Rahway High School is a four-year public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Rahway, in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as the lone secondary school of the Rahway Public Schools. The high school's present location was built in 1941. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1931.[4]

Rahway High School
Address
Map
1012 Madison Avenue

, ,
07065

United States
Coordinates40°36′39″N 74°17′35″W / 40.610762°N 74.293119°W / 40.610762; -74.293119
Information
TypePublic high school
School districtRahway Public Schools
NCES School ID341353005634[1]
PrincipalCary Fields
Faculty100.1 FTEs[1]
Grades9-12
Enrollment1,204 (as of 2022–23)[1]
Student to teacher ratio12.0:1[1]
Color(s)  Red and
  Black[2]
Athletics conferenceUnion County Interscholastic Athletic Conference (general)
Big Central Football Conference (football)
Team nameIndians[2]
AccreditationMiddle States Association of Colleges and Schools[4]
NewspaperRho Eta Sigma[3]
YearbookAllegarooter[3]
Websitewww.rhs.rahway.net

As of the 2022–23 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,204 students and 100.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.0:1. There were 469 students (39.0% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 96 (8.0% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.[1]

Awards, recognition and rankings

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The school was the 215th-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.[5] The school had been ranked 191st in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 261st in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.[6] The magazine ranked the school 249th in 2008 out of 316 schools.[7] Schooldigger.com ranked the school as 316th out of 376 public high schools statewide in its 2010 rankings (a decrease of 13 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).[8]

Advanced Placement courses

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Rahway High School offers Advanced Placement courses in AP English Language and Composition, AP English Literature and Composition, AP United States History, AP United States Government and Politics, AP Comparative Government & Politics, AP Calculus, AP Statistics, AP Chemistry, AP Biology, and AP Physics.[9]

Advanced Placement Incentive Program (APIP)

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Beginning in 2007 with support from Rahway alumnus and former Merck & Co. CEO P. Roy Vagelos, President of The Marianthi Foundation, the new Advanced Placement Incentive Program (APIP) was introduced. The APIP Program involves naming teachers as AP Teacher, Pre-AP Placement Teacher, Lead Teacher, and AP Advisor, providing financial incentives for students and teachers based upon AP enrollment and AP exam results.

Vagelos Scholars Program

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Rahway High School seniors who are admitted to and attend a U.S. News & World Report ranked Top 25 National University or Liberal Arts College will receive a scholarship from the Marianthi Foundation. The Vagelos Scholarship is funded by retired Merck and Co. CEO P. Roy Vagelos.

Athletics

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The Rahway High School Indians[2] compete in the Union County Interscholastic Athletic Conference, which is comprised of public and private high schools in Union County and was established following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).[10] Prior to the NJSIAA's 2009 realignment, the school had participated in the Mountain Valley Conference, which included public and private high schools in Essex, Somerset and Union counties.[11] With 784 students in grades 10–12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Group III for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 761 to 1,058 students in that grade range.[12] The football team competes in Division 3 of the Big Central Football Conference, which includes 60 public and private high schools in Hunterdon, Middlesex, Somerset, Union and Warren counties, which are broken down into 10 divisions by size and location.[13] The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Group IV North for football for 2024–2026, which included schools with 893 to 1,315 students.[14]

The boys' basketball team won the Class B (since reclassified as Group III) state championship in 1930, defeating Weehawken High School by a score of 24–16 in the tournament final played in front of a crowd of 5,000 at the 144th Regiment Armory in Elizabeth.[15][16]

The boys cross country team won the Group III state championship in 1952.[17]

The boys' track team won the indoor relay state championships in Group IV in 1970, and in Group III in 1972 and 1981, and in Group II in 2007, 2009 and 2018. The six state championships are the seventh-most of any public high school in the state.[18]

The boys track team won the indoor track Group III state championship in 1971 and 1972.[19] The girls team won the Group III title in 1983 (as co-champion) and 1984.[20]

The boys track team won the spring / outdoor track title as Group III champion in 1971, 1972 and 1985.[21]

The football team won the North II Group III state sectional championships in 1978, 1979 and 1984.[22] In 1978, the team scored two touchdowns in the final five minutes of the North II Group III sectional championship game to defeat Phillipsburg High School by a score of 23–10 in front of a crowd of 4,500 to finish the season with a 9–2 record.[23] The 1979 team finished the season with a 10–1 record after defeating Phillipsburg High School by a score of 14–6 in the North II Group III state sectional championship game played at Giants Stadium.[24]

The girls track team won the spring track Group III state title in 1983.[25]

The wrestling team won the North II Group II state sectional championship in 1989 and 1999, and won in North II Group III in 2001[26]

The boys bowling team won the Group I state championship in 2015.[27]

Extracurricular activities

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Allegarooter, the Rahway High School yearbook received statewide recognition for earning the 2007 and 2008 Garden State Scholastic Press Association Yearbook 1st Place Gold Award in Content and Design.[28]

Rahway High School also has the Marine Corps JROTC Drill Team, the Devil Pups. This team competes in the National High School Drill Team Championships, held annually at Daytona Beach, Florida. In May 2008, the Devil Pups earned the title of Overall National Champions at NHSDTC. In addition to the overall title, the team also brought home several more first- and second-place trophies in each section at the event: Inspection, Regulation, Color Guard, and Exhibition. In the area of Armed Dual Exhibition, the team claimed both first and second place in that event, a feat never before seen at NHSDTC.[29][30]

The Devil Pups were featured in the Disney Channel made-for cable movie Cadet Kelly (2002) after earning a National Runner-Up trophy in Platoon Exhibition the previous year.[31]

Rahway High School has been involved in U.S. FIRST Robotics since 2003 and has won their first ever District event (in Mount Olive) during the 2014-2015 FRC season.[32]

Fine and performing arts

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Rahway High School's fine & performing arts department serves more than half of the school population, who are involved in at least one aspect of the department's offerings. Fine Art, Drama, Chorus, Madrigals, Piano, Music Theory, Musical Theater, Dance, Band, and Orchestra curriculum coursework are available to the student body.

The Musical Theater program has been largely recognized by the Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star program as one of the finest in the state, with awards won in 2003 for "Outstanding Achievement in Choreography" for the production of Crazy for You, and in 2004 for "Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design" for the production of 42nd Street along with a final nomination for Outstanding Overall Production that year, Several final nominations were awarded in 2006 and 2007 for the productions of Me and My Girl and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat respectively.

The Paper Mill Playhouse nominated Rahway High School's Spring 2009 production of The Will Rogers Follies in 13 categories, and was awarded four Rising Star Awards for "Outstanding Costuming Achievement", "Outstanding Achievement by a Teacher or an Outside Director", "Outstanding Achievement by a Chorus", and "Outstanding Overall Production".[33]

In 2011, Rahway High School was awarded the Educational Impact Award by the Paper Mill Playhouse for its production of West Side Story.[34]

Marching Indians

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In 2003 and 2005, the Rahway High School Marching Band took first place in the USSBA state championship.[35] In 2008, they finished in second place.

Administration

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The school's principal is Cary Fields, whose core administration team includes three vice principals.[36]

Notable alumni

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Milton Friedman
 
Antonio Garay
 
Carl Sagan

Notable alumni of Rahway High School include:

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e School data for Rahway High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 1, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Rahway High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  3. ^ a b Student Handbook 2021-2022 School Year, Rahway High School. Accessed May 27, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Rahway High School, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed February 9, 2022.
  5. ^ Staff. "Top Schools Alphabetical List 2014", New Jersey Monthly, September 2, 2014. Accessed September 5, 2014.
  6. ^ Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed September 12, 2012.
  7. ^ Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed March 16, 2011.
  8. ^ New Jersey High School Rankings: 11th Grade HSPA Language Arts Literacy & HSPA Math 2009-2010[permanent dead link], Schooldigger.com. Accessed February 5, 2012.
  9. ^ Rahway High School 2013-14 School Performance Report, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 4, 2015.
  10. ^ League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021 Accessed October 20, 2020.
  11. ^ Home Page, Mountain Valley Conference, backed up by the Internet Archive as of February 2, 2011. Accessed December 15, 2014.
  12. ^ NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
  13. ^ Kinney, Mike. "Big Central revises 2020 football schedule for its shortened inaugural season", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, August 12, 2020. Accessed April 18, 2021. "The newly formed Big Central Football Conference has released a revised 2020 schedule for its inaugural season.... the BCFC is comprised of schools from Middlesex, Union, Somerset, Hunterdon and Warren counties."
  14. ^ NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2024–2026, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.
  15. ^ NJSIAA Boys Basketball Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
  16. ^ "Jersey Title Won By New Brunswick; Gains Class A Championship First Time, Beating Union Hill Five, 26-18. Rahway Class B Victor Triumphs Over Woodrow Wilson by 24-16--St. Benedict's Retains Prep Crown.", The New York Times, March 23, 1930. Accessed January 25, 2021. "For the first time since the inception of the title play eleven years ago New Brunswick has won the New Jersey Class A high school basketball crown and Rahway the Class B championship. They emerged victors in the finals of their respective divisions tonight at the 114th Regiment Armory before 5,000. New Brunswick defeated Union Hill, 26-18, in a closely contested game and Rahway downed Woodrow Wilson of Weehawken by a score of 24-16."
  17. ^ NJSIAA Boys Cross Country State Group Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  18. ^ History of the NJSIAA Indoor Relay Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 1, 2020.
  19. ^ Boys Winter Track and Field Championship History: 1922-2023, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated November 2023. Accessed February 1, 2024.
  20. ^ Girls Winter Track and Field Championship History: 1981-2023, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated November 2023. Accessed February 1, 2024.
  21. ^ NJSIAA Boys Spring Track Summary of Group Titles, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  22. ^ NJSIAA Football History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  23. ^ Wismer, Ted. "P-Burg drops bid for 2nd straight title", The Morning Call, December 3, 1978. Accessed February 4, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Phillipsburg failed to make almost-sure interceptions twice in the final period and it cost the Stateliners a second straight NJSIAA Group 3 championship yesterday. After a listless first half which saw Rahway hold the potent Stateliner offense to just 30 yards, Coach Bob Stem's team wiped out a 9-0 deficit and stake a 10-9 lead with 8:09 remaining in the game. But the Indians had all the big plays in the closing minutes three to be exact as they scored twice in the final-4:32 to earn a 23-10 victory before 4,500 in Maloney Stadium.... Only this time John Bodnar, lying on his stomach in the end zone made the catch and the Indians (9-2) led 16-10 after Hugger's perfect placement."
  24. ^ "Pascack Hills, Sparta, Mahwah, Rahway win", New York Daily News, December 2, 1979. Accessed January 16, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Rahway 14, Phillipsburg 6 - Defending champion Rahway, sparked by the running of Harold (Butch) Young (145 yards rushing on 15 carries), won the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 title with a pair of second-period touchdowns at Giants Stadium.... Herman Blanks' 28-yard run gave Rahway (10-1) a 14-0 half-time lead."
  25. ^ NJSIAA Girls Spring Track Summary of Group Titles, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  26. ^ NJSIAA Wrestling Team Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2021.
  27. ^ History of NJSIAA Boys Bowling Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed August 1, 2022.
  28. ^ "Yearbook gets first place", Home News Tribune, December 11, 2007. Accessed December 23, 2007. "THE 2006–07 STAFF of Allegarooter, the Rahway High School student yearbook, won state recognition from the 2007 Garden State Scholastic Press Association Yearbook Contest."
  29. ^ Meeting Agenda[permanent dead link] for June 19, 2008 of the Union County, New Jersey Board of Chosen Freeholders. Accessed July 9, 2008. "Congratulating the Rahway High School MJROTC Drill Team for achieving first place in the Masters Level National High School Drill Team Competition."
  30. ^ 2008 National High School Drill Team Championships Masters Level Individual Placement Awards, National High School Drill Team Championships. Accessed July 9, 2008.
  31. ^ 2001 Masters Level Event Standings, National High School Drill Team Championships. Accessed February 5, 2012.
  32. ^ Team 1228 - RoboTribe, The Blue Alliance. Accessed January 19, 2017.
  33. ^ Staff. "Paper Mill Playhouse announces Rising Star Awards winners", NewJerseyNewsroom.com, June 23, 2009. Accessed October 17, 2011. "Among the nominated high schools, Rahway High School led the way with four Rising Star Awards including the award for Outstanding Overall Production."
  34. ^ Staff. "Educational Impact Award", Suburban News, June 27, 2011. Accessed February 5, 2012. "Recently, New Jersey's Paper Mill Playhouse, as part of its 2011 Rising Star Awards, gave the 2011 Educational Impact Award to Rahway High School."
  35. ^ Rahway Band, Rahway High School. Accessed December 4, 2015.
  36. ^ Administrative Team, Rahway High School. Accessed February 16, 2024.
  37. ^ Hunt, Todderick. "Breaking: N.J.'s top defender Antonio Alfano transferring from Rahway to Colonia for senior year", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, February 23, 2018. Accessed November 13, 2019. "Top defensive end Antonio Alfano will transfer once again after moving to Rahway from Bergen Catholic last fall. This time, he'll go to Colonia (N.J.) following a change of residence from Rahway to Avenel -- a move that gains him no athletic advantage."
  38. ^ "Shlomi tops Rutgers recruit list", Home News Tribune, February 8, 2002. Accessed February 9, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "The Rutgers women's soccer team also signed three players, including Rahway High School's Kimberly Brandao."
  39. ^ Kania, Joe. "Wrestling: Rahway's Darrion Caldwell wins homecoming fight in Atlantic City", The Star-Ledger, May 3, 2014. Accessed May 30, 2016. "Caldwell, who won three New Jersey state wrestling titles for Rahway just down the boardwalk at Boardwalk Hall, earned a submission in 1:38 over Joe Pingitore to improve to 5-0 on his career and 2-0 since entering the Bellator."
  40. ^ Kinch, Rob. "Rahway's Own Reflects Rahway 'Tough'", TAP into Rahway. Accessed February 9, 2022. "Louis Campbell, professional basketball player and currently point guard/shooting guard for the Antibes Sharks of the LNB Pro A., was honored with induction into 'Rahway’s Own' by Rahway Recreation Building Supervisor and Coach Gil Chandler and was represented at the event by his very proud mom, Ms. Sharon Mc Collins. Mr. Campbell, also an RHS graduate, played college basketball with the Buffalo Bulls, later playing most of his career in Germany."
  41. ^ Earl Clark Archived February 21, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, University of Louisville. Accessed June 17, 2009.
  42. ^ Dion Dawkins, Temple Owls football. Accessed February 4, 2021. "Hometown: Rahway, N.J;. High School: Rahway"
  43. ^ "Nobel winner Milton Friedman dies at 94", Chicago Tribune, November 16, 2006.
  44. ^ Lewis, John A. "Sparks finds a home in Cinnaminson", Burlington County Times, February 1, 2007. Accessed October 17, 2011. "Chicago defensive tackle Antonio Garay, a product of Rahway High School, was the state champion at heavyweight in 1998.
  45. ^ Antonio Garay, Scout.com. Accessed October 17, 2011. "Earned Prep Star All-American and All-New Jersey Group III honors as a senior at Rahway H.S. in Rahway, N.J. after totaling 141 tackles and 10 sacks in his final season... Outstanding wrestler who was tabbed the 275-pound national champion by the National High School Coaches' Association"
  46. ^ Votes Database: Wayne Gilchrest Archived May 14, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, The Washington Post. Accessed July 9, 2008. "Gilchrest, Wayne Thomas, a Representative from Maryland; born in Rahway, Union County, N.J., April 15, 1946; graduated from Rahway High School, Rahway, N.J., 1964"
  47. ^ General Alfred M. Gray, USMC, Point Pleasant Beach School District. Accessed November 30, 2017. "Alfred Gray graduated in 1946. After transferring from Rahway High School into 10th grade he became one of the most active members of his class."
  48. ^ Featured Alumni, Rahway High School. Accessed June 6, 2016. "Jerome Kagan, Ph.D. RHS Class of 1946, is Professor of Psychology at Harvard University and Director of Harvard's interdisciplinary Mind, Brain, and Behavior Initiative."
  49. ^ Staff. "Religion in the News", Courier News, March 25, 2004. Accessed September 12, 2012. "After graduating from Rahway High School, Miller went on to earn bachelor's degree in biology from Brown and a doctorate in biology from the University of Colorado."
  50. ^ About The Surrogate, Ocean County, New Jersey. Accessed October 20, 2014. "Surrogate Moran was born in Winfield on December 23, 1946. He attended school there, and was graduated from Rahway High School in 1965."
  51. ^ Featured Alumni, Rahway High. Accessed May 24, 2021. "Richard A. Moran, (RHS 68) President of Menlo College."
  52. ^ Andre Neblett Stats, Pro-Football-Reference.com. Accessed February 9, 2022. "High School: Rahway (NJ)"
  53. ^ Dunleavy, Ryan. "'The Jersey in me'; Olsen Pierre born to be Giants’ pass-rusher but had to beat the football odds to get back home", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, June 27, 2019. Accessed February 9, 2022. "Pierre grew up in Rahway as a Giants fan during Umenyiora’s heyday and the beginning of Pierre-Paul’s career.... He left as a three-star recruit at Rahway High School who had to attend Fork Union Military Academy in order to become NCAA eligible."
  54. ^ Russell, Suzanne C. "Man on a Mission; Rahway teacher wants everyone to know about the city's black men and women", Home News Tribune, June 8, 2007. Accessed May 24, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "This year, the mural includes Tomi Jenkins, a singer with the group Cameo, a friend of Akbar's father, and Eric Roberson, a former Rahway football player who is a singer songwriter and has written songs for Mariah Carey and other top R&B singers."
  55. ^ Oral history interview with Carl Sagan, 1991 August 27., American Institute of Physics. Accessed October 20, 2014. "Interview covers period through 1968. Born in New Jersey in 1934; recollections of early home life, education at Rahway High School..."
  56. ^ Tuckner, Howard M. "High School Sports Notes; Many Coaches Seek Ban on Zone Defense to Thaw Basketball's Deep Freeze", The New York Times, December 4, 1956. Accessed October 17, 2011. "Four backfield aces who tallied a total of 456 points this season were named to the first annual Associated Press All-New Jersey scholastic football team. They were George Telesh of Clifton, who led Interscholastic A. A. teams in scoring with 157 points; Richie Haines of Montclair with 126; Bob Scarpitto of Rahway with 109, and Fred Erhardt of Camden Catholic with 64."
  57. ^ Collier, Warren. "Three new teams set for CVC tournament action", Muncie Evening Press, December 20, 1984. Accessed February 9, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "Slonaker was hired by Pugliese out of Lovett High School in Atlanta where the Rahway, N.J., native had coached the Lions to their best season in eight years. The Panther coach had been an all-state player at Rahway High School and starred at the University of Georgia where he is listed as third on the all-time assist list behind former Olympian Vern Fleming (now with the Indiana Pacers) and Walter Daniels."
  58. ^ Allan Vache, All About Jazz, updated June 15, 2015. Accessed February 9, 2022. "Allan Vache was graduated from Roosevelt Elementary School, Rahway Junior High School, and Rahway High School, Rahway, New Jersey 1959-1971."
  59. ^ Allan Vaché, Jazzfest at Sea. Accessed February 9, 2022. "Allan Vaché, born December 16, 1953, grew up in Rahway, New Jersey where he attended school and graduated Rahway High School in 1971."
  60. ^ Peterson, Iver. "A Company Move That Hasn't Irked the Neighbors", The New York Times, November 15, 1992. Accessed February 5, 2012. "In addition, Merck donated $40,000 to fund a study on improving Rahway's downtown business district, it paid $126,000 to help cover the cost of paving some roads adjoining its complex, and it put new scientific equipment in Rahway High School, the alma mater of Dr. P. Roy Vagelos, the corporate chairman."
  61. ^ Hyman, Vicki. "N.J. newcomer Shanice Williams cast as Dorothy in NBC's 'The Wiz Live!'", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, August 5, 2015. Accessed December 4, 2015. "A little over a year ago, Shanice Williams was making her last curtain call at Rahway High School. Now the 18-year-old is the face of NBC's The Wiz Live!, following in the footsteps of Carrie Underwood and Allison Williams as the star of network's annual musical extravaganza, beating out hundreds of unknowns for the coveted role of Dorothy."
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