Willingboro High School

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

Willingboro High School
Address
20 JFK Way

Willingboro Township
,
Burlington County
,
New Jersey
08046

United States
Coordinates40.010439°N 74.88825°W / 40.010439; -74.88825
Information
TypePublic
Established1975
School districtWillingboro Township Public Schools
NCES School ID3418000[1]
PrincipalKimberly Ash
Faculty49.0 FTEs[1]
Grades9–12
Enrollment652 (as of 2018–19)[1]
Student to teacher ratio13.3:1[1]
Color(s)  Navy
  Scarlet[2]
Athletics conferenceBurlington County Scholastic League
Team nameChimeras[2]
Websitewww.willingboroschools.org/o/willingboro-high-school

As of the 2018–19 school year, the school had an enrollment of 652 students and 49.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.3:1. There were 350 students (53.7% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 65 (10.0% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.[1]

Awards, recognition and rankings

The school was the 320th-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.[3] The school had been ranked 252nd in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 295th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.[4] The magazine ranked the school 247th in 2008 out of 316 schools.[5] The school was ranked 300th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state.[6] Schooldigger.com ranked the school as 362nd out of 376 public high schools statewide in its 2010 rankings (a decrease of 17 positions from the 2009 rank) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the language arts literacy and mathematics components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).[7]

History

The high school was opened in 1975 as a response to the overcrowded student population at John F. Kennedy, then the only high school in Willingboro, located just down the road on Kennedy Way. For a short time, residents were having a difficult time in deciding what to call the new Willingboro high school; some sought to name the new high school "J.F. Kennedy High School – East" while others debated on naming the school, "Robert F. Kennedy" after President Kennedy's brother, the former US Attorney General during his administration, Robert. A vote was taken and it was decided that the only appropriate name would be what the school is called today, "Willingboro High School." The school colors are navy blue, scarlet and white – which are the slight opposite of the school's former sister school, J.F.K. (which were scarlet, navy and white). The mascot is the "Chimera", a mythological monster with the head of a lion and body of a goat and the tail of a serpent, opposite of the former sister school, which was a "Gryphon, which had the head of an eagle and the body of a lion."

The two schools were merged at the start of the 1989–90 school year, with all students attending what is now Willingboro High School.[8]

Athletics

The Willingboro High School Chimeras[2] compete in the Patriot Division of the Burlington County Scholastic League (BCSL) sports association, which operates under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) and is comprised of public and private high schools in Burlington, Mercer and Ocean counties in central New Jersey[9] With 614 students in grades 10-12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2015-16 school year as Central Jersey, Group II for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 498 to 750 students in that grade range.[10] The football team competes in the Liberty Division of the 95-team West Jersey Football League superconference[11][12] and was classified by the NJSIAA as Group I South for football for 2018–2020.[13]

The school was the winner of the Group I winner of the 2019-20 Shop Rite Cup, which recognizes athletic achievement across all interscholastic sports.[14]

The field hockey team won the Group IV state championship in 1976 (defeating Morris Knolls High School in the finals) and 1978 (vs. Westfield High School.[15] After four wins in 17 games the previous season, the 1976 team won the Group IV title with a 3-0 win against Morris Knolls in the championship game played at Mercer County Park to finish the season with a record of 16-1-3.[16]

The girls' basketball team won the Group IV state championship in 1978 vs. Columbia High School and won Group III titles in 2000 vs. Orange High School, in 2002 vs. Malcolm X Shabazz High School and in 2007 vs. South Plainfield High School.[17] A basket scored in the last seconds of the game gave the 1978 team the Group III state championship with a 44-42 win in the championship game against a Columbia High School team that entered the finals undefeated.[18] The team won the 2007 Group III state championship, defeating South Plainfield by a score of 53–46 in the tournament championship for the title.[19][20] The team won the South, Group III state sectional championship in 2000 with a 47–35 win against Pemberton Township High School.[21]

The boys track team won the Group IV spring track state championship in 1979, 1981, 1982, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 2002 and 2003, won the Group III title in 1986, 1988 and 1989, and won the Group I title in 2019. The program's 13 group titles are ranked fourth in the state.[22]

The girls team won the NJSIAA spring track Group IV title in 1980 and 1981, and won the Group III title in 1999 and 2002.[23]

The girls track team won the winter track Meet of Champions in 1980 and 1981.[24]

The boys track team won the indoor relay championship in Group III in 1982, 1983, 1990, 1996, 1997 (as co-champion), 2000-2003, 2005, won the Group IV title in 1985-1987, the Group II title in 2012, and the Group I title in 2015-2020; The boys program's 17 group titles are ranked second in the state. The girls team won the Group IV title in 1992, 1993, 1995, won the Group III title in 2002-2005, and the Group I in 2010, 2019 and 2020; The girls programs 10 state titles are tited for the most in the state.[25]

The football team won the NJSIAA South Jersey Group III state sectional championship in 1985, and won the Central Jersey Group I state sectional title in 2018 and 2019.[26] The team won the Central Jersey Group I sectional title in 2018 with a 22-14 win against Paulsboro High School in the championship game.[27] The 2019 football team won the Central Jersey Group I title in 2019 with wins against Haddon Township High School by a score of 61-0, in the semifinals against Buena Regional High School by a score of 30-28 and won the team's second consecutive sectional title with a 40-8 win against Salem High School in the championship game.[28][29] The 2019 team went on to win the South / Central Group I bowl game with a 50-14 win against Penns Grove High School in the regional championship.[30]

Administration

The school's principal is Kimberly Ash. Her core administration team includes four assistant principals.[31]

Notable alumni

References
  1. School data for Willingboro High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2020.
  2. Willingboro High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  3. Staff. "Top Schools Alphabetical List 2014", New Jersey Monthly, September 2, 2014. Accessed September 5, 2014.
  4. Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed September 4, 2012.
  5. Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed February 14, 2011.
  6. "Top New Jersey High Schools 2008: By Rank", New Jersey Monthly, September 2008, posted August 7, 2008. Accessed August 19, 2008.
  7. New Jersey High School Rankings: 11th Grade HSPA Language Arts Literacy & HSPA Math 2009–2010, Schooldigger.com. Accessed February 9, 2012.
  8. Quinn, Laura. "Willingboro Girds For School Merger", The Philadelphia Inquirer, August 28, 1989. Accessed October 8, 2008.
  9. League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  10. General Public School Classifications 2015-2016, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, as of December 15, 2015. Accessed December 12, 2016.
  11. Willingboro Chimeras, West Jersey Football League. Accessed February 1, 2021.
  12. 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."
  13. NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2018–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, finalized August 2019. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  14. 17th Annual Shop Rite Cup 2019 - 2020 Final Standings, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  15. NJSIAA History of Field Hockey Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  16. Driscoll, Mary Ellen. "Girls' Hockey: Three State championships; Group Four: Willingboro", Courier Post, November 22, 1976. Accessed February 5, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "All the field hockey players from Willingboro High wanted this season was a few more victories than last year. Nothing fancy, just an improvement over a 4-9-4 record. What the Chimeras earned, in addition to a few more victories, was the NJSIAA Group 4 state crown, with a 3-0 win over Morris Knolls Saturday afternoon at Mercer County Park.... Barb France and Beck displayed the stickwork which brought the Burlington County squad a 16-1-3 record before the championship game, setting up Donovan, Bookman and Campbell."
  17. NJSIAA Girls Basketball State Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  18. "Donovan shows way", The Record, March 19, 1978. Accessed January 31, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Jackie Campbell's five-foot jumper with five seconds remaining gave Willingboro a 44-42 win over previously-unbeaten Columbia in the State Group 4 girls basketball championship yesterday."
  19. Graves, Jody. "Willingboro wins fourth quarter, captures Group 3 championship", Courier-Post, March 7, 2000. Accessed August 19, 2007. "With the score tied at 29 to start the fourth quarter, the Chimeras,ranked No. 3 in the Courier-Post Top 20 Poll, went on a 12–2 run to put the game away en route to a 49–35 victory over Pemberton."
  20. 2007 Girls Basketball – Public Group Semis/Finals, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, May 9, 2007.
  21. Public Sectionals – South, Group III, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed August 19, 2007.
  22. NJSIAA Spring Track Summary of Group Titles Boys, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed September 1, 2020.
  23. NJSIAA Spring Track Summary of Group Titles Girls, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed September 1, 2020.
  24. NJSIAA Winter Track Previous Team Meet of Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
  25. History of the NJSIAA Indoor Relay Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  26. NJSIAA Football History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  27. "Willingboro takes down Paulsboro in Central Jersey, Group 1 final", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, November 16, 2018, updated August 23, 2019. Accessed November 17, 2020. "However, Paulsboro had a dry spell on offense that did not end until there were just over three minutes remaining in the game. By then, Willingboro scored 22 unanswered points on the way to a 22-14 victory in the final of the NJSIAA/Rothman Orthopaedics Central Jersey, Group 1 playoffs on Friday night at Moorestown High."
  28. Willingboro Football 2019-2020, NJ.com. Accessed November 7, 2020.
  29. Mulligan, Megan. "Football PHOTOS: Willingboro defeats Salem in Central Jersey, Group 1 final", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, November 22, 2019. Accessed November 7, 2020. "Zaire Clements rushed for 158 yards and a score, and Demie Sumo ran for another 76 rushing yards and two touchdowns to lift Willingboro to a 40-8 win over Salem, and its second straight title, in the final round of the Central Jersey, Group 1 playoffs in Willingboro."
  30. Evans, Bill. "Willingboro snaps Penns Grove’s 25-game winning streak in final game of h.s. football season", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, December 8, 2019. Accessed November 7, 2020. "The Willingboro and Penns Grove High School football teams hooked up in a slugfest for the NJSIAA/Rothman Orthopaedics South/Central Group 1 title on Sunday night at Rutgers – the last game of the high school football season - and it was Wilingboro which packed the biggest punch. Ah-Shaun Davis threw for 305 yards and five touchdowns in the first half alone for the Chimeras, who rolled to a 50-14 victory and ended the Red Devils’ 25-game winning streak."
  31. Staff, Willingboro High School. Accessed February 8, 2020.
  32. "City High: Top of Their Class" (Biography). MTV. 2007. Retrieved October 9, 2009.
  33. Hunt, Donald (March 25, 1991). "Tom Davis Sets Sights On NBA". The Philadelphia Inquirer. philly.com. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
  34. Jenkins, Sally via The Washington Post. "Faucette, Maryland Linebacker, a Wild but Not Crazy Guy", Los Angeles Times, September 20, 1986. Accessed November 3, 2017. "The son of a steel worker and music teacher from Willingboro, N.J., Faucette was a two-sport blue-chipper out of Willingboro High School who played running back and linebacker for the football team and outfielder for the baseball team, and who also could dabble with guitar, piano, drums and clarinet."
  35. James Green, United States Olympic Committee. Accessed August 9, 2016. "Residence: Willingboro, N.J.... As a senior at Willingboro High School, became first wrestler in school history to win state championship after perfect 29-0 season... Closed prep career with 148-8 overall record"
  36. Retired Jerseys, Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's soccer team. Accessed February 14, 2011. "An all-state performer for Willingboro High School, Grimaldi played three years in the Major Indoor Soccer League for the Cleveland Force where he was elected player-representative and team captain."
  37. Bowden, Mark. Bringing the Heat, p. 160. Grove Atlantic, 2007. ISBN 9781555846053. Accessed September 28, 2017. "One of the best examples concerned a forthright, fast-talking charmer from Willingboro, New Jersey, named Marvin Hargrove.... He'd been a star receiver at Willingboro High School and had attended the University of Richmond on a football scholarship."
  38. Lewis, John. "Willingboro legend Allen Harvin 'one of the lucky ones' in coronavirus battle", Burlington County Times, May 16, 2020. Accessed December 21, 2020. "Allen Harvin, a football star at Willingboro High School and the University of Cincinnati, was stricken recently with COVID-19 and considers himself fortunate to have survived"
  39. Cosentino, Dom. "Jets re-sign backup offensive tackle Ben Ijalana", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, April 1, 2015. Accessed September 28, 2017. "Ijalana, 25, attended both Willingboro and Rancocas Valley high schools in South Jersey."
  40. Editorial. "Crystal clear: Entire county celebrates as W'boro grad ends March madness with a flair", Burlington County Times, April 6, 2006. Accessed February 14, 2011. "Her parents have known it all along. Her teammates at Willingboro High School and the University of Maryland learned it quickly. And now the whole country is in on the secret: In the world of college basketball, Crystal Langhorne is unstoppable."
  41. Strauss, Robert. "Worth Noting; Carl Lewis Takes Honors, But Not at His Home Track", The New York Times, December 2, 2001. Accessed February 9, 2012. "Mr. Lewis, who graduated from Willingboro High School in 1979, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in Mobile, Ala., along with three fellow Olympians from the 1984 Games – the marathoner Alberto Salazar, the steeplechase runner Henry Marsh and Larry Myricks, a long jumper."
  42. Pileggi, Sarah. "Going to Great Lengths", Sports Illustrated, June 1, 1981. Accessed September 28, 2017. "And then there is Carol Lewis. An assistant track coach at Willingboro High School, where Carol is a senior, says, 'She's probably one of the mot gifted athletes in history.'"
  43. Yannis, Alex. "Lewis, a New Jerseyan, Is Drafted by Cosmos", The New York Times, January 24, 1978. Accessed July 11, 2019. "The Cosmos; with Coach Eddie Firmani on hand at the Plaza Hotel, became the first club to draft a black American. He is Cleveland Lewis, a forward from Brandeis University in Massachusetts. Lewis, who found out through a reporter that he had been selected, attended Willingboro High School in New Jersey."
  44. Eisen, Michael. "Giants Sign OL Kareem McKenzie: Signing is second major addition in two days for Big Blue", new York Giants, March 4, 2005. Accessed May 25, 2007. "McKenzie played only two years of football at Willingboro High School, but was still named an All-America by USA Today. He was All-State and All-Burlington County. McKenzie competed in the discus and shot put on the track team, serving as captain for two seasons."
  45. Wanya Morris Biography, Biography.com. Accessed February 11, 2017. "Morris remained with the group despite expulsion and graduating instead from Willingboro High School."
  46. Dezman Moses, Tulane Green Wave football. Accessed December 27, 2012. "High School: Four-year letterman at Willingboro High where he played wide receiver and inside linebacker for coach Nelson Hayspell... Personal: Born Dezman Mirrill Moses on Jan. 4, 1989, in Willingboro, N.J."
  47. Shaun Phillips player profile, San Diego Chargers. Accessed July 20, 2007. "Shaun grew up in Willingboro, New Jersey, not far from Giants Stadium where the New York Jets play their home games....all-state, All-South Jersey and all-city at Willingboro High School in Willingboro, New Jersey"
  48. Green, Joe. "Olympic gold medalist from Willingboro launches foundation to help students", Burlington County Times, April 23, 2015. Accessed March 19, 2018. "LaMont Smith had come a long way from Willingboro High, where he’d won nine state track championships. But among the thousands of voices he heard that day during the 1996 Summer Olympics, he could still make out that of his high school coach."
  49. Lowe, Herbert. "Standing Tall, In And Out Of Character Ryan Toby, 17, Wants The World To Judge Him 'Not By My Money, Not By My Status.'", The Philadelphia Inquirer, January 26, 1994. Accessed October 31, 2015. "'Honestly,' said Toby, dressed in jeans and a white crewneck sweater in his parents' living room in Willingboro, 'I think he (Ahmal) just started wanting to know more about his heritage and... was rebellious in that 'I'm going to do something different than what my friends are doing.'... A student at Willingboro High School, Toby began his singing in school and church choirs."
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