Kinnelon High School Explained
Kinnelon High School is a four-year comprehensive community public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Kinnelon in Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as the lone secondary school of the Kinnelon Public Schools.
As of the 2022–23 school year, the school had an enrollment of 532 students and 57.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 9.3:1. There were 13 students (2.4% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and none listed as eligible for reduced-cost lunch.[1] The student body of Kinnelon High School was 89.7% White, 4.3% Asian, 4.3% Hispanic, 0.9% Black, 0.3% Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander and 0.4% of two or more races.[1]
History
After the Kinnelon and West Milford school districts were notified in August 1959 that their students would no longer be accommodated at Butler High School within two to three years, the two districts joined in discussions with the Bloomingdale School District for the establishment of a regional school district.[2]
By a margin of one percent, equal to 12 votes out of 1,162 cast, voters approved a January 1960 referendum that allocated $2 million (equivalent to $ million in) for the construction of a building on a 54acres site that would be designed to accommodate a maximum capacity of 840 to 1,000 students, and would open starting with grades 7-10 and adding a grade over the next two years.[3]
With the new high school coming to Kinnelon, the Riverdale School District sought approval in August 1960 from the state for a plan to shift its students out of Butler High School to attend school in Kinnelon for grades 7-12.[4]
The athletic team name of "Colts" and the school colors of green and white were chosen in an April 1962 poll of students from Kinnelon and Riverdale who were in grades 6-9 at Butler High School who would constitute the initial incoming student body at Kinnelon High School.[5]
The school opened in phases starting in October 1962 as sections of the facility were completed and had 620 students in its inaugural year, including 200 from Riverdale, who attended as part of a sending/receiving relationship.[6]
Awards, recognition and rankings
The school was the 20th-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 5th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 21st in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.[8] The magazine ranked the school 34th in the magazine's September 2008 issue, and 35th in its September 2006 issue, both of which included 316 schools across the state.[9] Schooldigger.com ranked the school tied for 90th out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (a decrease of 62 positions from the 2010 ranking) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the mathematics (87.5%) and language arts literacy (96.5%) components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).[10]
In its listing of "America's Best High Schools 2016", the school was ranked 473rd out of 500 best high schools in the country; it was ranked 49th among all high schools in New Jersey and 32nd among the state's non-magnet schools.[11]
In its 2013 report on "America's Best High Schools", The Daily Beast ranked the school 591st in the nation among participating public high schools and 46th among schools in New Jersey.[12]
In the 2011 "Ranking America's High Schools" issue by The Washington Post, the school was ranked 39th in New Jersey and 1,217th nationwide.[13]
Athletics
The Kinnelon High School Colts[14] compete in the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference, which is comprised of public and private high schools in Morris, Sussex and Warren counties, and was established following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).[15] [16] Prior to the 2009-10 realignment, the school had competed in the Colonial Hills Conference, which included high schools in Essex, Morris and Somerset counties.[17] With 490 students in grades 10-12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Group II for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 486 to 758 students in that grade range.[18] The football team competes in the American Blue division of the North Jersey Super Football Conference, which includes 112 schools competing in 20 divisions, making it the nation's biggest football-only high school sports league.[19] [20] The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Group I North for football for 2022–2024, which included schools with 184 to 471 students.[21]
The school participates as the host school / lead agency in a joint ice hockey team with Jefferson Township High School and Sparta High School. The co-op program operates under agreements scheduled to expire at the end of the 2023–24 school year.[22]
The boys cross country team won the Group I state championship in 1967 and won the Group II title in 1970.[23]
The boys' tennis team won the Group I state title in 1980, defeating Mahwah High School in the semifinals by 5-0 and then Bernardsville High School by 3-2 in the tournament final.[24] [25]
The girls' soccer team won the Group I state championship in 2006 (against Metuchen High School in the final game of the tournament) and in 2014 (vs. Shore Regional High School).[26] In 2006, the team won the North I Group I tournament, defeating Cresskill High School by a score of 5-0 in the final game.[27] The team then moved on to win the overall Group I state championship less than two weeks later, defeating Metuchen by a score of 2-1 in the championship game played at The College of New Jersey,[28] winning the school's first state championship in any sport in nearly 40 years. In 2008, the girls soccer team became the first Group II school to win the Morris County Tournament championship. At the time it was considered to be an accomplishment that topped their previous year's state championship because the county tournament presented the challenge of much larger schools than they did during their run to the 2006 Group I state title.[29] The following year, the team shared the county title with West Morris Central High School.[30] In 2014, the girls soccer team defeated Park Ridge High School to win the North I, Group I sectional title. They then defeated the favored Glen Ridge High School squad, winners of the two previous Group I titles,[31] by a score of 2-1 to reach the Group I semifinals. Going into the finals as underdogs again,[32] they beat the 2013 Group I co-champions, Shore Regional by a final score of 2-0 to win the school's second girls soccer state championship. It was a season in which the team had started at 4-4, but went on a 16-1 roll, to finish the season with a school record 20 wins.[33]
The girls' basketball team won the 2007 North I Group I sectional championship with a 48-37 win over Butler High School.[34]
Also in 2008, the boys' soccer team won the North I, Group I championship, the first in the team's history, beating Wallington High School by a 4-1 margin in the sectional title game.[35] The Colts then played then 9h-ranked Harrison to a 0-0 tie in the semi-final game, but Harrison advanced to the state finals on penalty kicks.[36]
In 2008, the Kinnelon ice hockey team beat the Jefferson Township High School Falcons at the Prudential Center to win the Public B state tournament.[37] [38] The win was the team's first ever state championship.[39]
In 2009, the boys' lacrosse team finished the season with a 16-6 record after winning the Group I state championship, defeating Chatham High School by a score of 11-9 in the title game.[40] [41] [42]
The football team, which had been winless in all previous playoff games, won their first state championship in 2012, beating New Milford High School 26-14 to earn the state North I, Group II sectional title.[43] [44] On November 14, 2014, Kinnelon quarterback Kyle Presti set a New Jersey state record, with nine touchdown passes in a 68-42 victory over Sussex Technical High School, breaking the previous record of eight that had been achieved twice since 2010.[45]
The girls tennis team won the Group I state championship in 2017, defeating Mountain Lakes High School by 4-1 in the tournament final.[46] [47]
Administration
The school's principal is Gary T. Suda. His administration team includes two vice principals.[48]
Notable alumni
- Kurt Allerman (born 1955, class of 1973), linebacker who played for nine seasons in the NFL, for the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals and Detroit Lions.[49]
- Laura Benanti (born 1979, class of 1997), television, film and Tony-winning Broadway actress.[50]
- Bryan Gallego (born 1993, class of 2011) professional soccer player.[51]
- Oz Griebel (1949–2020), banker, lawyer, and political candidate who ran for Governor of Connecticut[52]
- Stearns Matthews (born 1984), cabaret singer, recording artist, director, teacher and pianist.[53]
- William A. Pailes (born 1952, class of 1970), astronaut who carried a school pennant into space aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-51-J in 1985.[54]
- Elise Testone (born 1983), singer and American Idol contestant.[55]
External links
Notes and References
- https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=3408040&ID=340804004282 School data for Kinnelon High School
- https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99330982/butler-high-school-has-no-room-for/ "2 School Boards To Tell H. S. Stand"
- https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99331568/referendum-approved-for-kinnelon-high/ "Record Turnout of Voters Okays HS Referendum by 12 Ballots"
- https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99329907/riverdale-plans-to-leave-butler-hs-for/ "Board Seeks State Okay To Transfer HS Pupils"
- https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99332758/nickname-and-colors-chosen-for-kinnelon/ "Students Choose 'The Colts,' Colors of New Kinnelon H.S."
- Becker, Alton W. "More Than 600 at Dedication Of New Kinnelon High School", Herald News, June 3, 1963. Accessed April 8, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "More than 600 persons toured the new $2 million Kinnelon High School during dedication ceremonies yesterday afternoon.... The high school has a capacity of 800. At present, it is occupied by about 620 students, approximately 420 from Kinnelon and 200 from Riverdale. A portion of the main classroom section was opened in mid-October and other sections were occupied as completed until the entire classroom area was in use in late November."
- Staff. "Top Schools Alphabetical List 2014", New Jersey Monthly, September 2, 2014. Accessed September 5, 2014.
- Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed August 28, 2012.
- http://njmonthly.com/articles/towns_and_schools/highschoolrankings/top-high-schools-2010.html "2010 Top High Schools in New Jersey"
- http://www.schooldigger.com/schoolrank.aspx?Level=3&findschool=0804004282 New Jersey High School Rankings: 11th Grade HSPA Language Arts Literacy & HSPA Math 2010-2011
- Staff. "America's Best High Schools 2016", Newsweek. Accessed November 11, 2016.
- Streib, Lauren. "America's Best High Schools", The Daily Beast, May 6, 2013. Accessed May 9, 2013.
- [Jay Mathews|Mathews, Jay]
- https://www.njsiaa.org/schools/kinnelon-high-school Kinnelon High School
- https://www.nwjerseyac.com/g5-bin/client.cgi?G5genie=235 Home Page
- https://www.njsiaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2020-10/2020-2021-lc-officers-schools.pdf League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021
- https://web.archive.org/web/20101119074316/http://www.colonialhillsconference.com/ Home Page
- https://www.njsiaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2020-11/general-classifications-2018-2020.pdf NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020
- Cooper, Darren. "Here's what we know about the new Super Football Conference 2020 schedule", The Record, July 23, 2020. Accessed March 22, 2021. "The Super Football Conference (SFC) is a 112-team group, the largest high school football-only conference in America, and is comprised of teams from five different counties."
- Cooper, Darren. "NJ football: Super Football Conference revised schedules for 2020 regular season", The Record, July 23, 2020. Accessed March 22, 2021. "The Super Football Conference has 112 teams that will play across 20 divisions."
- 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
- https://www.njsiaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2020-12/winter-co-ops-2020-21.pdf NJSIAA Winter Cooperative Sports Programs
- https://www.njsiaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2021-12/21-xc-group-team-champions_0.pdf NJSIAA Boys Cross Country State Group Champions
- https://www.njsiaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2020-11/20-team-tennis-history.pdf History of Boys' Team Tennis Championship Tournament
- https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67601179/njsiaa-1980-girls-tennis-group-finals/ "Ridgewood falls in Group 4 final"
- https://www.njsiaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2021-12/21-girls-soccer.pdf NJSIAA History of Girls Soccer
- http://www.bracketmaker.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=186262&tclass=North%20I%2C%20Group%20I 2006 Girls Soccer Tournament - North I, Group I Girls Varsity Soccer State Champions
- Kitchin, Mark. "Kinnelon duo shows toughness in final", Daily Record, November 24, 2006. Accessed November 25, 2014.
- Morett, Chris. "Kinnelon (0) at Randolph (2), Morris County Tournament, Final Round - Girls Soccer", The Star-Ledger, November 12, 2011. Accessed March 2, 2012. "Randolph took the field in the Morris County Tournament as the historical power, boasting more county tournament titles than any other school but in the midst of a drought since 2000. Its opponent Kinnelon won back-to-back championships in 2008 and 2009. Kinnelon also was part of the reason for Randolph's dry spell, defeating Randolph in the 2008 final and bouncing Randolph in the quarterfinals last year."
- Kitchin, Mark. "West Morris turned things around", Daily Record, December 17, 2009. Accessed March 1, 2012. "The Wolfpack earned victories against Morris Hills, Mendham (in double overtime) and Roxbury before rallying to a draw with Kinnelon in the championship game."
- Schneider, Jeremy. "Girls Soccer: Group 1 semifinal preview — Glen Ridge vs. Kinnelon", NJ Advance Media For NJ.com, November 18, 2013. Accessed November 25, 2014. 'Glen Ridge has long been one of the strongest programs in Group 1, and it has won at least a share of the state title in the past two seasons."
- Olivero, Antonio. "Girls Soccer: Group 1 final preview, Shore vs. Kinnelon", NJ Advance Media For NJ.com, November 21, 2014. Accessed November 27, 2014.
- Meisel, Dave. "H.S. girls soccer: Kinnelon seniors cap careers with title", The Record, November 22, 2014. Accessed November 25, 2014. "Unlike in any of the Colts' games in this tournament, Kinnelon dominated Shore Regional for 80 minutes at Kean University and took the Group 1 title, 2-0, completing a 20-win season."
- http://www.bracketmaker.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=202578&tclass=North%20I%2C%20Group%20I 2007 Girls Basketball - North I, Group I
- Staff. "Kinnelon 4, Wallington 1 (High school Boys Soccer scores & results)", The Star-Ledger, November 14, 2008. Accessed November 26, 2014. "Devin Cavagnaro scored three goals when Kinnelon defeated Wallington, 4-1, yesterday for the championship of the NJSIAA/MAC Testing North Jersey, Section 1, Group 1 tournament yesterday in Kinnelon. The sectional title was the first in program history for Kinnelon (18-4), which has won seven straight and 16 of its last 17 games."
- Reilly, Sean. "Harrison 1, Kinnelon 0 (High school Boys Soccer scores & results)", The Star-Ledger, November 18, 2008. Accessed November 26, 2014. "Diaz made the game-ending save in the seventh round and also connected twice as his team's shooter, in the third and seventh round, as Harrison, No. 9 in The Star-Ledger Top 20, gained a 1-0 victory over Kinnelon in the semifinals of the NJSIAA/MAC Testing Group 1 tournament last night at Ridge High in Basking Ridge."
- https://www.njsiaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2020-11/20-ice-hockey-history.pdf NJSIAA Ice Hockey State Championship History
- http://www.bracketmaker.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=262713&tclass=Public%20B 2008 Ice Hockey Tournament - Public B
- Hague, Jim. "Kinnelon captures state championship", Daily Record, March 23, 2008. Accessed March 23, 2008. "It marked the first state championship for Kinnelon (24-2-2), which only initiated a hockey program less than a decade ago."
- https://www.njsiaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2021-06/21-boys-lacrosse-history.pdf NJSIAA Boys Lacrosse Championship History
- http://www.jerseysportsnow.com/jsnarticles/090623-BoysLacrosseAwards.aspx "2009 Boys' Lacrosse Awards"
- Kitchin, Mark. "Kelly's quick study has been his Kinnelon players' gain", Daily Record, June 21, 2009. Accessed December 31, 2020, via Newspapers.com. "Like his players, the 2009 All Daily Record Boys Lacrosse Coach of the Year worked extremely hard to make this season's success possible. Kinnelon finished with a 16-6 record and captured its first Group I title."
- Bernstein, Jason. "Football: Kinnelon wins first title with 26-14 victory over New Milford", The Star-Ledger, December 8, 2012. Accessed November 25, 2014. "Kinnelon used the two-way ability of Robbins, the sure hands of fellow four-year starter Sean Walsh, and an opportunistic defense to earn its first ever state championship with a 26-14 victory over New Milford in the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 1, Group 2 final at Kean University in Union. Kinnelon (9-3) had never won a state playoff game before this year."
- https://www.njsiaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2021-12/21-football.pdf NJSIAA Football History
- Kratch, James. "Football: Kinnelon's Kyle Presti breaks state record with 9 TD passes in consolation game win", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, November 15, 2014. Accessed November 26, 2014. "Kinnelon quarterback Kyle Presti made history on Saturday in the Colts' 68-42 consolation game victory over Sussex Tech, setting a new state record for touchdown passes in a single game. Presti completed 22-of-31 passes for 501 yards and nine touchdowns, breaking the previous state record of eight touchdown passes in a game."
- https://www.njsiaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2021-10/21-girls-team-tennis-history.pdf History of NJSIAA Girls Team Tennis Championships
- Havsy, Jane. "Kinnelon claims first NJSIAA tennis title", Daily Record, October 19, 2017. Accessed January 18, 2021. "Agatha Malinowski had been to the NJSIAA Group I final before. In fact, so had most of the Kinnelon High School tennis team. But on Thursday, the Colts made history with a 4-1 defeat of neighboring Mountain Lakes. It is Kinnelon’s first NJSIAA tennis title, claiming Group I. The Colts had lost in the first Group I championship in 1976, as well to New Providence a year ago."
- https://www.kinnelonpublicschools.org//cms/lib/NJ02202739/Centricity/Domain/168/Student%20Handbook%202021-2022%20.pdf 2021-2022 Students Handbook
- Laplaca, Bryan. "Back in the Day - May 8, 1977: Locals drafted by NFL", Suburban Trends, May 14, 2012. Accessed February 2, 2017. "Kurt Allerman of Kinnelon was picked in the third round by the St. Louis Cardinals and Ed Fulton of Sparta was selected in the same round."
- Lefkowitz, David. "Playbill On-Line's Brief Encounter with Laura Benanti", Playbill, May 11, 1999. Accessed May 9, 2013. "Just a year ago, if you looked at the bio for Laura Benanti in the Playbill for The Sound of Music, you'd have seen this: '(Ensemble / understudy Maria). 1997 graduate, Kinnelon High School.'"
- Cohn-Sheehan, Ariana. "Kinnelon Athletes Sign Letters of Intent; Three Kinnelon High School students sign letters of intent to play sports in college.", Tri-Boro Patch, February 4, 2011. Accessed August 7, 2015. "From left to right, Kyle Robbins agreed to play football at College of the Holy Cross, Hannah Steadman agreed to play soccer at University of Tennessee on a full scholarship, and Bryan Gallego agreed to play soccer at the University of Akron on a full scholarship."
- Curley, Bob. "Curly-Cues", The News, May 19, 1971. Accessed May 14, 2024, via Newspapers.com. "This seems to be the case of Dick (Oz) Griebel, who was far from being a ball of fire as a pitcher at Kinnelon High School in 1966 and 1967. Griebel had a 5-6 career record with the Colts.... The next year Dartmouth took the NCAA District title with the 5-11, 175 pounder from Smoke Rise again serving in relief."
- https://patch.com/new-jersey/triboro/30th-annual-olm-christmas-concert "30th Annual OLM Christmas Concert"
- http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/pailes-wa.html William A. Pailes
- Kolton, Tara. "Kinnelon grad singing her way to the top", Suburban Trends, February 20, 2012. Accessed April 3, 2012. "Kinnelon native Elise Testone has made it to the top 40 finalists of American Idol's season 11. Testone, a 2001 graduate of Kinnelon High School (KHS), endured several tough rounds of cuts in Hollywood to make it to Idol's top 40 during the Las Vegas round, which aired on Thursday night on FOX."