Allentown High School Explained

Allentown High School
Established:1924
Grades:9-12
District:Upper Freehold Regional School District
Type:Public high school
Principal:Todd Pae
Enrollment:1,084 (as of 2022–23)
Faculty:83.4 FTEs
Ratio:13.0:1
Us Nces School Id:341656004124
Teamname:Redbirds
Conference:Colonial Valley Conference
Colors: Red and Black
Address:27 High Street
City:Allentown
County:Monmouth County
State:New Jersey
Zipcode:08501
Country:United States
Pushpin Map:USA New Jersey Monmouth County#USA New Jersey#USA

Allentown High School is a public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from three communities in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, 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 district's high school as part of a sending/receiving relationship.[1] The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1959.[2]

As of the 2022–23 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,084 students and 83.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.0:1. There were 41 students (3.8% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 11 (1.0% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.[3]

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.[4] 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.[5]

History

The high school opened in September 1924 for students in grades 7-12, having been built for $80,000 (equivalent to $ million in).[6] [7] The current school facility opened in September 1964, replacing a building that was operating at more than double its capacity of 300 students. Constructed at a cost of $1.4 million (equivalent to $ million in), the school served students from the constituent districts of Allenton and Upper Freehold Township, along with those from Plumsted Township and Washington Township (since renamed as Robbinsville Township), who attended as part of a sending/receiving relationships.[8]

Approximately 400 students from Plumsted Township had attended the high school as part of the 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.[9] [10]

In 1981, the Washington Township district (since renamed as the Robbinsville Public School District) filed a petition with the New Jersey State Board of Education seeking to terminate their sending agreement, noting that the departure of students from Washington Township would not adversely impact the racial balance at Allentown High School.[11] After receiving approval, starting in the 1990-91 school year, students from Washington Township, began attending Lawrence High School, under which all of the township's students would leave Allentown High School by the end of the 1993-94 school year.[12]

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.[13] 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.[14] The magazine ranked the school 90th in 2008 out of 316 schools.[15] The school was also ranked 103rd in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state.[16] 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).[17]

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.[18]

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.[19]

Athletics

The Allentown High School Redbirds[20] compete in the Colonial Valley Conference, which comprises public and private high schools located in Mercer, Middlesex and Monmouth counties, operating under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).[21] With 824 students in grades 10-12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2022–24 school years as Group III Central for most athletic competition purposes.[22] The football team competes in the Valley Division of the 94-team West Jersey Football League superconference[23] [24] The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Group III South for football for 2022–2024, which included schools with 680 to 889 students.[25]

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.[26]

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.[27] Against a program that had won eight previous state titles, the 1997 team stayed even with West Essex at 2-2 after regulation and three overtime periods to be declared as co-champion in Group II and finish the season with a 14-game unbeaten streak and a 22-1-1 record.[28] The 2003 field hockey won the Central, Group II sectional championship, edging Shore Regional High School 3–2 in the tournament final.[29] The 2004 team repeated the championship, defeating Cinnaminson High School 2–0.[30]

The 2003 girls' tennis team won the Central, Group II title with a 3–2 win over Shore Regional High School.[31]

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.[32] 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.[33] [34] [35]

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).[36] [37] The 2008 team won the Group II title with an 1106 win against Mahwah in the championship game.[38]

The boys soccer team won the Group III state title in 2013 as co-champion with Northern Highlands Regional High School.[39]

The football team won the Central Jersey Group IV state sectional championship in 2016.[40] Allentown defeated Brick Township High School by a score of 41–6 in the tournament final against Brick Township High School.[41] 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.[42] 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.[43] 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.[44]

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.[45] 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.[46] [47] 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.[48]

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 to 2003.[49] Meanwhile, the band repeated their performance in Philadelphia's parade, winning in 1990–93, 1999–2000, and 2005–06.[50] In 2018 the marching band won Group IV A 2018 State Champions(New Jersey). In 2021 the Marching band also won Group ll A 2021 National Champions at Nationals held in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The following the Marching band had an undefeated season winning both States and Nationals which was held at Metlife Stadium. As well as the best guard in the state in 2022.

FIRST Robotics Team

Allentown High School is home to FIRST Robotics Competition 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.[51] The team also qualified for and attended the 2006 and 2009 FIRST Championship in Atlanta.[52] In 2017, Redbird Robotics won the FIRST Robotics Mid-Atlantic Regional Competition.[53] As a result, the team moved forward to the World Championships in St. Louis, Missouri.

Administration

The school's principal is Todd Pae. His administration team includes two vice principals and the athletic director.[54] On August 1, 2022, Pae succeeded Constance DeNicola Embley, who had served as the principal from 1999 to 2022.[55]

Notable alumni

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.nj.gov/education/pr/1415/narrative/25/5310/000.html Upper Freehold Regional School District 2015 School Report Card Narrative
  2. http://www.css-msa.org/search.php?MODE=VIEW(NJ007)&org=CSS Allentown High School
  3. https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=3416560&ID=341656004124 School data for Allentown High School
  4. http://www.state.nj.us/education/choice/districts/index.html Interdistrict Public School Choice Program: Approved Choice Districts
  5. https://www.state.nj.us/education/choice/ Interdistrict Public School Choice Program
  6. https://www.ufrsd.net About Us
  7. https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-freehold-transcript-and-the-monmouth/124257667/ "New School Building; $80,000 Allentown High School Will Be Ready September 8"
  8. https://www.newspapers.com/article/asbury-park-press-allentown-high-school/124256861/ "1,500 Attend Allentown High School Dedication"
  9. Woodberry, Warren Jr. "Planning begins now that Plumsted High School has OK", Asbury Park Press, December 28, 1997. Accessed May 8, 2023, via Newspapers.com. "With the township's approval Dec. 16 of a $16.5 million bond referendum to convert the New Egypt Middle School on Evergreen Road into a high school, district officials are now developing plans for the kind of school they, parents and students want built..... For more than 50 years, high school students here have attended Allentown High School as part of a sending-receiving relationship with the Upper Freehold Regional School District. The state Department of Education must first approve the Plumsted school district's plan to withdraw 400 students from Allentown. The new school is planned to be operating by September 1999."
  10. 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."
  11. https://www.njstatelib.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/1982_Volume_2.pdf#page=130 Washington Township Board of Education, Mercer County vs. Upper Freehold Regional Board of Education
  12. Moslowski, Lee Anne. "Washington students adjusting easily to Lawrence school", Messenger-Press, February 7, 1991. Accessed May 8, 2023, via Newspapers.com. "The first year in the transfer of Washington Township students from Allentown High School to Lawrence High School is going smoothly, according to school officials in both districts. In September, Washington's ninth-graders began attending Lawrence as part of a phased withdrawal from Allentown that will be complete in 1993-94. Washington students attending Allentown before the current school year will remain there until they graduate.... Enrollment figures from December show 32 Washington freshmen attending Lawrence, with 48 sophomore, junior, and senior students still at Allentown. There are also a few students in grades 10, 11, and 12 who were sent to Lawrence this year for various reasons. Projections for next year indicate there will be 29 students at Allentown and 72 at Lawrence."
  13. Staff. "Top Schools Alphabetical List 2014", New Jersey Monthly, September 2, 2014. Accessed September 5, 2014.
  14. Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed December 1, 2012.
  15. Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed February 14, 2011.
  16. http://njmonthly.com/articles/towns_and_schools/highschoolrankings/top-new-jersey-high-schools-by-rank.html "Top New Jersey High Schools 2008: By Rank"
  17. http://www.schooldigger.com/schoolrank.aspx?Level=3&findschool=1656004124 New Jersey High School Rankings: 11th Grade HSPA Language Arts Literacy & HSPA Math 2010-2011
  18. Staff. "America's Best High Schools 2016", Newsweek. Accessed November 11, 2016.
  19. Streib, Lauren. "America's Best High Schools", The Daily Beast, May 6, 2013. Accessed May 9, 2013.
  20. https://www.njsiaa.org/schools/allentown-high-school Allentown High School
  21. https://www.njsiaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2020-10/2020-2021-lc-officers-schools.pdf League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021
  22. https://www.njsiaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2022-08/General%20Classifications%20%2722-%2723%20-%20%2723-%2724.pdf NJSIAA General Classifications - Public Schools 2022-2023 and 2023-2024
  23. https://www.gridironnewjersey.com/schoolDetail.aspx?schoolid=2 Allentown Red Birds
  24. https://www.westjerseyfootball.com Home Page
  25. https://www.njsiaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2022-08/Football%20%2722%20%26%20%2723.pdf NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2022–2024
  26. https://www.njsiaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2020-12/winter-co-ops-2020-21.pdf NJSIAA Winter Cooperative Sports Programs
  27. https://www.njsiaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2021-12/21-girls-field-hockey_0.pdf History of NJSIAA Field Hockey Championships
  28. Edwards, Bill. "Joy and Pain; Broken nose can't stop Allentown from share of title", Asbury Park Press, November 24, 1997. Accessed March 3, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Allentown's memorable field hockey season came to an unexpected finish on the damp carpet at The College of New Jersey yesterday. The Redbirds and West Essex were declared co-champions after their 2-2 tie in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Group II final. Through a relentless, highly charged 60-minute regulation, through three tense seven-a-side 10-minute sudden death overtimes, they fought like two unyielding prize fighters.... The Redbirds (22-1-1) won their second straight Shore Conference Class B South crown, the SCT title, and NJSIAA Central Jersey Group II. Since a 1-0 loss to Central on Oct. 9, they went 13-0-1."
  29. http://www.bracketmaker.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=49655&tclass=Central%2C%20Group%20II 2003 Field Hockey - Central, Group II
  30. http://www.bracketmaker.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=83384&tclass=Central%2C%20Group%20II 2004 Field Hockey - Central, Group II
  31. http://www.bracketmaker.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=47726&tclass=Central%2C%20Group%20II 2003 Girls Team Tennis - Central, Group II
  32. http://www.bracketmaker.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=161251&tclass=Central%2C%20Group%20II 2006 Softball - Central, Group II
  33. https://www.njsiaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2024-02/Softball%2023.pdf Softball Championship History 1972–2023
  34. http://www.bracketmaker.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=161251&tclass=Public%20Semis%2FFinals 2006 Softball - Public Semis/Finals
  35. 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."
  36. https://www.njsiaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2020-11/20-baseball-history.pdf NJSIAA Baseball Championship History
  37. Rosenfeld, Josh. "Allentown captures Group 2 championship", The Star-Ledger, June 7, 2008. Accessed February 18, 2011.
  38. 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."
  39. https://www.njsiaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2021-12/21-boys-soccer-history.pdf NJSIAA History of Boys Soccer
  40. https://www.njsiaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2021-12/21-football.pdf NJSIAA Football History
  41. 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."
  42. http://www.maxpreps.com/high-schools/FcgV-HhjsEaJjRs0mSdBCg/allentown-redbirds/football-fall-10/schedule.htm Allentown Football Schedule (2010-11)
  43. 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."
  44. 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."
  45. https://www.nj.com/highschoolsports/article/toms-river-east-1-at-allentown-2-njsiaa-tournament-final-round-central-jersey-group-3-girls-soccer/ "Allentown gets elusive big victory, tops Toms River East in Central 3 final (with PHOTOS)"
  46. https://www.njsiaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2021-12/21-girls-soccer.pdf NJSIAA History of Girls Soccer
  47. 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."
  48. https://www.nj.com/highschoolsports/article/times-of-trenton-girls-soccer-all-area-all-cvc-all-prep-teams-2017/ "Times of Trenton Girls Soccer All-Area, All-CVC, All-Prep Teams, 2017"
  49. 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."
  50. http://www.philadelphiastpatsparade.com/award_winners.asp Parade Awards
  51. Kohlhepp, Jennifer. "AHS robotics team revels in new season", Allentown Examiner, April 5, 2007. Accessed June 22, 2011.
  52. https://www1.gmnews.com/2006/11/02/redbird-robotics-kicks-new-season-into-high-gear/ "Redbird Robotics kicks new season into high gear"
  53. Web site: Support the Redbird Robotics Team 1807 The Source. mycommunitysource.com. April 25, 2017 . en-US. December 22, 2017 .
  54. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1v3quIvTceClGIiFywne74SM59UAq32P5/view 2022-2023 Student and Family Handbook
  55. Sockol, Matthew. "Pae named to succeed Embley as principal at Allentown High School", CentralJersey.com, June 15, 2022. Accessed May 8, 2023. "Todd Pae has been named the new principal of Allentown High School and will succeed Connie Embley, who is retiring. Embley has served as the high school’s principal since 1999."
  56. 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."
  57. 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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