Freehold Township High School

Freehold Township High School
Front of the school
Address
281 Elton-Adelphia Road (CR 524) Freehold Township , Monmouth County , New Jersey 07728 United States
Coordinates	40°13′15″N74°16′52″W / 40.220957°N 74.281231°W / 40.220957; -74.281231
Information
Type	Public high school
Established	1972
School district	Freehold Regional High School District
NCES School ID	340561003798 [1]
Principal	Alicia K. Scelso
Faculty	125.8 FTEs [1]
Grades	9-12
Enrollment	1,902 (as of 2023–24) [1]
Student to teacher ratio	15.1:1 [1]
Color(s)	Columbia blue   navy blue   white [2]
Athletics conference	Shore Conference [3]
Team name	Patriots [2]
Accreditation	Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools [4]
Newspaper	Patriot Press [5]
Yearbook	Heritage [5]
Website	freeholdtwp.frhsd.com

Freehold Township High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in Freehold Township, in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, and is part of the Freehold Regional High School District. ^[6] The school serves students from portions of Freehold Township, and from parts of both Howell Township and Manalapan Township. ^[7] The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1976. ^[4]

As of the 2023–24 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,902 students and 125.8 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 15.1:1. There were 215 students (11.3% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 45 (2.4% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch. ^[1]

History

Freehold Township High School and Manalapan High School, the district's fourth and fifth facilities, were constructed with identical designs. Groundbreaking for both schools took place in August 1969 and the two schools opened in September 1971, having been completed at a combined cost of $10.4 million (equivalent to $78.2 million in 2023). Freehold High School was closed for a $300,000 renovation project during the 1971–72 school year, during which it operated with 1,600 students using the new building that had been completed for Freehold Township High School, which did not open as an independent school until September 1972, after the repair work at Freehold High School was completed. ^[8]

Awards, recognition and rankings

The school was the 66th-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. ^[9] The school had been ranked 199th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 212th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed. ^[10] The magazine ranked the school 122nd in 2008 out of 316 schools. ^[11] The school was ranked 144th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state. ^[12] Schooldigger.com ranked the school tied for 115th out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (a decrease of 32 positions from the 2010 ranking) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the mathematics (85.9%) and language arts literacy (95.7%) components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA). ^[13]

In its 2021 rankings, U.S. News & World Report ranked the school 138th in New Jersey, 348th in the New York metropolitan area and 3628th nationwide, as well as fourth among the six high schools in the district. Schools are ranked on their performance on state-required tests, graduation rates and how well they prepare students for college. ^[14]

Athletics

The Freehold Township High School Patriots ^[2] compete in Division A North of the Shore Conference, an athletic conference comprised of public and private high schools in Monmouth and Ocean counties along the Jersey Shore. ^{[3] [15]} The league operates under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA). ^[16] With 1,538 students in grades 10–12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Group IV for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 1,060 to 5,049 students in that grade range. ^[17] The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Group V South for football for 2024–2026, which included schools with 1,333 to 2,324 students. ^[18]

The boys' soccer team finished the season with a 22–1–1 record and was the Group IV co-champion in 1982 together with Kearny High School, after a 1–1 tie in the championship game. ^{[19] [20]}

The baseball team won the Group III state championship in 1986, defeating Indian Hills High School by a score of 6–0 in the tournament final played at Princeton University. ^{[21] [22]}

The field hockey team won the Central Jersey Group IV state sectional championships in 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2014–2016. ^[23]

The girls soccer team was Group IV co-champion in 2015 and 2017 with Ridge High School both years. ^[24] A scoreless tie after double overtime with Ridge gave the 2015 team a share of the Group IV title and a 20–4–2 record for the season. ^{[25] [26]} The 2017 team finished the season with a 23–1–1 record and was co-champion with Ridge High School after the Group IV title game ended in a scoreless tie after regulation and two overtime periods. ^[27]

The boys' bowling team won the Group IV state championship in 2015. ^[28]

The girls gymnastics team was the team state champion in 2017, 2018 and 2019. The three state titles are tied for third-most in New Jersey. ^[29]

The 2019 girls bowling team won the Group III state championship and was the runner-up in the Tournament of Champions to Toms River High School North. ^{[30] [31]}

Magnet programs

FTHS consists of two magnet programs, the Animal Botanical Science Academy and the Global Studies Learning Center formerly known as the International Studies (IS) and Contemporary Global Issues (CGI) program: ^[32] Both learning centers offer program-exclusive coursework to students, which are taken in addition to other available courses. To be eligible for these classes, students must enter a rigorous district wide examination during a student's eighth grade year where top candidates are allowed into the program. The examination includes an application, essays, letters of recommendation, and a standardized test. Typically, students who have high grades and test scores are admitted. You can also be wailisted into the program, and move up in the waitlist based upon the acceptance and/or denial of students into the programs into another FRHSD program.

• Students who enroll in the program are automatically members of the National FFA Organization (FFA)

Courses: ^[33]

• Freshman year: Agribiology
• Sophomore year: Floral and Landscape Design and Animal Science
• Junior year: Honors Agricultural Leadership I
• Senior year: Honors Agricultural Leadership II and Animal Science
  • Classes incorporate FFA activities such as planning events or studying for competitions also known as Career Development Events. FFA focuses on agricultural education as well as positive personal development and career success.

Global Studies (GS) The Global Studies courses allow students to become more knowledgeable in current and past world manners, how these concurrent manners influence how people make decisions, and why they make them. Among the below studies, primarily that of the arts, literature, geography, infrastructure and history, students can help build a refined understanding of current global situations.

Courses: ^[34]

• Freshman year: AP Human Geography (1/2 year), Honors International Diplomacy (1/2 year), Honors World Art Studio, and Honors World Literature and the Writers Workshop
• Sophomore year: Honors United States in the World, AP Comparative Government and Politics, and Honors American Literature and the Research Workshop
• Junior year: Honors International Law & Human Rights (1/2 year course), Regional Studies I: Latin America & the Caribbean (1/2 year), and AP US History
• Senior year: Honors Senior Seminar, AP Microeconomics (1/2 year), and Regional Studies II: Asia & Africa (1/2 year)

Current student body

Statistics are as of the 2018-2019 School Year ^[1]

Subset	Number of students	Percent
All	1,920	100%
White	1,592	74.5%
African American	103	5.0%
Asian	122	4.8%
Hispanic	179	7.1%
American Indian	5	0.2%
Two or More Races	9	0.4%
Male	962	46.4%
Female	1,107	53.5%

^[35]

Administration

The school's principal is Alicia K. Scelso. Her core administration team includes three assistant principals. ^[36]

Notable alumni

See also: Category:Freehold Township High School alumni

• Brad Brach (born 1986), professional baseball pitcher ^[37]
• Brian Brikowski (born 1989), American football defensive end and linebacker who played for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League ^[38]
• Alyssa Campanella (born 1990), Miss New Jersey Teen USA 2007, 1st runner up at Miss Teen USA 2007 and Miss USA 2011 ^[39]
• Dave Cantin (born 1979), entrepreneur ^[40]
• Joann Downey (born 1966), politician who represents the 11th Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly ^[41]
• Robert Griswold (born 1996, class of 2015), bronze medalist in swimming for the United States team at the 2016 Paralympic Games ^[42]
• Val Majewski (born 1981), center fielder with the Houston Astros ^[43]
• Caroline O'Connor (Class of 1995), President of a Major League Baseball franchise, Miami Marlins ^{[44] [45]}
• Kal Penn (born 1977), actor ^{[46] [47]}
• Peter Schrager (born 1982), sportscaster on Fox Sports and NFL Network ^[48]
• Ryan Spadola (born 1991), wide receiver who has played in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets ^[49]
• Emmanuel Ubilla (born 1986), professional basketball player for Kaposvári KK of the Hungarian League ^[50]

Other high schools in the district

Attendance at each of the district's high schools is based on where the student lives in relation to the district's high schools. While many students attend the school in their hometown, others attend a school located outside their own municipality. ^[7] In order to balance enrollment, district lines are redrawn for the six schools to address issues with overcrowding and spending in regards to transportation. Schools in the district (with 2023–24 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics ^[51] ) with their attendance zones for incoming students are: ^{[52] [53] [54] [55]}

• Colts Neck High School ^[56] with 1,413 students from Colts Neck Township (all), Howell (part) and Marlboro (part)
• Freehold High School ^[57] with 1,407 students from Freehold (all) and Freehold Township (part)
• Howell High School ^[58] with 1,905 students from Farmingdale (all) and Howell (part)
• Manalapan High School ^[59] with 1,740 students from Englishtown (all) and Manalapan (part)
• Marlboro High School ^[60] with 1,742 students from Marlboro (part)

References

1. School data for Freehold Township High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 15, 2024.
2. Freehold Township High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
3. Shore Conference Realignment for 2018-2019 and 2019-2020, Shore Conference. Accessed November 15, 2020.
4. Freehold Township High School, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed February 3, 2022.
5. Extracurricular Clubs, Freehold Township High School. Accessed February 24, 2022.
6. Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, Freehold Regional High School District, June 30, 2018. Accessed January 15, 2020. "Geographically, the District is comprised of the Townships of Colts Neck, Freehold, Howell, Manalapan and Marlboro and the Boroughs of Englishtown, Farmingdale and Freehold. Established in 1953, the District's total area is 198 square miles."
7. FRHSD Attendance Boundaries; Which High School Will My Child Attend?, Freehold Regional High School District. Accessed December 17, 2024. "The following is a list of streets, by municipality, that are assigned to a Freehold Regional District high school outside of their hometown."
8. "Freehold Regional Opening 2 New Schools Tomorrow", Asbury Park Press , September 7, 1971. Accessed July 6, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "Manalapan Township High School (top) and Freehold Township High School, the two newest schools in the Freehold Regional High School District, will open for the first time tomorrow. The two schools were built at a cost of $10.4 million.... The two new schools will bring to five the number of buildings in the eight-municipality regional district. However, only four of the buildings will be operative this year. The Freehold High School building, built in 1925, will undergo year-long renovations at a cost of $300,000.... Manalapan Township and Englishtown students who formerly attended Marlboro High School will now attend the Manalapan High School. Estimated enrollments for this year are: Freehold High School, Freehold Township 1,600; Howell High School 1,750; Manalapan High School 900; and Marlboro High School 1,300. The two new schools are identical in structure."
9. Staff. "Top Schools Alphabetical List 2014", New Jersey Monthly , September 2, 2014. Accessed September 5, 2014.
10. Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly , August 16, 2012. Accessed December 1, 2012.
11. Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly , August 16, 2010. Accessed February 12, 2011.
12. Staff. "Top New Jersey High Schools 2008: By Rank", New Jersey Monthly , September 2008, posted August 7, 2008. Accessed August 19, 2008.
13. New Jersey High School Rankings: 11th Grade HSPA Language Arts Literacy & HSPA Math 2010-2011, Schooldigger.com. Accessed March 4, 2012.
14. Freehold Township High School 2021 Rankings, U.S. News & World Report . Accessed February 14, 2012. "All Rankings #3,628 in National Rankings #138 in New Jersey High Schools #348 in New York, NY Metro Area High Schools #4 in Freehold Regional High School District High Schools"
15. Member Schools, Shore Conference. Accessed November 15, 2020.
16. League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
17. NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
18. NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2024–2026, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.
19. NJSIAA History of Boys Soccer, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 1, 2022.
20. LoGiudice, Daniel. "NJ boys soccer: 30 greatest Jersey Shore teams ever", Asbury Park Press , June 16, 2020. Accessed December 8, 2020, via Newspapers.com. "1982 Freehold Township (22-1-1).... Freehold Township won its first and only group title in an anticlimactic way: the Patriots had to share the title with Kearney after both teams made it through two overtime periods in a 1-1 deadlock."
21. Baseball Championship History: 1959–2024, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated June 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.
22. Zedalis, Joe. "Pats take title", Asbury Park Press , June 15, 1986. Accessed December 8, 2020, via Newspapers.com. "Goldwater celebrated his 53rd birthday yesterday, but at least until next April he, and Freehold Township, will be No. 1 as his Patriots fulfilled his only real birthday wish by scoring a 6-0 victory over Indian Hills in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Group III finals at Princeton University."
23. History of NJSIAA Field Hockey Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
24. NJSIAA History of Girls Soccer, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 1, 2022.
25. Deakyne, Brian. "Girls Soccer: No. 2 Ridge, No. 5 Freehold Township crowned co-champions after scoreless draw", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, November 21, 2015, updated August 24, 2019. Accessed March 11, 2021. "One team made program history, while another won its first state title in more than a decade as Freehold Township and Ridge played to a scoreless tie in the NJSIAA/Sports Authority Group 4 state final at Kean University on Saturday night. Ridge, No. 2 in the NJ.com Top 20, and No. 5 Freehold Township battled for 100 minutes in the final game of the high school season in New Jersey, but with no goals scored, the two programs were crowned co-champions."
26. NJSIAA Group Tournament, Final Round, Group 4, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, November 21, 2015. Accessed March 11, 2021. "Freehold Township 20-4-2 • 9-2-1 Shore - A-North"
27. Christie, Sherlon. "Girls Soccer: Freehold Township wins second state title in school history", Asbury Park Press , November 18, 2017. Accessed October 1, 2020. "Over the last three years, the Freehold Township girls soccer team has made a habit of putting together solid postseason runs. At Kean University’s Alumni Stadium on Saturday evening, the Patriots also met a familiar opponent in Ridge and due to the overall strength of both squads, the game once again ended in a scoreless tie after 100 minutes of outstanding soccer by both teams.... And so Freehold Township (23-1-1) secured the school’s second state title in girls soccer and also the school’s second co-championship against the same squad."
28. History of NJSIAA Boys Bowling Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed July 1, 2022.
29. History of NJSIAA Girls Gymnastics, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 1, 2022.
30. History of NJSIAA Girls Bowling Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
31. Tartaglia, Greg. "A 'great' day lifts Toms River North to second straight NJSIAA girls bowling crown", Asbury Park Press , February 11, 2019. Accessed December 30, 2020. "Toms River North scored a house-leading 2,858 to repeat in Group 4, then made it back-to-back Tournament of Champions crowns by topping Freehold Township, 3-0, in the best-of-5 Baker finals. The Shore Conference swept every trophy, with the runner-up Patriots (2,678) winning Group 3. They, Group 2 Colts Neck (2,500) and Group 1 St. John Vianney (2,207) all earned their first state titles."
32. About Us, Freehold Township High School. Accessed November 22, 2011.
33. "Animal & Botanical Sciences". sites.google.com. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
34. "GS Open House". sites.google.com. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
35. 2015 yearbook
36. Administration, Freehold Township High School. Accessed December 17, 2024.
37. Staff. "Brach's no-hitter paces Hawks' win" Atlanticville, April 19, 2007. Accessed May 8, 2023. "Brad Brach did something no Monmouth University pitcher has done in 17 years, pitch a no-hitter.... At Freehold Township, Brach was the ace on the Patriot team that won the A North Division title and advanced to the Central Jersey Group IV final."
38. Brian Brikowski, Akron Zips football.Accessed August 29, 2020. "Hometown: Freehold Township, N.J;. High School: Freehold Township HS"
39. Boyd, Alesha Williams; and Gladden, Michelle. "Crown helps advance causes" Archived November 7, 2012, at the Wayback Machine , Asbury Park Press , August 11, 2007. Accessed June 22, 2011. "'I think some people believe you have to be the most stunning girl to win a pageant title' said Campanella a drama club member at Freehold Township High School who holds a 4.0-plus grade point average and hopes to become an actress."
40. Carino, Jerry. "He overcame cancer, now fights for others", Asbury Park Press , February 23, 2016. Accessed January 14, 2019. "As Dave Cantin remembers it, the diagnosis was delivered in the strangest of manners.... Growing up in a home where the money was tight, Cantin worked his way through Freehold Township High School and entered the car business full-time at age 18."
41. "State Assembly Members Tour Freehold Township High School", Freehold Township High School. Accessed January 16, 2020. "Assemblyman Eric Houghtaling and Assemblywoman Joann Downey recently toured Freehold Township High School to learn more about the school and its programs. Assemblywoman Downey is a graduate of the school."
42. Deakyne, Brian. "Robert Griswold, former Freehold Township swimmer, headed to the Olympics", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, July 3, 2016. Accessed September 27, 2016. "Robert Griswold, who swam at Freehold Township and graduated in 2015, was selected to the United States' Paralympic team and will compete in the Olympic Games this summer, the organization announced on Sunday."
43. "Sports Shorts" Archived May 15, 2023, at the Wayback Machine , Farmingdale News Transcript, July 11, 2007. Accessed October 9, 2017. "Majewski, who starred at Freehold Township High School, is leading the Baysox in batting (.285), hits (80) and runs scored (40), and is second in doubles (19) and RBI (38)."
44. Golden, Jessica."Miami Marlins promote Caroline O’Connor, making her pro baseball’s second-highest ranking woman", CNBC , November 14, 2022. Accessed March 13, 2024. "Miami Marlins promote Caroline O’Connor, making her pro baseball’s second-highest ranking woman."
45. APP Girls High School Basketball Preview 1994, Asbury Park Press , December 15, 1994. Accessed March 22, 2023, via Newspapers.com. "..while Caroline O'Connor led the Patriots in steals."
46. O'Sullivan, Eleanor. "A different identity", Home News Tribune , March 9, 2007. Accessed May 12, 2024, via Newspapers.com. "Kal Penn, 29, a former Freehold Township High School drama student, stars as Gogol."
47. O'Sullivan, Eleanor. "Making a name for himself", Home News Tribune , March 18, 2007. Accessed November 24, 2011. "He is a 1995 graduate of Freehold Township High School."
48. Peter Schrager, Fox Sports. Accessed April 26, 2021. "Born in Freehold, N.J., Schrager attended Freehold Township High School."
49. Slater, Darryl. "Freehold Township's Ryan Spadola is trying to catch on with the Jets", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, August 17, 2013. Accessed May 26, 2016. "Spadola always wanted to play in the NFL, but when he graduated from Freehold Township High School in 2009, he picked Lehigh over other Football Championship Subdivision schools because of its lofty academic reputation."
50. Emmanuel Ubilla, basketball.estranky.cz, October 19, 2008. Accessed January 16, 2020.
51. School Data for the Freehold Regional High School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 15, 2024.
52. Building Contact Information, Freehold Regional High School District. Accessed December 17, 2024.
53. County School List E-G, Monmouth County, New Jersey. Accessed March 1, 2024.
54. School Performance Reports for the Freehold Regional High School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 3, 2024.
55. New Jersey School Directory for the Freehold Regional High School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.
56. Colts Neck High School, Freehold Regional High School District. Accessed December 17, 2024.
57. Freehold High School, Freehold Regional High School District. Accessed December 17, 2024.
58. Howell High School, Freehold Regional High School District. Accessed December 17, 2024.
59. Manalapan High School, Freehold Regional High School District. Accessed December 17, 2024.
60. Marlboro High School, Freehold Regional High School District. Accessed December 17, 2024.

External links

• Freehold Township High School website
• Freehold Regional High School District website
• School Performance Report for Freehold Township High School , New Jersey Department of Education
• School Data for the Freehold Regional High School District, National Center for Education Statistics
• DigitalSports Freehold Township Homepage