North Bergen High School

North Bergen High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school, serving students in ninth through twelfth grade from North Bergen, in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the North Bergen School District. The school is the district's only high school,[5] and its student body includes residents of both North Bergen and Guttenberg.[6] The school offers various clubs and activities, academic programs, and sports. In 2019, the school play attracted national attention, while the athletics department holds several state titles in multiple sports.

North Bergen High School
Location
North Bergen High School
North Bergen High School
North Bergen High School
7417 Kennedy Boulevard
North Bergen, NJ 07047

United States
Coordinates40.79435°N 73.999734°W / 40.79435; -73.999734
Information
TypePublic high school
School districtNorth Bergen School District
NCES School ID3411460[1]
PrincipalRichard Locricchio[2]
Vice principalsSusan Ramadan
Thomas Liggio
Edward Somick
Denise Arenas
Edward Narucki
Faculty160.2 FTEs[1]
Grades9-12
Enrollment2,412 (as of 2017-18)[1]
Student to teacher ratio15.1:1[1]
Color(s)     Scarlet and
     Gold[3][4]
Athletics conferenceHudson County Interscholastic League
Team nameBruins[3]
WebsiteSchool website

History

In terms of state aid, North Bergen High School is the most underfunded school in New Jersey, according to the Education Law Center, receiving $24 million less than the school would be entitled to if it were fully funded under the formula specified by the School Funding Reform Act.[7]

In 2019, the school's production of Alien went viral due to its realistic set and costumes made from recycled materials under a low, self-funded budget.[8] The screenplay was adapted by an English teacher, who also served as director, while an art teacher directed the set and costuming and a music teacher added knowledge of stage lighting.[9][10] Images and videos from the performances attracted celebrity attention including that of Sigourney Weaver, who played the protagonist of the original film. Ridley Scott’s production company, Scott Free, donated $5000 to allow the school to perform an encore. Weaver visited the cast and crew for their encore performance on April 26, 2019.[11] The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts gave scholarships to all students involved.[12]

Curriculum

The school provides Advanced Placement course work and exams. The AP participation rate is 9%.[5]

Student body

As of the 2017-18 school year, the school had an enrollment of 2,412 students and 160.2 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 15.1:1. There were 1,168 students (48.4% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 150 (6.2% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.[1]

Students from Guttenberg attend the school as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Guttenberg Public School District.[13]

Awards, recognition and rankings

North Bergen High School was recognized as a "Benchmark Public High School for Academic Achievement" by the Business Coalition for Education Excellence, for the years 2005, 2006 and 2007.[14][15][16]

The school was the 286th-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.[17] The school had been ranked 322nd in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 296th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.[18] The magazine ranked the school 294th in 2008 out of 316 schools.[19] The school was ranked 285th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state.[20]

Schooldigger.com ranked the school 198th out of 376 public high schools statewide in its 2010 rankings (a decrease of 39 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).[21]

In 2014 U.S. News and World Report magazine awarded a bronze medal to North Bergen High School, recognizing it as one of New Jersey's best public high schools, based on criteria such as test scores, student demographics, college readiness and faculty-student ratio. Superintendent Dr. George Solter stated that the school was awarded the medal specifically for it emphasis on reading skills, the dedication of its faculty, and the talent of its students.[7]

Athletics
The school uses Bruins Stadium in nearby Braddock Park as its home field.
The soccer field at Bruins Stadium

The North Bergen Bruins[3] compete in the Hudson County Interscholastic League, which includes private and parochial high schools in Hudson County and operates under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).[22] With 1,942 students in grades 10-12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2015-16 school year as North I, Group IV for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 1,090 to 2,568 students in that grade range.[23] The North Bergen High School track, tennis, football and soccer teams use Bruins Stadium, which is located in James J. Braddock Park. The school's gymnasium serves as the home field for other sports.

Interscholastic sports programs offered include football, boys'/girls' basketball, baseball, softball, boys'/girls' tennis, boys'/girls' cross country, boys'/girls' indoor track and field, boys'/girls' outdoor track and field, boys'/girls' soccer, boys'/girls' volleyball, boys'/girls' bowling and wrestling.[3]

The boys' varsity bowling team won the 1974 overall state championship.[24]

The football team won the North I Group IV state championship in 1977, 1978, 1984, 1988, 1990, 1997 and 2011.[25]

The boys' basketball team won the Group IV state championship in 1977, defeating Camden High School in the tournament final.[26] On March 5, 2007, the boys' basketball team played in the North I, Group IV sectional championship, falling to Passaic County Technical Institute by 86–85 in overtime, in a game played at Wayne Valley High School; Students and fans from both schools rioted after the game, with a North Bergen student arrested in the melee for assaulting a police officer.[27][28][29]

The wrestling team won the North I, Group IV state sectional championship in 1983, 1991 and 1993.[30]

In 2001, the baseball team won the North I, Group IV state sectional championship with a 7-6 win in extra innings against Memorial of West New York.[31]

Other extra-curricular activities

North Bergen High School features various interest groups and clubs that include the Art Club, Academic Decathlon Team, Bible Club, Chess Club, Color Guard, Debate Team, Distributive Education Clubs of America, Environmental Club, FBLA-PBL and the Gay-Straight Alliance Club.[32]

The high school also offers various culture groups and honor societies, including the French Club, Indian Cultural Club, Muslim Cultural Awareness Club (MCAC), German Club, Italian Club, Spanish Club, Russian Club, German Club, National Honor Society, French National Honor Society, German National Honor Society, Italian National Honor Society, Russian National Honor Society and Spanish National Honor Society.

North Bergen High School students can participate in community service and student government groups, including Rebel, Key Club and Student Council.

North Bergen High School is home to various performance groups, such as the Stage Crew, Modeling club, Drama club, Dance club, Marching Band, Concert Band, Jazz Band, Wind Ensemble, The Advanced Sciences Club, Music Creation (M.C) and Advanced Music Creation (A.M.C).

Notable alumni

References
  1. School data for North Bergen High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed November 1, 2019.
  2. "About NBHS: Principal's Message". North Bergen High School. Accessed November 26, 2018.
  3. North Bergen High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed February 10, 2016.
  4. "North Bergen High School Football Schedule", MaxPreps. Accessed February 8, 2014.
  5. "North Bergen High School Overview". U.S. News & World Report. Accessed May 3, 2014.
  6. Central Registration, North Bergen School District. Accessed March 13, 2018. "Guttenberg Residents: All students residing in Guttenberg must obtain a Permission Slip from the office of the Guttenberg Superintendent of School located at Anna L. Klein School in Guttenberg."
  7. "North Bergen High School recognized as one of NJ's best public high schools", The Hudson Reporter, May 2, 2014. Accessed September 11, 2015. "North Bergen's school district is the most underfunded by state aid in New Jersey, according to the Education Law Center. Last year the district received $24 million less than what it is entitled to receive under the School Funding Reform Act formula."
  8. Fallon, Scott (2019-03-24). "This New Jersey high school staged 'Alien' and now it's viral". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2019-05-06.
  9. Jung, E. Ale (2019-05-01). "Alien, Resurrection: A high-school drama club goes intergalactic". Vulture. Retrieved 2019-05-06.
  10. Romano, Nick (2019-03-23). "Inside 'Alien: The Play,' the high school production going viral for its homemade Xenomorph". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2019-05-06.
  11. Yandoli, Krystie Lee (2019-04-27). "Sigourney Weaver Surprised The Cast From The Internet-Famous High School Production Of "Alien"". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved 2019-05-06.
  12. Osborne, Mark (2019-04-27). "Sigourney Weaver surprises students after performance of 'Alien' play". ABC News. Retrieved 2019-05-06.
  13. Shortell, Tom. "3 candidates on ballot to be Guttenberg's mayor", The Jersey Journal, November 2, 2008. Accessed March 23, 2011. "Scoullos, who has worked as a budget analyst, said he also plans to audit the town's contracts in order to find ways to cut taxes. Scoullos said in the late 1990s, North Bergen overcharged the town for services at North Bergen High School, which takes Guttenberg students as part of a sending/receiving network."
  14. Just for the Kids – New Jersey Benchmark List 2005, Business Coalition for Education Excellence. Accessed October 23, 2008.
  15. Just for the Kids – New Jersey Benchmark List 2006, Business Coalition for Education Excellence. Accessed October 23, 2008.
  16. Just for the Kids – New Jersey Benchmark List 2007, Business Coalition for Education Excellence. Accessed October 23, 2008.
  17. Staff. "Top Schools Alphabetical List 2014", New Jersey Monthly, September 2, 2014. Accessed September 5, 2014.
  18. Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed December 2, 2012.
  19. Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed February 7, 2011.
  20. "Top New Jersey High Schools 2008: By Rank", New Jersey Monthly, September 2008, posted August 7, 2008. Accessed August 19, 2008.
  21. New Jersey High School Rankings: 11th Grade HSPA Language Arts Literacy & HSPA Math 2009-2010, Schooldigger.com. Accessed December 31, 2011.
  22. League Memberships – 2016-2017 Archived 2012-11-09 at the Wayback Machine, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 10, 2017.
  23. General Public School Classifications 2015-2016, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, as of July 8, 2014. Accessed September 12, 2014.
  24. History of NJSIAA Boys Bowling Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed February 8, 2016.
  25. Goldberg, Jeff. NJSIAA Football Playoff Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 19, 2015.
  26. NJSIAA Group Basketball Past Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed February 8, 2016.
  27. Hague, Jim. "Riot after state playoff loss One arrest, one youth injured in melee after game", The Hudson Reporter, March 20, 2007. Accessed February 8, 2016. "A riot broke out on Monday after North Bergen High School's boys' basketball team suffered a heartbreaking loss in a state championship game at Wayne Valley High School, leading to the arrest of one North Bergen High School student for allegedly assaulting a police officer. After North Bergen lost to Passaic County Tech, 86-85, in overtime at the NJSIAA North Jersey Section 1, Group IV game, some of the fans from both teams made their way onto the floor."
  28. Zagoria, Adam. "Passaic Tech wins in OT". Herald News, March 6, 2007. Accessed February 8, 2016.
  29. 2007 Boys Basketball – North I, Group IV, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed March 7, 2007.
  30. History of the NJSIAA Team Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed February 8, 2016.
  31. Hague, Jim. "Shooting for state glory North Bergen's baseball team wins state semifinals, heads to Group IV final to face No. 1 Toms River East", The Hudson Reporter, June 8, 2001. Accessed February 8, 2016. "The Bruins first defeated local rival Memorial (of West New York) by a score of 7-6 in nine innings last Friday to capture the North Jersey Section 1, Group IV championship, a feat in its own right, considering Memorial was ranked No. 2 in the state at the time of the game."
  32. North Bergen High School Handbook 2018 - 2019, North Bergen High School. Accessed November 26, 2018.
  33. Kuperinsky, Amy. "070 Shake, breakout star from Kanye West album, comes home to N.J. for victory lap", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, June 20, 2018, updated January 30, 2019. Accessed January 15, 2020. "Shake attended North Bergen High School not long before she was signed to Kanye West's record label, G.O.O.D. (Getting Out Our Dreams) Music, in 2016. In 2015, she was still a shooting guard on the Bruins girls basketball team."
  34. Henry, Samantha via Associated Press. "2 NJ terror suspects had brushes with authority", The Boston Globe, June 8, 2010. Accessed September 12, 2014. "Alessa transferred to North Bergen High School in December 2004, and Al-Huda officials said they had no further contact with him."
  35. "School: NJ terror suspect was dangerous as student" Associated Press/Forbes. June 8, 2010.
  36. Alsbrook, Nina-Louise. "Christopher Amoroso, 29, Port Authority Police officer less than 2 years", Staten Island Advance, September 11, 2010. Accessed September 10, 2015. "Born on Long Island, Mr. Amoroso was raised in North Bergen, N.J. He graduated from North Bergen High School in 1990, and lived briefly in Bayonne, N.J, working six years for Consolidated Dairy."
  37. Monaco, Lou. "Bob Hurley Sr. & Rick Apodaca to be honored at Dan Finn Classic Saturday", The Star-Ledger, January 8, 2012. Accessed June 6, 2016. "Apodaca, the youngest inductee to date, was an AAU teammate of Dan Finn at St. Michael's in Union City and is currently playing pro ball in Greece. He will be honored at halftime of the 2:15 p.m. tipoff between North Bergen, his alma mater, and Linden."
  38. "Rick Apodaca" Archived 2013-10-21 at the Wayback Machine. NBA Development League. Accessed September 1, 2013.
  39. Roberts, Jeff. "Where are they now? Seton Hall's Dan Calandrillo", The Record (Bergen County), March 30, 2010. Accessed August 12, 2016. "Like the story of how he made it out of North Bergen, the youngest of 13 kids born to deaf parents, all crammed into a three-bedroom, fourth-floor walk-up.... He would become an All-State player at North Bergen, winning a State title in 1977 and beating Kelly Tripucka-led Bloomfield in a nail-biter semifinal."
  40. Hague, Jim. "NB comedian lands role on 'My Name is Earl'", The Hudson Reporter, September 23, 2007. Accessed June 7, 2012. "So how did Joey 'Coco' Diaz begin his life in comedy? 'It all comes down to being from North Bergen,' said Diaz, the comic actor who was born and raised in North Bergen before heading for Hollywood a few years ago to pursue his career. 'I got my comedy start in North Bergen High School. If you don't have a good sense of humor coming from North Bergen, then you better just shoot yourself.'"
  41. Villanova, Patrick. "Former North Bergen High football star Evan Rodriguez claimed by Miami Dolphins", The Jersey Journal, June 13, 2013. Accessed June 2, 2015.
  42. "Rena Sofer". Oh, Grow Up. WCHS. Accessed September 22, 2011. "Born in Arcadia, California, Rena moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, following her parents' divorce, and later to North Bergen, New Jersey, where she finished high school."
  43. Lipton, Michael A. "Heart Condition: For Rena Sofer, Checking into General Hospital Meant Finding a Healing Love with Costar Wally Kurth". People. October 31, 1994. Accessed September 22, 2011. "Neither parent remarried, and today Sofer maintains close relations with both her father, who presides at Temple Beth El in North Bergen, N.J., and her mother, a professor of developmental psychology at the University of North Carolina in Fayetteville.... She took a drama class during her senior year at North Bergen High School and then, after less than a semester at Montclair State College, took acting lessons in New York."
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