Allentown High School

Allentown High School is a public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from three communities in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Upper Freehold Regional School District. The school serves students from Allentown Borough and Upper Freehold Township. Millstone Township sends students to the High School as part of a sending/receiving relationship.[3] The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1959.[4]

For the high school in Allentown, Pennsylvania known as Allentown High School from 1858-1960, see William Allen High School.

Allentown High School
Address
27 High Street

Allentown
,
Monmouth County
,
New Jersey
08501

United States
Coordinates40.174416°N 74.587791°W / 40.174416; -74.587791
Information
TypePublic high school
Established1965
School districtUpper Freehold Regional School District
NCES School ID3416560[1]
PrincipalConstance DeNicola Embley
Faculty89.5 FTEs[1]
Grades9-12
Enrollment1,206 (as of 2018–19)[1]
Student to teacher ratio13.5:1[1]
Color(s)  Red and
  Black[2]
Athletics conferenceColonial Valley Conference
Team nameRedbirds[2]
Websiteahs.ufrsd.net

As of the 2018–19 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,206 students and 89.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.5:1. There were 51 students (4.2% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 31 (2.6% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.[1]

The district participates in the Interdistrict Public School Choice Program at Allentown High School, having been approved on November 2, 1999, as one of the first ten districts statewide to participate in the program.[5] Seats in the program for non-resident students are specified by the district and are allocated by lottery, with tuition paid for participating students by the New Jersey Department of Education.[6]

History

Students from Plumsted Township had attended the high school as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Plumsted Township School District prior to the passage of a referendum under which New Egypt High School was opened in September 2001 with an initial class of 100 students in ninth grade.[7]

Awards, recognition and rankings

The school was the 125th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 339 schools statewide in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2014 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", using a new ranking methodology.[8] The school had been ranked 135th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 82nd in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.[9] The magazine ranked the school 90th in 2008 out of 316 schools.[10] The school was also ranked 103rd in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state.[11] Schooldigger.com ranked the school tied for 175th out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (a decrease of 37 positions from the 2010 ranking) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the mathematics (81.1%) and language arts literacy (92.5%) components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).[12]

In its listing of "America's Best High Schools 2016", the school was ranked 226th out of 500 best high schools in the country; it was ranked 36th among all high schools in New Jersey and 19th among the state's non-magnet schools.[13]

In its 2013 report on "America's Best High Schools", The Daily Beast ranked the school 675th in the nation among participating public high schools and 52nd among schools in New Jersey.[14]

Athletics

The Allentown High School Redbirds[2] compete in the Colonial Valley Conference, which consists of public and private high schools located in Mercer County, Monmouth County and Middlesex County, operating under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).[15] With 958 students in grades 10–12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2015–16 school year as South Jersey, Group III for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 822 to 1,068 students in that grade range.[16] The football team competes in the Patriot Division of the 95-team West Jersey Football League superconference[17][18] and was classified by the NJSIAA as Group III South for football for 2018–2020.[19]

The school participates in joint cooperative ice hockey and boys / girls swimming teams with Robbinsville High School as the host school / lead agency. These co-op programs operate under agreements scheduled to expire at the end of the 2023–24 school year.[20]

The girls' field hockey team won the Central Jersey Group II state sectional championship in 1997, 2003, 2004 and 2005, and won the Central Jersey Group III title in 2013. The team was Group II co-champion in 1997 with West Essex High School.[21] The 2003 field hockey won the Central, Group II sectional championship, edging Shore Regional High School 3–2 in the tournament final.[22] The 2004 team repeated the championship, defeating Cinnaminson High School 2–0.[23]

The 2003 girls' tennis team won the Central, Group II title with a 3–2 win over Shore Regional High School.[24]

In 2006, the girls' softball won the Central, Group II sectional championship over John F. Kennedy Memorial High School, by a 3–0 final score.[25] The team moved on to finish the season with a record of 23-4 after winning the NJSIAA Group II state championship, topping Pascack Valley High School in the finals by a score of 11–1 in five innings, under the mercy rule.[26][27][28]

The baseball team won the Group II state championship in 2008 (defeating runner-up Mahwah High School in the playoff finals) and won the Group III title in 2017 (vs. Cranford High School).[29][30] The 2008 team won the Group II title with an 1106 win against Mahwah in the championship game.[31]

The boys soccer team won the Group III state title in 2013 as co-champion with Northern Highlands Regional High School.[32]

The football team won the Central Jersey Group IV state sectional championship in 2016.[33] Allentown defeated Brick Township High School by a score of 41-6 in the tournament final against Brick Township High School.[34] The 2010 football team won the program's first division title, finishing with a record of 6–4. Their biggest win in school history at the time, which also happened in this season, came from defeating Trenton Central High School, the final score was 74–44.[35] In 2015, the football team broke the school record for points in a game, defeating West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North by 81–56, in a game in which quarterback Jordan Winston had 354 rushing yards on 24 carries, and went 4 for 6 for 93 yards.[36] In 2016 the team won the program's first championship, winning the Central Jersey Group IV state sectional title with a 41–6 win against Brick Township High School in the tournament final.[37]

In 2017, the girls' soccer team went 22–1, winning the Central Jersey Group III state sectional championship, the program's first, over Toms River High School East by a score of 2–1.[38] They then went on to win the Group III state title over Middletown High School South in the playoff finals by a score of 2–1.[39][40] These state titles are the first and only in the girls' soccer program at the high school. The team was also named Area Team of the Year by NJ.com.[41]

In 2018, the NJSIAA sanctioned girls wrestling and state championships were held in 2019. Jasmine Aizley, the first and only female wrestler on the team, qualified in the inaugural 2018-2019 and also the 2019–2020 seasons, her junior and senior year. She was the team's first female captain, region finalist and champion, and placed fourth and second in the state championships.

Student life

The classes feature block scheduling. The third block is split into four lunch periods.

After paying a fee, eleventh and twelfth grade students are given the privilege to drive their cars to school and park in assigned spots. Twelfth grade students park in the parking lot at the back of the school, while eleventh grade students park their cars at the adjoining Byron Johnson Recreation Area parking lot.

Extracurricular activities

Marching band

The Allentown High School marching band has received recognition over the years, including winners of the 2000, 2003, 2008 and 2009 USSBA marching band All-State Finals competitions. The percussion section of the band has won the award for Best Percussion at All-State Finals in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2014, and 2015. The band has gone on to winning many other awards and appearances, such as the St. Patrick's Day Parade on New York City's Fifth Avenue. The band enjoyed back-to-back victories in New York in 1990 and 1991, then five in a row from 1999–2003.[42] Meanwhile, the band repeated their performance in Philadelphia's parade, winning in 1990–93, 1999–2000, and 2005–06.[43]

FIRST Robotics Team

Allentown High School is home to FIRST Robotics FRC Team 1807, Redbird Robotics. Since its rookie year in 2006, Redbird Robotics has accepted such honors as the 2006 New Jersey Star Award, the 2007 Regional Motorola Quality Award, and the 2009 New York City Regional Underwriters Laboratory Safety Award and Regional Champion.[44] The team also qualified for and attended the 2006 and 2009 FIRST Robotics Championships in Atlanta.[45] In the winter of 2017, Redbird Robotics won the FIRST Robotics Mid-Atlantic Regional Competition.[46] As a result, the team moved forward to the World Championships in St. Louis, Missouri.

Administration

The principal is Constance DeNicola Embley.[47]

Notable alumni

References
  1. School data for Allentown High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2020.
  2. Allentown High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  3. Upper Freehold Regional School District 2015 School Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed March 23, 2015. "The Allentown High School (AHS) welcomes students from Allentown, Upper Freehold, and Millstone as well as qualified Choice students from communities within a twenty mile radius of our campus."
  4. Allentown High School Archived March 15, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed June 22, 2011.
  5. Interdistrict Public School Choice Program: Approved Choice Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed June 19, 2008.
  6. Interdistrict Public School Choice Program, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed September 23, 2020.
  7. Vosseller, Bob. "NHS receives high praise for curriculum", The New Egypt Press, September 14, 1999. Accessed August 12, 2014. "History will be made this week when 100 ninth-graders enter the New Egypt high School marking its inaugural class. Two years ago Plumsted Township voters in a strong majority vote withdrew from Allentown High School in the Upper Freehold Regional School District through a referendum vote."
  8. Staff. "Top Schools Alphabetical List 2014", New Jersey Monthly, September 2, 2014. Accessed September 5, 2014.
  9. Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed December 1, 2012.
  10. Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed February 14, 2011.
  11. "Top New Jersey High Schools 2008: By Rank", New Jersey Monthly, September 2008, posted August 7, 2008. Accessed August 19, 2008.
  12. New Jersey High School Rankings: 11th Grade HSPA Language Arts Literacy & HSPA Math 2010-2011, Schooldigger.com. Accessed March 6, 2012.
  13. Staff. "America's Best High Schools 2016", Newsweek. Accessed November 11, 2016.
  14. Streib, Lauren. "America's Best High Schools", The Daily Beast, May 6, 2013. Accessed May 9, 2013.
  15. League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  16. General Public School Classifications 2015-2016, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, as of December 15, 2015. Accessed August 9, 2017.
  17. Divisions, West Jersey Football League. Accessed September 5, 2020.
  18. Minnick, Kevin. "Football: Entering 10th season, a new leader for state’s second-largest conference", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, August 8, 2019. Accessed September 5, 2020. "The WJFL was created in 2010 as a way to help teams play a full schedule and face opponents of similar size, ability and geographical location.... The league is comprised of 16 divisions and includes better than 90 high schools."
  19. NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2018–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, finalized August 2019. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  20. NJSIAA Winter Cooperative Sports Programs, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 1, 2020.
  21. History of NJSIAA Field Hockey Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  22. 2003 Field Hockey - Central, Group II, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 14, 2007.
  23. 2004 Field Hockey - Central, Group II, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 14, 2007.
  24. 2003 Girls Team Tennis - Central, Group II, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 14, 2007.
  25. 2006 Softball - Central, Group II, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 14, 2007.
  26. NJSIAA Softball Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed September 1, 2020.
  27. 2006 Softball - Public Semis/Finals, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 14, 2007.
  28. Duffy, Joe. "Dream run ends for PV", The Record, June 11, 2006, updated January 6, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Allentown's players say they never saw it coming. Pascack Valley didn't either. In a shocking and disappointing season finale, the Indians were blindsided by an offensive onslaught in an 11-1 five-inning, mercy-rule loss in the Group 2 softball final.... Allentown (23-4) took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a Cailtin Ryan bloop single."
  29. NJSIAA Baseball Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  30. Rosenfeld, Josh. "Allentown captures Group 2 championship", The Star-Ledger, June 7, 2008. Accessed February 18, 2011.
  31. McKenzie, Doug. "Allentown defeats Mahwah to win state baseball title", Central Jersey Archives, June 12, 2008. Accessed December 26, 2020. "Allentown’s Logan Gallagher (No. 17) slides safely across the plate during the game. The Redbirds, who have been one of the state’s best teams throughout the spring, cemented their status among the elite by routing Mahwah, 11-6, in Saturday’s NJSIAA Group II championship in Toms River."
  32. NJSIAA History of Boys Soccer, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  33. NJSIAA Football History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  34. Zedalis, Joe. "Allentown overpowers Brick Township to win 1st sectional title in CJ 4 final", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, December 3, 2016, updated August 23, 2019. Accessed September 23, 2020. "On its second try, Allentown won the first sectional football championship in school history Saturday night and did so in overpowering fashion, blasting tradition-rich Brick Township, 41-6, in the Central Jersey Group 4 final at Rutgers University."
  35. Allentown Football Schedule (2010-11), MaxPreps.com. Accessed June 22, 2011.
  36. Holcombe, Mike. "Allentown knocks off West Windsor North, 81-56, in wild shootout", The Trentonian, September 18, 2015. Accessed December 9, 2016. "It is said that defense wins football games but defense was nowhere in sight Friday night as Allentown ran wild over West Windsor-Plainsboro North, 81-56.... Winston was good for six of those touchdowns, collecting four in the first half alone. He also finished the game with 342 yards on 23 carries."
  37. Zedalis, Joe. "Allentown defense was every bit as good as its offense, in CJG4 final victory", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, December 3, 2016. Accessed December 9, 2016. "Saturday night, in the Central Jersey Group 4 final, the Allentown defense played just as big a role in the school's first sectional title as the offense."
  38. "Allentown gets elusive big victory, tops Toms River East in Central 3 final (with PHOTOS)", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, November 9, 2017, updated August 23, 2019. Accessed September 23, 2020. "The Allentown's girls soccer team had been stuck with the reputation of never being able to win the big game. Until Thursday. That all changed dramatically when the top-seeded Redbirds, No. 12 in the NJ.com Top 20, earned their first sectional title by defeating sixth-seeded and No. 14-ranked Toms River East, 2-1, in the NJSIAA/Wilson Sporting Goods Central Jersey, Group 3 championship game."
  39. NJSIAA History of Girls Soccer, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  40. Slavit, Evan. "Allentown girls soccer wins program's first Group 3 title behind its seniors", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, November 18, 2017, updated August 23, 2019. Accessed September 23, 2020. "The midfielder dribbled across the box, eventually finding space past her defender, and fired a shot back the other way and into the bottom right corner for the game-winning score in the 69th minute in Allentown's 2-1 win over Middletown South in the Group 3 final at Kean University on Saturday.... The championship is the first in program history for Allentown, which hadn't won a sectional title entering the season."
  41. "Times of Trenton Girls Soccer All-Area, All-CVC, All-Prep Teams, 2017", The Times (Trenton), December 6, 2017, updated August 23, 2019. Accessed September 23, 2020. "Team of the Year: Allentown"
  42. Collins, Karyn D. "Redbirds march to the beat of St. Paddy's drum", Asbury Park Press, August 20, 2007. Accessed June 22, 2011. "As for St. Patrick's Day, the Allentown Redbirds have won the New York parade five years in a row, a feat no other band has ever accomplished. They've taken top honors in the Philadelphia St. Patrick's Day Parade, too, sometimes snagging the top prize in both cities in the same year."
  43. Parade Awards Archived January 31, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, Philadelphia St. Patrick's Day Parade. Accessed June 22, 2011.
  44. Kohlhepp, Jennifer. "AHS robotics team revels in new season" Archived July 17, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Allentown Examiner, April 5, 2007. Accessed June 22, 2011.
  45. "Redbird Robotics kicks new season into high gear", Examiner, November 2, 2006. Accessed August 10, 2017.
  46. "Support the Redbird Robotics Team 1807 | The Source". mycommunitysource.com. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
  47. Administration Team, Allentown High School. Accessed January 23, 2020.
  48. Staff. "Research Team from Corning Incorporated Earn Nation's Highest Honor for Accomplishments", University of Utah press release, March 14, 2005. Accessed February 14, 2011. "Irwin M. Lachman was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1930, but raised in Roosevelt, New Jersey. He graduated in 1948 from Upper Freehold Township High School, now called Allentown High School."
  49. O'Gorman, George. "Eagles sign former Allentown High star Ross Scheuerman", The Trentonian, January 21, 2016. Accessed October 1, 2017. "The Eagles signed former Allentown High and Lafayette College running back Ross Scheuerman on Thursday.... A Cream Ridge resident who was twice an All-CVC selection and Mercer County Player of the Year and All-State, Scheuerman was also the Delaware Valley Scholar Athlete in 2012. His Allentown numbers included 1,770 yards and 26 TDs on 246 carries – CVC records at the time."
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