High Tech High School

This article is about the school in Secaucus, New Jersey. For the school in Lincroft, New Jersey, see High Technology High School. For other uses, see High Tech High (disambiguation).

High Tech High School
An aerial picture of the High Tech High School building in May 2022
Address
1 High Tech Way Secaucus, New Jersey , (Hudson County) 07094 United States
Coordinates	40°45′39″N74°05′00″W / 40.7609°N 74.0834°W / 40.7609; -74.0834
Information
Type	Magnet public high school
Established	1991
NCES School ID	340757002766 [1]
Principal	Kathy Young
Faculty	92.8 FTEs [1]
Enrollment	913 (as of 2022–23) [1]
Student to teacher ratio	9.8:1 [1]
Color(s)	Black and Gold
Team name	Lazercats
Website	hths.hcstonline.org

High Tech High School is a full-time public magnet high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades in Secaucus, in Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as part of the Hudson County Schools of Technology. Since its establishment in 1991, High Tech High School has been named a Top Ten High School, a Governor's School of Excellence, a New Jersey Star School (twice) and has been cited by New Jersey Monthly magazine as one of the state's great public high schools. ^[2] The school is noted for success in the sciences and in the performing arts, winning several awards in both fields.

The exterior of the previous building in North Bergen

As of the 2022–23 school year, the school had an enrollment of 913 students and 92.8 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 9.8:1. There were 217 students (23.8% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 88 (9.6% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch. ^[1]

History

High Tech High School was founded in 1991 by the Hudson County Schools of Technology school district to provide Hudson County residents with a quality public education in a technology-based environment, beginning with a class of 30 students when it opened. ^[3] The school has grown to more than 1,000 students and has been able to maintain a student-to-faculty ratio of 12 to 1. ^[1]

In September 2018, the school moved from its previous location in North Bergen to a newly built 350,000-square-foot (33,000 m²) school building constructed at a cost of $160 million on a 22-acre (8.9 ha) site in Secaucus. ^[4] The former building was sold to North Bergen school district to become the new home of North Bergen High School. ^[5]

Awards, recognition, and rankings

Awards received by High Tech High School include: ^[2]

• In June 2024, students from the school placed 1st in the nation for the high school eSports Super Smash Bros. Ultimate CREWS by, The Electronic Gaming Federation, earning a 2nd win respectively for the school.
• In November 2023, the school won the NBC "Star Choir" competition, and performed at the Rockefeller Center tree lighting.
• In June 2023, students from the school placed 1st, 7th, and 14th in the nation for high school eSports Super Smash Bros. Ultimate by, The Electronic Gaming Federation.
• Business Insider , using data from the 2015 Niche rankings, ranked High Tech High School 21st on its 2014 list of the "25 best public high school in the United States". ^{[6] [7]}
• In September 2013, the school was one of 15 in New Jersey to be recognized by the United States Department of Education as part of the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program, an award called the "most prestigious honor in the United States' education system" and which Education Secretary Arne Duncan described as schools that "represent examples of educational excellence". ^{[8] [9]}
• In its 2013 report on "America's Best High Schools", The Daily Beast ranked the school 436th in the nation among participating public high schools and 36th among schools in New Jersey. ^[10]
• Schooldigger.com ranked the school tied for 29th out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (a decrease of 10 positions from the 2010 ranking) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the mathematics (92.3%) and language arts literacy (100.0%) components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA). ^[11]
• In the 2011 "Ranking America's High Schools" issue by The Washington Post , the school was ranked 49th in New Jersey and 1,516th nationwide. ^[12]
• 2003 Governor's School of Excellence ^[13]
• 2002 School Leader Award, NJ School Boards Association
• 2001 Best High School Musical, Director, Costumes - Paper Mill Playhouse
• 2000 2000 National Student Community Service Award - SkillsUSA
• 1999 100 Top Wired Schools in the US by FamilyPC Magazine
• 1998 New Jersey Star School by NJ Department of Education. ^[14]
• 1997 Flagship School for Exemplary Video Journalism by Channel One
• 1996 Best Practices in World Languages by the New Jersey Department of Education
• 1995 New Jersey Star School by New Jersey Department of Education. ^[15]
• 1995 10 Best Overall Schools in New Jersey by New Jersey Monthly Magazine
• 1994 Philanthropic Corporate Award by Panasonic, Matsushita
• 1993 Outstanding Program Award by NJASCD
• 1992 School Leadership Exemplary Program Award by NJSBA
• 1992 NJ State National Blue Ribbon Nominee, New Jersey Department of Education
• 1992 School Leader Award Competition, NJ School Boards' Association
• 1991 Model Parental Involvement Program Award by NJSBA

Demographics

Hudson County is the smallest of New Jersey's 21 counties. Highly urbanized and densely populated, the 2000 census ranked this area as fourth in the nation on the ethnicity index. As a regional magnet school, High Tech draws on its diverse student population from the 12 towns and cities within the county. The average expenditure per student is $14,760 and is derived from federal, state, and county aid. High Tech High School is accredited by the New Jersey Department of Education. ^[16] 43% of the student body is Hispanic, 32% is Caucasian, 16% is Asian/Pacific Islander, and 9% is African American. ^[17]

Sports

The High Tech Lasercats had competed in the Hudson County Interscholastic Athletic Association (HCIAA), which includes public and private high schools in Hudson County. The league operates under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA). ^[18]

High Tech had few sports teams, including girls' and boys' tennis, bowling, a judo club and basketball. Their best was their soccer team, which had a five-year run of county championships (2004-2008).

The girls' softball team won the 2008 North I, Group II state sectional championship, defeating Hoboken High School 3–1 in the tournament final. ^[19] The team won the first round of the Group I state championship with a 4–2 win over Pompton Lakes High School 4–2, before falling to Pennsville Memorial High School by a score of 8–2 in the final game. ^[20]

In March 2010, mayors from all 12 municipalities in Hudson County signed a petition stating that High Tech High School and County Prep High School should eliminate their sports programs because of budget cuts. ^[21] On April 22, 2010; it was revealed in the new budget that sports were cut from both schools for the 2010–11 school year. ^[22] The students attending High Tech High School at the time that the petition was signed (graduating classes 2010 to 2014) demonstrated their deep disapproval towards Hudson County's decision during the spring of 2010. Many seniors of the Class of 2010 risked their ability to graduate in order to participate in the walk-out that occurred.

Majors

At High Tech, Juniors are required to have 80 minutes of a major per day, and Seniors are required to have 120 minutes (2 hours) of a major per day. ^[23]

Majors include:

• Architecture
• Computer-Aided Design and Analysis (CADA)
• Commercial Advertising Arts
• Engineering Technology
• Wood Technology
• Computer Science
• Biomedical Science
• Environmental Science
• Dance
• Musical Theatre
• Drama
• TV Production
• Broadcasting
• Graphic Arts
• Interactive Media
• Culinary Arts

Student Council

The Student Council at High Tech is divided into four smaller student governments, one for each respective class. At the end of each school year (beginning of the year for the incoming-Freshman class), elections are held to determine the following year's class officers. The entire class votes, and a simple majority is required to win a position.

Each council consists of elected officials, including the President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. The President is responsible for organizing fundraisers and activities to be conducted by the student council. The Vice President is responsible for assisting the President in fulfilling any and all of their responsibilities, and verifying that class officers stay on task. The Secretary is responsible for logistics, record keeping, and internal affairs. The Treasurer is responsible for monitoring all financial activities by the council, and working with the Secretary to keep accurate and available records.

There are two general advisers of the overarching Student Council, and typically two advisers for each individual class government. There are also a number of student individuals appointed to the council, known as "Liaisons". These Liaisons are usually evenly distributed throughout academies and majors, and are responsible for delivering information to each of their assigned homerooms and helping execute successful council events and fundraisers.

Notable alumni

• Kyla Garcia, stage, film, and television actress and audiobook narrator. ^[24]
• Baker Grace, musician and songwriter. ^[25]

References

1. School data for High Tech High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 1, 2024.
2. Awards Archived October 4, 2011, at the Wayback Machine , High Tech High School. Accessed June 13, 2011.
3. Stoltzfus, Duane. "Hudson to start free adult school; Focus on trades, computers", The Record , June 12, 1991. Accessed April 4, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "The initiative comes as the district is preparing to open a 'high-tech high school' for incoming high school students. Starting in September, 30 freshmen will study information processing and multimedia, computer-driven technology."
4. Elamroussi, Aya. "$160M high-tech high school opens, dedicated to longtime educator", The Jersey Journal , September 8, 2018, updated January 29, 2019. Accessed January 19, 2020. "That's just the entrance of the new High Tech High School campus — the tip of the iceberg. The $160 million state-of-the-art school opened this week and was dedicated this afternoon to retiring Hudson County Schools of Technology Superintendent Frank J. Gargiulo.... The 350,000 sq ft (33,000 m²) building is packed with technological perks ranging from recording and production studios to 12 science labs and music classrooms.... The Frank J. Gargiulo Campus stands on a 22 acres (8.9 ha) owned by the county, roughly twice the size of the old High Tech building in North Bergen."
5. Kennedy, Mike (November 16, 2016). "North Bergen (N.J.) district will move high school to high-tech campus that is being vacated". American School & University. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
6. Stanger, Melissa; and Robinson, Melia. "The 25 Best Public High Schools In The US", Business Insider , November 4, 2014. Accessed January 19, 2015.
7. Best Public High Schools in America, Niche (company). Accessed January 19, 2015.
8. Rundquist, Jeanette. "15 N.J. schools named as national 'Blue Ribbon' winners", The Star-Ledger , September 24, 2013. Accessed September 25, 2013. "Five Catholic schools, six county vocational-technical schools and a Yeshiva are among the list of honored schools in New Jersey. Also named as 2013 Blue Ribbon Schools were Dover, Harrison and Wildwood high schools."
9. 2013 National Blue Ribbon Schools All Public and Private, pp. 15-17. United States Department of Education, National Blue Ribbon Schools Program. Accessed September 25, 2013.
10. Streib, Lauren. "America's Best High Schools" Archived May 8, 2013, at the Wayback Machine , The Daily Beast , May 6, 2013. Accessed May 9, 2013.
11. New Jersey High School Rankings: 11th Grade HSPA Language Arts Literacy & HSPA Math 2010-2011 ^{[ permanent dead link ]}, Schooldigger.com. Accessed February 24, 2012.
12. Mathews, Jay. "The High School Challenge 2011: High Tech High School", The Washington Post . Accessed September 9, 2011.
13. McGreevey Celebrates Schools That Are "Getting It Right" Schools of Excellence Winners Demonstrate Effectiveness of Governor's Education Priorities, New Jersey Department of Education press release dated November 21, 2003
14. Star School Award Program 1997-98, accessed February 3, 2007
15. Star School Award Program 1994-95, accessed February 3, 2007
16. About Us Archived June 23, 2011, at the Wayback Machine , High tech High School. Accessed June 13, 2011.
17. Student Teacher Ratio High Tech High School - North Bergen, New Jersey - NJ
18. Hudson County Interscholastic Athletic Association Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine . Accessed July 15, 2007.
19. 2008 Softball Tournament - North II, Group I, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed June 28, 2008.
20. 2008 Softball Tournament - Public Semis/Finals, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed June 28, 2008.
21. Arrue, Karina. "Hudson County mayors: Let's get rid of sports programs at County Prep and High Tech", The Jersey Journal , March 12, 2010. Accessed June 13, 2011.
22. Arrue, Karina L. "No funding for athletics in next year's budget for Hudson County Schools of Technology", The Jersey Journal , April 24, 2010. Accessed June 13, 2011. "The Hudson County Schools of Technology's board of trustees approved a $45.7 million budget Thursday night. The budget for next year eliminates the entire athletics departments at its two schools - County Prep in Jersey City and High Tech High School in North Bergen - for a savings of $368,000."
23. High Tech High School - Majors Archived September 28, 2007, at the Wayback Machine , High Tech High School.
24. Hack, Charles. "Hoboken native wins Black Hollywood Film Festival talent slam", The Jersey Journal , October 20, 2013. Accessed October 8, 2022. "Born and raised in Hoboken, Garcia moved to Hollywood to pursue an acting career in 2011. She was chosen from hundreds of entrants who submitted monologue entries on YouTube.com for this year's Slam.... She continued to perform in multiple productions at High Tech High School in North Bergen under the direction of Alex Perez."
25. Speiser, Matthew. "Listen: Weehawken singer, 15, drawing rave reviews and taking shot at the big time", The Jersey Journal , October 14, 2015, updated January 17, 2019. Accessed January 19, 2020. "Chloe Baker is a busy teenager. Between a full course load in musical theater at High Tech High School in North Bergen, homework, and a burgeoning career as a singer and songwriter, the 15-year-old Weehawken girl barely has time to make it to soccer practice at Weehawken High, where she is one of the team's best players."

External links

• High Tech High School website
• School Performance Report for High Tech High School , New Jersey Department of Education
• School Data for the Hudson County Schools of Technology, National Center for Education Statistics
• AACT Program website