Perth Amboy High School

Perth Amboy High School
Address
929 Convery Boulevard Perth Amboy , Middlesex County , New Jersey 08861 United States
Coordinates	40°31′24″N74°16′11″W / 40.523323°N 74.269857°W / 40.523323; -74.269857
Information
Type	Public high school
Established	1881
School district	Perth Amboy Public Schools
NCES School ID	341293003530 [1]
Principal	Keith Guarino (10-12) Karla Garcia (Freshman Academy and Personalized Learning Program)
Faculty	187.3 FTEs [1]
Grades	9-12
Enrollment	2,658 (as of 2022–23) [1]
Student to teacher ratio	14.2:1 [1]
Color(s)	Red and   white [2]
Athletics conference	Greater Middlesex Conference (general) Big Central Football Conference (football)
Team name	Panthers [2]
Rival	Carteret High School
Accreditation	Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools [3]
Newspaper	Pawprints [4]
Website	www.paps.net/Domain/9

Perth Amboy High School (or PAHS) is a four-year comprehensive community public high school which serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Perth Amboy in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as the lone secondary school of the Perth Amboy Public Schools. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1928. ^[3]

As of the 2022–23 school year, the school had an enrollment of 2,658 students and 187.3 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 14.2:1. There were 1,819 students (68.4% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 259 (9.7% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch. ^[1] Based on 2021-22 data from the New Jersey Department of Education, it was the eighth-largest high school in the state and one of 29 schools with more than 2,000 students. ^[5]

Perth Amboy High School opened a new 590,000 square feet (55,000 m²) facility in September 2024 that was designed to handle 3,300 students and was constructed at a cost of $283 million by the New Jersey Schools Development Authority, which paid for all but the $3.3 million covered by the school district. The new building replaced a previous facility completed in 1971 that was operating in excess of capacity. ^[6] The school building constructed in 1971 replaced an earlier building that opened in 1881. The 1971 building was originally built to accommodate 1,600 students, resulting in overcrowding with nearly 50% more students attending the school than the design capacity. Perth Amboy High School is the only public high school in the city other than the Perth Amboy campus of the Middlesex County Vocational and Technical High Schools. The school mascot is a panther. ^[2]

Awards, recognition and rankings

Perth Amboy High School sign with mascot

The school was the 322nd-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 320th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 318th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed. ^[8] The magazine ranked the school 270th in 2008 out of 316 schools. ^[9] The school was ranked 274th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state. ^[10]

Demographics

PAHS is 91% Hispanic, 5.9% Black, 2.5% White, and 0.4% Asian. ^[1] Most of the students belong to working class families. 68% of the students participate in the free or reduced price lunch program. 71% of the school speaks Spanish in their homes while another 1% speaks another language that isn't English at home, mainly Portuguese, Polish, Vietnamese, or Cantonese. There are also limited English proficient (LEP) students, who compose 15% of the school. Limited English Proficient students cannot speak, read, or write in English and are placed in "bilingual" classes.

The average class size is 24 students, with Special Education courses meeting state standards. The school's ratio of students to computers is 1 to 1 meanwhile the state average is 4 to 1. The school day is longer than the state average. The instructional time is 7 hours whereas the state average is 5 hours and 52 minutes.

Student performance

On the Language Arts section of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA), 58% scored proficient and 39% scored partial. On the Math section of the test, 45% scored proficient and 48% scored partial. The average SAT score is 849 out of 1600. However, these results are offset by the high number of bilingual students resulting in lower than average test scores in the school itself. The Advanced Placement Program (AP) participation is 11%. The average attendance rate is 90%. As of the 2004–05 school year, PAHS had a suspension rate of 44%. 91% of PAHS seniors graduated. 33% of the school graduated via the SRA process and 12% graduated through the Limited English Proficiency SRA process. Roughly 54% of the graduating seniors go on to two-year colleges, particularly Middlesex County College and another 29% of the graduating seniors go on to four year colleges.^{[ citation needed ]}

Extracurricular activities

Extracurricular activities include many clubs such as Robotics, Guitar Club, and Anime Club. The high school also features School Based Youth Services Program. The School Based Youth Services Program is designed to concern the social issues and health needs of students, and is sponsored by the Jewish Renaissance Foundation and the Perth Amboy Board of Education.

There are also many school clubs which students can propose or start themselves, and run if they find an advisor. The school also has a Concert and Marching Band, which plays many parades throughout the year and during football season.

Athletics

The Perth Amboy High School Panthers ^[2] compete in the Greater Middlesex Conference, which is comprised of public and private high schools in the Middlesex County area and operates under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA). ^[11] With 1,720 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. ^[12] The football team competes in Division 5C 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 V South for football for 2024–2026, which included schools with 1,333 to 2,324 students. ^[14]

Led by Brian Taylor, the 1968 boys basketball team won the Group IV state championship, defeating Neptune High School by a score of 72-70 in the tournament final at Atlantic City's Convention Hall. ^{[15] [16]}

Dating back to 1927, Perth Amboy has had a Thanksgiving Day football rivalry with Carteret High School that was listed at 8th on NJ.com's 2017 list "Ranking the 31 fiercest rivalries in N.J. HS football". Perth Amboy lead the rivalry with a 46-42-2 overall record as of 2017. ^[17]

Feeder patterns

All Perth Amboy Public Schools elementary and middle schools feed into PAHS.

Administration

Core members of the school's administration include the principals, as well as four vice principals at the main campus and two at the Freshman Academy: ^[18]

• Keith Guarino, Principal
• Karla Garcia, Principal of Freshman Academy and Personalized Learning Program

Notable alumni

See also: Category:Perth Amboy High School alumni

Notable alumni of Perth Amboy High School include:

• Frank Buckiewicz (1930–2017, class of 1947), football player and coach who served as the head football coach at Pacific University from 1965 to 1980 ^[19]
• Alan Cheuse (1940–2015, class of 1957), writer and critic ^[20]
• Wilda Diaz (born 1964), politician who served as Mayor of Perth Amboy from 2008 to 2020 ^[21]
• Cora Alice Du Bois (1903–1991, class of 1921), cultural anthropologist ^[22]
• Bernard J. Dwyer (1921-1998, class of 1938), politician, who served in the United States House of Representatives from New Jersey from 1981 to 1993 ^[23]
• Bill Flynn (born 1938), politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1974 to 1986 ^[24]
• Gene Hubka (1924–2017), American football tailback who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers ^[25]
• Chad Kinch (1958–1994), professional basketball player ^[26]
• Steve Mizerak (1944–2006, class of 1962), champion pool player ^[27]
• Edward J. Patten (1905–1994), politician who served as mayor of Perth Amboy and represented the New Jersey's 15th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives ^[28]
• Bony Ramirez (born 1996), self-taught painter and visual artist ^[29]
• Arthur J. Sills (1917–1982, class of 1934), New Jersey Attorney General from 1962 to 1970 ^[30]
• Joann H. Smith (1934-1998, class of 1952), politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from the 13th Legislative District from 1986 to 1998 ^[31]
• Brian Taylor (born 1951), former NBA basketball player ^{[32] [33]}
• Bruce Taylor (born 1948), former cornerback who played for the San Francisco 49ers ^{[33] [34]}
• David T. Wilentz (1894–1988, class of 1912), New Jersey Attorney General from 1934 to 1944 ^[35]
• Robert Wilentz (1927–1996), longest-serving Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court, from 1979 to 1996 ^[36]
• Warren W. Wilentz (1924-2010), attorney and politician ^[37]

References

1. School data for Perth Amboy High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 1, 2024.
2. Perth Amboy High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
3. Perth Amboy High School, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed April 29, 2020.
4. Student Newspaper, Perth Amboy High School. Accessed June 1, 2022.
5. Kausch, Katie. "N.J.’s biggest high school has 3,350 students. See how your school compares.", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, August 31, 2023. Accessed August 31, 2023. "Another 28 New Jersey schools have at least 2,000 students, according to 2021-2022 enrollment data released by the state Department of Education.... 8. Perth Amboy High School Number of students: 2,604"
6. Jennings, Rob. "N.J. is opening one of its most massive high schools ever. Here’s a sneak peek inside.", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, August 28, 2024. Accessed September 5, 2024. "The sprawling new Perth Amboy High School is the largest high school construction project ever funded by the New Jersey Schools Development Authority, state officials said. It will enroll approximately 3,300 students, making it one of the largest high schools in New Jersey and larger than some of the state’s colleges. The construction of the new building was approved in 2016 due to overcrowding at the now-former Perth Amboy High School, which opened in 1971 on Eagle Avenue, just over a mile from the new school’s location on Convery Boulevard. It cost $283.8 million to build the three-story, 590,000-square-foot high school, state officials said. The state's Schools Development Authority picked up the tab for all but $3.3 million of the construction, which was covered by the school district, a spokesperson said."
7. Staff. "Top Schools Alphabetical List 2014", New Jersey Monthly , September 2, 2014. Accessed September 5, 2014.
8. Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly , August 16, 2012. Accessed September 7, 2012.
9. Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly , August 16, 2010. Accessed April 7, 2011.
10. "Top New Jersey High Schools 2008: By Rank", New Jersey Monthly , September 2008, posted August 7, 2008. Accessed August 19, 2008.
11. League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
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. Price, Toby. "Sports Angles", Asbury Park Press , April 1, 1968. Accessed February 2, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "A subdued and understandably disappoint Coach Larry Hennessy spoke in hushed tones in the dressing room high above the Atlantic City Convention Hall stage minutes after his Neptune Scarlet Fliers had lost a heartbreaking 72-70 decision to Perth Amboy in the NJSIAA Group IV basketball finals Saturday."
17. Stypulkoski, Matt. "Ranking the 31 fiercest rivalries in N.J. HS football", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, October 27, 2017, updated May 15, 2019. Accessed December 1, 2020. "8-Carteret vs. Perth Amboy... That's how bitter the longest-running Thanksgiving Day rivalry in Middlesex County is, with these two schools separated by a little more than seven miles having played since 1927. All-time series: Perth Amboy leads 46-42-2"
18. Home page, Perth Amboy High School. Accessed July 26, 2024.
19. "Frank Anthony Buckiewicz", The Oregonian . Accessed November 8, 2018. "He attended St. Stephen's and Perth Amboy Catholic School then graduated with the Class of 1947 from Perth Amboy High School."
20. Alan Cheuse Archived July 3, 2014, at the Wayback Machine , Middle Tennessee State University. Accessed September 7, 2012. "NPR commentator and critic Alan Cheuse was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, on January 23, 1940. His early years were spent at Perth Amboy High School in 1957, and he graduated from Rutgers University in 1961."
21. Mayor Wilda Diaz, City of Perth Amboy. Accessed October 10, 2011.
22. Seymour, Susan Christine. Cora Du Bois: Anthropologist, Diplomat, Agent, p. 62. University of Nebraska Press, 2015. ISBN   9780803274280. Accessed August 23, 2023. "So when Cora graduated from Perth Amboy High School in 1921, she had already surpassed her mother educationally."
23. Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey, Volume 203, Part 2, p. 1002. J.A. Fitzgerald, 1989. Accessed August 4, 2019. "Bernard J. Dwyer, Dem., Edison - Mr. Dwyer was born on Jan. 24, 1921, in Perth Amboy. He was graduated from Perth Amboy High School in 1938, and has taken courses in insurance at Rutgers University, Newark."
24. "Obituary of Mary Capaccione Flynn", Central New Jersey Home News , September 1, 2011. Accessed August 23, 2023, via Newspapers.com. "All three graduated from Perth Amboy High School and The College of New Jersey. Her oldest son, William Flynn, went on to graduate from Rutgers Law School and has his own law firm in Old Bridge."
25. "Eugene L. Hubka", The Daily Item , December 11, 2017. Accessed July 4, 2022. "Gene was born and raised in Perth Amboy, N.J., to the late Anthony and Violet Hubka.... Gene was a three-sport star in football, basketball and baseball during his days at Perth Amboy High School."
26. "Chad Kinch, 35, Ex-Basketball Star", The New York Times . Published April 8, 1994. Accessed September 7, 2012. "Chad Kinch, a former basketball star at Perth Amboy High School in New Jersey and the Cleveland Cavaliers' No. 1 draft choice in 1980, died at home on Sunday. He was 35."
27. Russell, Suzanne C. "Hall Of Fame Inductees Perth Amboy High School honors 5 grads as class acts", Home News Tribune , March 16, 2004. Accessed October 10, 2011. "Pictures of the inductees hang in the lobby of Perth Amboy High School on Eagle Avenue.... Being inducted with Hughes this year are Steve Mizerak, Class of 1962;..."
28. Congressional Record: Proceedings and Debates of the ... Congress, Volume 116, Part 4, p. 4639. U.S. Government Printing Office, 1970. Accessed February 16, 2024. "Hon. Edward J. Patten... So even though I graduated from a rival school--Perth Amboy High--I join the students of New Brunswick High School in singing their old but beautiful school song which begins with 'Hail to dear old high school' and ends with 'We will salute thee New Brunswick High'".
29. Bruney, Gabrielle. "The Artsy Vanguard 2021: Bony Ramirez", Artsy, December 1, 2021. Accessed January 25, 2024. "Once in the U.S., his family settled in Perth Amboy, New Jersey.... 'People ask me, "Oh, you’re going to Yale, or Columbia?" Ramirez said. 'I'm like, "No, I went to Perth Amboy High School."'"
30. Arthur J. Sills - Attorney General 1962-1970, New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety. Accessed September 7, 2012. "Arthur J. Sills was born in Brooklyn, New York on October 19, 1917. His family moved to Perth Amboy in 1921, where he attended the public schools and was graduated from Perth Amboy High School in 1934."
31. Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey, Volume 206, Part 1, p. 245. J. A. Fitzgerald, 1994. Accessed July 14, 2020. "JoAnn H. Smith, Rep., Old Bridge... She was graduated at Perth Amboy High School in 1952, after which she attended McDowell School of Design, and Douglass College."
32. Staff. "Brian Taylor, At 31, Back At Princeton", The New York Times , May 4, 1983. Accessed January 16, 2018. "Taylor arrived at Princeton already a star and local favorite. He was an all-America basketball guard and all-America quarterback at Perth Amboy High School in New Jersey, where he had once scored 84 points in a game."
33. "The Ultimate New Jersey High School Yearbook: T-Z And Also...", The Star-Ledger , June 27, 1999. Accessed August 4, 2007.
34. Tufaro, Greg. "Perth Amboy has chance to prove itself against New Brunswick on Friday night", Home News Tribune , October 7, 2009. Accessed September 7, 2012. "The once proud football program, which dominated opponents in the 1960s with the likes of Bruce Taylor, who went on to play for the San Francisco 49ers, and Jay Ziznewski, who went on to star at the University of Notre Dame, struggled in recent years as the city's demographics changed."
35. David T. Wilentz Attorney General 1934-1944, New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety. "David T. Wilentz was born in Dwinsk, Latvia on December 21, 1894. He attended local public schools and graduated from Perth Amboy High School in 1912."
36. Stout, David. "Robert Wilentz, 69, New Jersey Chief Justice, Dies; Court Aided Women and the Poor", The New York Times , July 24, 1996. Accessed January 16, 2018. "His energy, debating skill and intellect were no surprise to those who knew that he had been valedictorian at Perth Amboy High School, and that at Columbia Law School he was a Harlan Fiske Scholar and won the Robert Noxon Toppan Prize in Constitutional Law studies."
37. "Obituary: Warren W. Wilentz", The Star-Ledger , March 19, 2010. Accessed September 3, 2019. "Mr. Wilentz was born on March 29, 1924, in Perth Amboy, N.J., the first son of David and Lena Wilentz."

External links

• Perth Amboy High School
• Perth Amboy Public Schools
• School Performance Report for Perth Amboy High School , New Jersey Department of Education
• School Data for the Perth Amboy Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics
• Perth Amboy High School Alumni Web Site