-square-foot (37,000 m²) facility, constructed at a cost of $185 million, is located on Route 27. The previous high school building will be converted into a middle school
for grades 6 through 8, to open in September 2010.
As of 2010, the school's population is 73% Hispanic
and 24% African-American. 70.1% of students speak English as their first language at home, while 28.5% speak Spanish
; 11.9% of students have limited English proficiency.
The school has a Student Exchange Program, with various nations. Some neighboring countries went through with the program and students from NBHS went to China, India, and Japan.
(NJSIAA) and holds membership in the Greater Middlesex Conference
(GMC). Athletic programs offered by NBHS include football
, baseball
, basketball
, softball
, soccer, cross country
, tennis
, golf
, bowling
, track and field
, volleyball
, and wrestling
. The school's athletic facilities include a gymnasium, a football stadium (Memorial Stadium), baseball diamonds, and a racing track. The school's mascot is the zebra
.
and the Key Club
, as well as a student council
, a school newspaper, and a group that designs the school's yearbook
. NBHS also offers the U.S. Army
JROTC
program as an elective.
production in 24 years - a production of Once on This Island
. The production proved to be a success, and since then, NBHS has put together productions of such shows as West Side Story, A Chorus Line
, and Grease
.
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
located in New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...
, in Middlesex County
Middlesex County, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 750,162 people, 265,815 households, and 190,855 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,422 people per square mile . There were 273,637 housing units at an average density of 884 per square mile...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, United States, operating as part of the New Brunswick Public Schools
New Brunswick Public Schools
New Brunswick Public Schools is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in kindergarten through 12th grade in New Brunswick, in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States...
.
As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,480 students and 86 classroom teachers (on an FTE
Full-time equivalent
Full-time equivalent , is a unit to measure employed persons or students in a way that makes them comparable although they may work or study a different number of hours per week. FTE is often used to measure a worker's involvement in a project, or to track cost reductions in an organization...
basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 17.21.
The school was the 282nd-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 322 schools statewide, in New Jersey Monthly
New Jersey Monthly
New Jersey Monthly is a monthly glossy publication featuring issues of possible interest to residents of the United States state of New Jersey...
magazine's September 2010 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", after being ranked 303rd in 2008 out of 316 schools. The school was ranked 302nd in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state.
Facilities
New Jersey Route 26
Route 26 is a state highway in New Jersey, United States, running along Livingston Avenue from U.S. Route 1 in North Brunswick Township northeast to Nassau Street at the to the border of New Brunswick. Prior to the 1953 renumbering, the route continued southwest along US 1 to Trenton...
property where Roosevelt Elementary School currently stands. Previously, the "high school department" took up the second and third floors of the Bayard Street School, and the New Brunswick's first graduating high school class was in July 1869.
The second high school facility was completed in 1916, and contained 30 classrooms and an 800-seat auditorium. A new gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
nasium was built as part of an addition in 1941, and another addition was built in 1945. This facility was repurposed as A. Chester Redshaw Elementary School following the construction of the current high school facility. Redshaw Elementary was closed in 2005 and demolished in 2006, and a new elementary school is planned for the site.
The next facility was located on Livingston Avenue, near the North Brunswick Township
North Brunswick Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:At the 2010 census, there were 40,742 people, 13,635 households and 9,367 families residing in the township. The population density was 3,018.3 per square mile . There were 13,932 housing units at an average density of 1,158.8 per square mile...
border. Construction was completed in 1964. The 166,000-square-foot (15,400 m²) facility contains 67 classrooms (including dedicated classrooms for music and industrial arts classes), a gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
nasium, a cafeteria
Cafeteria
A cafeteria is a type of food service location in which there is little or no waiting staff table service, whether a restaurant or within an institution such as a large office building or school; a school dining location is also referred to as a dining hall or canteen...
, an auditorium
Auditorium
An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances at venues such as theatres. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens.- Etymology :...
, a library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
, and office space. The school was originally built to hold 1,200 students, and overcrowding necessitated the use of modular classrooms
Modular classrooms
Modular Classrooms are prefabricated buildings constructed off-site in a factory. Most modular classrooms are portable, and are sometimes called temporary classrooms or relocatable classrooms, but permanent modular classrooms are becoming a common option. Modular classrooms are also built to all...
.
The current high school building opened in January 2010. The 400,000-square-foot (37,000 m²) facility, constructed at a cost of $185 million, is located on Route 27. The previous high school building will be converted into a middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
for grades 6 through 8, to open in September 2010.
Student body
The Class of 2010 had a 68.8% graduation rate. Among 2010 graduates, 18.9% planned to attend four-year colleges after graduating, while 15.1% pursue education at two-year colleges and more than half were undecided.As of 2010, the school's population is 73% Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
and 24% African-American. 70.1% of students speak English as their first language at home, while 28.5% speak Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
; 11.9% of students have limited English proficiency.
The school has a Student Exchange Program, with various nations. Some neighboring countries went through with the program and students from NBHS went to China, India, and Japan.
Athletics
NBHS is a member of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic AssociationNew Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association
The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association 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 championships:...
(NJSIAA) and holds membership in the Greater Middlesex Conference
Greater Middlesex Conference
The Greater Middlesex Conference is an athletic conference comprising 33 public and private high schools located in the greater Middlesex County, New Jersey area. The league operates under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association.-Gold Division:-Blue...
(GMC). Athletic programs offered by NBHS include football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
, soccer, cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, bowling
Bowling
Bowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
, track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, and wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
. The school's athletic facilities include a gymnasium, a football stadium (Memorial Stadium), baseball diamonds, and a racing track. The school's mascot is the zebra
Zebra
Zebras are several species of African equids united by their distinctive black and white stripes. Their stripes come in different patterns unique to each individual. They are generally social animals that live in small harems to large herds...
.
Electives and extracurricular activities
NBHS currently offers a significant variety of extracurricular activities for students, including over 40 clubs, and nearly 20 student organizations. There are clubs devoted to languages and cultures, academic fields, sports, fitness, music, art, computers, and other interests and skills. Student organizations include chapters of the National Honor SocietyNational Honor Society
The National Honor Society is a recognition program for high school students in grades 10-12 in the United States and in several other countries...
and the Key Club
Key Club
Key Club International is the oldest and largest service program for high school students. It is a student-led organization whose goal is to teach leadership through serving others. Key Club International is a part of the Kiwanis International family of service-leadership programs...
, as well as a student council
Student council
Student council is a curricular or extra-curricular activity for students within elementary and secondary schools around the world. Present in most public and private K-12 school systems across the United States, Canada and Australia these bodies are alternatively entitled student council, student...
, a school newspaper, and a group that designs the school's yearbook
Yearbook
A yearbook, also known as an annual, is a book to record, highlight, and commemorate the past year of a school or a book published annually. Virtually all American, Australian and Canadian high schools, most colleges and many elementary and middle schools publish yearbooks...
. NBHS also offers the U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
JROTC
Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps
The Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps is a Federal program sponsored by the United States Armed Forces in high schools across the United States...
program as an elective.
Theatre program
NBHS offers courses and clubs focusing on various aspects of theatre arts, including music and acting. In the spring of 2002, participants in these groups, as well as several art-related classes, became involved in the school's first musical theatreMusical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
production in 24 years - a production of Once on This Island
Once On This Island
Once on This Island is a one-act musical with a book and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and music by Stephen Flaherty. Based on the novel My Love, My Love by Rosa Guy, set in the French Antilles in the Caribbean Sea...
. The production proved to be a success, and since then, NBHS has put together productions of such shows as West Side Story, A Chorus Line
A Chorus Line
A Chorus Line is a 1975 musical about Broadway dancers auditioning for spots on a chorus line. The book was authored by James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante, lyrics were written by Edward Kleban, and music was composed by Marvin Hamlisch....
, and Grease
Grease (musical)
Grease is a 1971 musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The musical is named for the 1950s United States working-class youth subculture known as the greasers. The musical, set in 1959 at fictional Rydell High School , follows ten working-class teenagers as they navigate the complexities of love,...
.
Administration
Core members of the school's administration are:- Asia S Jones, Principal
- Tyrone Harrison, Vice Principal
- Ashanti Holley, Vice Principal
- Janene Rodriguez, Assistant Principal
Notable alumni
- Gary BrokawGary BrokawGary George Brokaw is a retired American basketball player and a basketball coach.Brokaw attended New Brunswick High School...
(born 1954), former player in the NBA. - Jonathan CasillasJonathan CasillasJonathan Casillas is a NFL linebacker for the New Orleans Saints. He went undrafted in the 2009 NFL Draft, but was later signed as a free agent...
(born 1987), linebacker for the New Orleans SaintsNew Orleans SaintsThe New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
Super Bowl XLIV champions. - Dwayne JarrettDwayne JarrettDwayne Jarrett is an American football wide receiver formerly of the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Panthers in the second round the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern California.-Early years:Jarrett attended New Brunswick...
(born 1986), wide receiver for the Carolina PanthersCarolina PanthersThe Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
, MVP of the 2007 Rose Bowl GameRose Bowl GameThe Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2...
. - Eric Young (born 1967), Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player who plays for the Texas RangersTexas Rangers (baseball)The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
.
External links
- New Brunswick High School Official site
- New Brunswick Public Schools page about New Brunswick High School
- Data for the New Brunswick Public Schools, National Center for Education StatisticsNational Center for Education StatisticsThe National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...
- Description and artist's rendering of the future NBHS facility
- Statistics for NBHS from Public School Review
- Website of NBHS instructors Laurie and Russ Lazovick - include photos of the school's dramatic productions