South Brunswick High School (New Jersey)

South Brunswick High School (SBHS) is a comprehensive community public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades at the school located in the Monmouth Junction section of South Brunswick, in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States, operating as the lone secondary school of the South Brunswick Public Schools. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Secondary Schools since 1965.[3]

South Brunswick High School
Location
South Brunswick High School
South Brunswick High School
South Brunswick High School
750 Ridge Road

Monmouth Junction
,
NJ
08852

United States
Coordinates40.372564°N 74.563463°W / 40.372564; -74.563463
Information
TypePublic high school
Established1960 (1997 current location)
School districtSouth Brunswick Public Schools
NCES School ID3415210[1]
PrincipalPeter Varela
Asst. principalsJaymee Boehmer
Emanuel Caravano
Yoshi Donato
Susana Nikitczuk
Michael Scheese
Faculty199.2 FTEs[1]
Grades9-12
Enrollment2,939 (as of 2018–19)[1]
Student to teacher ratio14.8:1[1]
Color(s)     Black and
     Gold[2]
Athletics conferenceGreater Middlesex Conference
Team nameVikings[2]
AccreditationMiddle States Association of Colleges and Schools[3]
NewspaperThe Viking Vibe
WebsiteSchool website

As of the 2018–19 school year, the school had an enrollment of 2,939 students and 199.2 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 14.8:1. There were 276 students (9.4% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 87 (3.0% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.[1]

The South Brunswick High School was first established in 1960 (now Crossroads South Middle School) at the corner of Major Road and Kingston Lane and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2010. The current building/location was built in 1997 at the corner of Stouts Lane and Ridge Road due to overcrowding issues and the annex which is connected by a two-level indoor bridge on levels 2 and 3 was all built in 2003-04, on the side of Stouts Lane.

Awards, recognition and rankings

For the 1990-91 school year, South Brunswick High School received the National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence Award from the United States Department of Education, the highest honor that an American school can achieve.[4]

For the 2000-01 school year, South Brunswick High School was named a "Star School" by the New Jersey Department of Education, the highest honor that a New Jersey school can achieve.[5]

In the 2010-11 school year, the South Brunswick High School was named the New Jersey School of Character, was ranked in the top 50 in the country and was selected as a final four finalist for being named the National School of Character of the 2010-11 school year.[6]

The school was the 53rd-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.[7] The school had been ranked 138th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 89th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.[8] The magazine ranked the school 74th in 2008 out of 316 schools.[9] The school was ranked 75th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which included 316 schools across the state.[10] Schooldigger.com ranked the school 118th out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (a decrease of 31 positions from the 2010 ranking) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the mathematics (84.7%) and language arts literacy (96.6%) components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).[11]

In the 2011 "Ranking America's High Schools" issue by The Washington Post, the school was ranked 40th in New Jersey and 1,333rd nationwide.[12]

In its 2013 report on "America's Best High Schools", The Daily Beast ranked the school 649th in the nation among participating public high schools and 51st among schools in New Jersey.[13] In the 2012 list of "America's Best High Schools", ranked by Newsweek, South Brunswick High School was ranked 683rd in the nation and 54th in the state, with criteria for ranking include graduation rate, AP/IB/AICE exams taken per student, average SAT/ACT scores and college matriculation rate.[14]

Curriculum

South Brunswick High School offers a challenging curriculum coupled with extensive opportunities in the fine and performing arts, athletics, and extracurricular activities.

All students attending SBHS are encouraged to take a minimum of 16 units during the duration of their academic career. All students must also take a Practical Art (Such as Business, Technology) and Visual/Performing Art (such as Art I, II, Orchestra or Band). Students are also required to take a 2.5 credit class in Personal Financial Literacy.

The school offers around 20 Advanced Placement (AP) courses.

Athletics

The South Brunswick High School Vikings[2] compete in the Greater Middlesex Conference, made up of public and private high schools located in the greater Middlesex County area, operating under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).[15] With 2,209 students in grades 10-12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2015-16 school year as Central Jersey, Group IV for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 1,082 to 2,349 students in that grade range.[16]

The boys' basketball team won the Group I state championship in 1968, defeating East Rutherford High School in the final game of the tournament.[17]

The baseball team won the Group II state championship in 1980 vs. Garfield High School.[18]

The SBHS boys' bowling team won the New Jersey state title in 1996 with a combined score of 3,103.[19] A signed bowling pin from all team members is kept in the trophy case at the school.

The South Brunswick boys' soccer team won back-to-back to back Red Division Championships in 2006, 2007 and 2008. In 2009 the team won the GMC County Final, the first in school history.

In the Fall of 2004, the girls volleyball team took home the GMC title for the first time in school history. The program had only been in place 6 seasons prior to this achievement.

The 2009 boys' tennis team won the Red Division Title and were GMC Champions, the first in school history. Again they repeated the same results in 2010 by winning GMC's and the Red Division Title. The SBHS boys tennis team have won the GMC Red Division Championship title since 2009. In 2011, they later placed second in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV Championships and in 2012 they won all of their singles and doubles matches at GMCs.

The 2010 boys' track and field team won the GMC Relays Championships (Greater Middlesex Championships) by defeating former champions, Old Bridge High School. The track team was led by Coach Wilfredo Rivera.

The 2010-11 ice hockey team went on to win the inaugural GMC Championship. South Brunswick beat perennial powerhouses Old Bridge and St. Joseph High School to reach the final. South Brunswick then went on to be seeded #20 in the NJSIAA Public A Tournament and lost by a score of 3-0 in the first round to Tenafly High School.[20]

The 2011-12 girls bowling team won the GMC title and then later won the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV title. At the end of the same season, the coach was named coach of the year.

The 2012 football team won the Central Jersey Group V sectional title, beating Manalapan High School by a score of 33-22.[21][22] The 2015 football team won the Central Jersey Group V sectional title, defeating Old Bridge High School in the tournament final by a score of 42-0.[23] In 2017, the team won its third championship in program history with an 18-14 win against top-seeded Manalapan High School in the final of the Central Jersey Group V state sectional tournament, played at High Point Solutions Stadium; South Brunswick finished the season with an 11-1 record, defeating a Manalapan team that had been undefeated heading into the game.[24][25]

The 2013 boys' track team won the Group IV state relay championships, the program's first state title.[26] The team repeated as Group IV champion in 2014.[27]

Student achievements

The Viking Marching Band was the Group VI New Jersey state champions in the four consecutive seasons from 2013 through 2016 and again in 2018.[28][29]

In the 2011-12 school year, a student was recognized by Guinness World Records for breaking the record for the most high fives in one hour, reaching a total of 1,739 at a pep rally held in the school on March 16, 2012.[30][31]

Administration

Core members of the school's administration are:[32]

  • Peter Varela, Principal
    • Jaymee Boehmer, Assistant Principal
    • Emanuel Caravano, Assistant Principal
    • Yoshi Donato, Assistant Principal
    • Susana Nikitczuk, Assistant Principal
    • Michael Scheese, Assistant Principal

Notable alumni

Notable faculty

References
  1. School data for South Brunswick High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2020.
  2. South Brunswick High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed June 2, 2016.
  3. South Brunswick High School, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed December 17, 2019.
  4. Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982-1983 through 1999-2002 (PDF), United States Department of Education. Accessed May 11, 2006.
  5. New Jersey Department of Education Star School Award recipient detail 2000-01 school year, South Brunswick High School, accessed May 25, 2006.
  6. Timmis, Patrick. "St. John's alum leads New Jersey school to national award", Toledo Free Press, May 30, 2011. Accessed August 20, 2011. "The school, located in Monmouth Junction, won a National School of Character award this year from the Character Education Partnership based in Washington, D.C. The National School of Character award recognizes select schools for their 'outstanding character development of students,' according to the Character Education Partnership's website. South Brunswick was one of three high schools in the nation to receive the award."
  7. Staff. "Top Schools Alphabetical List 2014", New Jersey Monthly, September 2, 2014. Accessed September 5, 2014.
  8. Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed September 7, 2012.
  9. Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed May 31, 2011.
  10. "Top New Jersey High Schools 2008: By Rank", New Jersey Monthly, September 2008, posted August 7, 2008. Accessed August 19, 2008.
  11. School Overview; Click on "Rankings" for 2003-11 HSPA results, Schooldigger.com. Accessed March 12, 2012.
  12. Mathews, Jay. "The High School Challenge 2011: South Brunswick High School", The Washington Post. Accessed September 8, 2011.
  13. Streib, Lauren. "America's Best High Schools", The Daily Beast, May 6, 2013. Accessed May 9, 2013.
  14. Staff. "America's Best High Schools 2012", Newsweek, May 20, 2012. Accessed May 20, 2012.
  15. League & Conference Affiliations 2016-2017 Archived 2012-11-09 at the Wayback Machine, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 10, 2017.
  16. General Public School Classifications 2015-2016, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, as of December 15, 2015. Accessed December 12, 2016.
  17. Public Past State Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 29, 2017.
  18. History of the NJSIAA Baseball Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 28, 2017.
  19. History of NJSIAA Boys Bowling Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed February 1, 2017.
  20. Staff. "South Brunswick (0) at Tenafly (3), NJSIAA Tournament, First Round, Public A", The Star-Ledger, March 2, 2011. Accessed September 7, 2012.
  21. Rosenfeld, Josh. "Manalapan denied first title by South Brunswick", Asbury Park Press, December 8, 2012. Accessed March 29, 2013. "After yielding a mere three touchdowns and a total of 24 points over its previous five outings, South Brunswick managed to cross the goal-line on five occasions to pin a 33-22 setback on the Braves in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group V Championship Game on Saturday at High Point Solution Stadium."
  22. Goldberg, Jeff. NJSIAA Football Playoff Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 19, 2015.
  23. Ryan, Chris. "South Brunswick defense caps stellar run with shutout in Central, Group 5 final", December 5, 2015. Accessed December 21, 2015. "After allowing 42 points in a season opening loss to Middletown South, the South Brunswick defense had something to prove. For the next 10 games, the Vikings proved to be tough to crack, and in the Central Jersey, Group 5 final, South Brunswick capped off a dominant defensive run with one of its finest performances."
  24. Zedalis, Joe. "Quinones throws 3 TD passes, South Brunswick stuns Manalapan in CJ5", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, December 2, 2017. Accessed December 4, 2017. "South Brunswick, showing poise and confidence that can only be gained through navigating adversarial situations throughout the season, drove 92 yards in 11 plays and scored the decisive touchdown with 53 seconds left Saturday at Rutgers Stadium and the Vikings stunned top-seeded and previously undefeated Manalapan, 18-14, to win the Central Jersey Group 5 title in Piscataway.... The victory gave South Brunswick (11-1) its third sectional title."
  25. "Football - 2017 NJSIAA Central, Group 5 Playoffs", NJ.com. Accessed December 4, 2017.
  26. Staff. "South Brunswick boys run to NJSIAA Group IV Relays title", USA Today High School Sports, January 11, 2013. Accessed November 2, 2016. "The South Brunswick High School boys track team has accomplished quite a bit over the past decade, but Friday marked a new height.The Vikings put it all together at the NJSIAA Group IV Relays, scoring 34 points to win the school's first state title in track."
  27. History of the NJSIAA Indoor Relay Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 2, 2016.
  28. James, Davy. "SBHS Marching Band Dominates State Championships; South Brunswick High School finishes first in every category en route to 7th state title.", South Brunswick Patch, October 24, 2013. Accessed September 24, 2014.
  29. Tufaro, Greg. "South Brunswick football team attends high school band competition", Courier News, October 2, 2019. Accessed May 17, 2020. "South Brunswick's marching band won Group VI New Jersey State Championships in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2018. The Vikings have performed at numerous venues outside of New Jersey including Lucas Oil Stadium."
  30. McLafferty, Deanna. "SBHS student tries to set high-five record; Ian Moritz attempts to set Guinness World Record" Archived 2013-01-24 at Archive.today, South Brunswick Sentinel, March 22, 2012. Accessed September 7, 2012. "Graduating South Brunswick High School students might be able to list 'Guinness World Record holder' to their college applications after participating in the winter/spring pep rally on March 16.Student Council President Ian Moritz high-fived 1,739 staff members and students at the rally, beating the record for most high-fives in one hour by close to 400. And he did it in a half-hour."
  31. Most high-fives in one hour (individual), Guinness World Records. Accessed September 7, 2012. "The most high fives in one hour is 1,739 and was achieved by Ian Moritz (USA) at South Brunswick High School in South Brunswick, New Jersey, USA, on 16 March 2012."
  32. School Leadership - High School South Brunswick School District. Accessed August 5, 2019.
  33. "Simply ‘Brilliant’", Central Jersey Archives, December 5, 2013. Accessed March 12, 2020. "Mya Breitbart, a graduate of South Brunswick High School, was recently honored as one of the Brilliant 10 by Popular Science magazine for her work in mapping the genomes of an entire ecosystem at once."
  34. Sargeant, Keith. "Defensive coordinator with N.J. roots reportedly headed to Notre Dame | Who is Mike Elko?", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, December 16, 2016. Accessed January 15, 2017. "Mike Elko, 39, grew up in South Brunswick, starring as the high school's quarterback before heading to play linebacker at the University of Pennsylvania and then beginning a collegiate coaching career that is now in its second decade. The 1995 South Brunswick High School graduate is set to be named the defensive coordinator at Notre Dame, according to SI.com and other published reports."
  35. "Fagen finds his groove", The Star-Ledger, February 26, 2006. "Born in Passaic, Fagen graduated in South Brunswick High School's class of '65..."
  36. CV of Mor Harchol-Balter, Carnegie Mellon University. Accessed July 3, 2019. "1984 Valedictorian South Brunswick High School, New Jersey."
  37. Staff. "South Brunswick H.S. Graduate Nominated for a 2019 Tony Award", TAP into New Brunswick, May 6, 2019. Accessed September 4, 2019. "David Neumann, a 1983 graduate of South Brunswick High School, has been nominated for a Tony Award for best choreographer for the Broadway musical Hadestown."
  38. 2012 South Brunswick High School – Distinguished Alumni Award, The Education Foundation of South Brunswick Township, Inc. Accessed January 9, 2018. "Steven Portnoy - South Brunswick Graduation Year: 1999; Occupation: Correspondent for ABC News"
  39. Kalet, Hank. "From South Brunswick High School to a Pulitzer Prize: Nationally renowned writer, journalist has local roots", South Brunswick Post, June 21, 2001. Accessed July 9, 2007. "Anna Quindlen has a busy schedule. The 1970 South Brunswick High School graduate writes a regular column for Newsweek, is raising three kids in New York City and makes the rounds of the talk show circuit to promote her various writing projects."
  40. Makin, Bob. "South Brunswick's Ricardo Romero to fight at UFC 126", MyCentralJersey.com, December 2, 2010. Accessed December 4, 2017. "Romero, a champion wrestler for South Brunswick High School in the 1990s, fights out of North Brunswick under Brian Katz, owner of Advanced BJJ in North Brunswick."
  41. Luicci, Tom. "South Brunswick recruit Sanu enrolls at Rutgers early", The Star-Ledger, January 29, 2009. Accessed May 31, 2011. "Sanu, a 6-2, 215-pound defensive back, did not play at South Brunswick High School last fall because he had exceeded the age limit for eligibility. The rest of the class will be announced Wednesday during national letter of intent signing day."
  42. Sydney Schneider, UNC Wilmington Seahawks. Accessed October 11, 2018. "High School: South Brunswick; Hometown: Dayton, N.J."
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