Perth Amboy High School

Last updated

Perth Amboy High School
Perth Amboy HS side.jpg
Address
Perth Amboy High School
300 Eagle Avenue

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
Established1881
School district Perth Amboy Public Schools
NCES School ID341293003530 [1]
PrincipalMelissa España
Keith Guarino (Freshman Academy)
Fred Geardino (Personalized Learning Program)
Faculty187.3 FTEs [1]
Grades 9-12
Enrollment2,658 (as of 2022–23) [1]
Student to teacher ratio14.2:1 [1]
Color(s)  Red and
  white [2]
Athletics conference Greater Middlesex Conference (general)
Big Central Football Conference (football)
Team namePanthers [2]
Rival Carteret High School
Accreditation Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools [3]
NewspaperPawprints [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]

Contents

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]

The current Perth Amboy High School was built in 1971, to replace an earlier building that opened in 1881. The building was originally built to accommodate 1,600 students, resulting in overcrowding with nearly 50% students above the design capacity attending the school. 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

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. [6] 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. [7] The magazine ranked the school 270th in 2008 out of 316 schools. [8] The school was ranked 274th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state. [9]

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.

Perth Amboy High School Perth Amboy HS.jpg
Perth Amboy High School

The average class size is 22 students, excluding special education. The school's ratio of students to computers is 12 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 Gear Up and School Based Youth Services Program. Gear Up is sponsored by Kean University and the Perth Amboy Board of Education. 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). [10] 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. [11] 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. [12] The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Group V South for football for 2022–2024, which included schools with 1,315 to 2,466 students. [13]

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. [14] [15]

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. [16]

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: [17]

Notable alumni

Notable alumni of Perth Amboy High School include:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Highland Park High School (New Jersey)</span> High school in New Jersey, United States

Highland Park High School (HPHS) is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from the borough of Highland Park, in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, as the lone secondary school of the Highland Park Public Schools system. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1940.

Woodbridge High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in Woodbridge Township, in Middlesex County, New Jersey, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades as part of the Woodbridge Township School District. The high school is one of three in the district, together with Colonia High School and John F. Kennedy Memorial High School. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1928.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Brunswick High School (New Jersey)</span> High school in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States

South Brunswick High School (SBHS) is a comprehensive community public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades at the school located in the Monmouth Junction section of South Brunswick, in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as the lone secondary school of the South Brunswick Public Schools. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1965.

Cardinal McCarrick High School (CMHS), later known as Cardinal McCarrick/St. Mary's High School, was a Catholic secondary school located in South Amboy, New Jersey, that operated under the supervision of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen. The school closed at the end of the 2014–15 school year, in the wake of an increasing financial deficit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Plainfield High School</span> High school in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States

South Plainfield High School is a four-year, co-ed comprehensive community public high school located in South Plainfield in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades and operating as the sole secondary school in the South Plainfield Public Schools. The school offers numerous clubs, activities, and athletics.

Middlesex High School (MHS) is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in the center of Middlesex, Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades as the lone secondary school of the Middlesex Board of Education. The school is surrounded by Mountain View Park and all of its athletic complexes, including Memorial Field.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monroe Township High School</span> High school in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States

Monroe Township High School is a comprehensive four-year public high school located in Monroe Township, in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades part of the Monroe Township School District. The school serves students from Monroe Township and approximately 300 from Jamesburg who attend Monroe Township High School as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Jamesburg Public Schools that has been in place since 1980. The school's mascot is a falcon and the school colors are purple and Vegas gold. The motto is "Excellence is Our Expectation".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sayreville War Memorial High School</span> High school in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States

Sayreville War Memorial High School (SWMHS) is a four-year public high school located in the Parlin section of Sayreville, in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades as the lone secondary school of the Sayreville Public Schools district. The school is home to the Sayreville Bombers, who are best known for their varsity football and track program. Sayreville's colors are blue and grey. The name "War Memorial" recognizes the World War II veterans who reside in the borough. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1946.

Spotswood High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school, serving students in ninth through twelfth grade in Spotswood, in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as the lone secondary school of the Spotswood Public Schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westwood Regional High School</span> High school in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States

Westwood Regional High School is a four-year comprehensive regional public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Borough of Westwood and the Township of Washington, in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as the lone secondary school of the Westwood Regional School District. Beginning in the 2019–20 school year, students in eighth grade who had previously attended the then junior-senior high school began attending the new Westwood Middle School.

Metuchen High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Metuchen in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as the lone secondary school of the Metuchen School District. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1929.

Dunellen High School (DHS) is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Dunellen in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as the lone secondary school of the Dunellen Public Schools.

South Amboy Middle / High School is a seven-year comprehensive community public high school that serves students in sixth through twelfth grades from South Amboy in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as the lone secondary school of the South Amboy Public Schools.

Carteret High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Carteret in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, as the lone secondary school of the Carteret School District. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1929 and is accredited through January 2027.

Colonia High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades in the Colonia section of Woodbridge Township in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It operates as part of the Woodbridge Township School District, along with two other high schools, John F. Kennedy Memorial High School and Woodbridge High School. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1973; The school's accreditation status was extended for seven years in Fall 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildwood High School</span> High school in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States

Wildwood High School is a comprehensive community public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Wildwood, in Cape May County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is the sole secondary school of the Wildwood City School District.

St. Mary of the Assumption High School was a small Catholic high school on Broad Street in Elizabeth, Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The old high school building consists of a three-story brick building with a basement serving as additional classroom space for a total of four floors of education space. The school was affiliated with its parent parish, St. Mary's Church, and operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Orange Campus High School</span> High school in Essex County, New Jersey, United States

East Orange Campus High School is a comprehensive community public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades in the city of East Orange, in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, on the former campus of Upsala College. The school is part of the East Orange School District, classified as an Abbott District. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1928.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Academy for Urban Leadership Charter High School</span> Place in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States

Academy for Urban Leadership Charter School is a five-year comprehensive public charter school that serves students in seventh through twelfth grades from Perth Amboy, in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The school operates under the terms of a charter granted by the New Jersey Department of Education. After opening with 100 students in ninth grade in the 2010–11 school year, the school's plans were to add 100 students each year in ninth grade.

Perth Amboy Technical High School is a four-year career academy and college preparatory magnet public high school for students in ninth through twelfth grades located in Perth Amboy in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as part of the Middlesex County Magnet Schools. The school serves students from all of Middlesex County.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 School data for Perth Amboy High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 1, 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Perth Amboy High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  3. 1 2 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. ↑ Staff. "Top Schools Alphabetical List 2014", New Jersey Monthly , September 2, 2014. Accessed September 5, 2014.
  7. ↑ Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly , August 16, 2012. Accessed September 7, 2012.
  8. ↑ Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly , August 16, 2010. Accessed April 7, 2011.
  9. ↑ "Top New Jersey High Schools 2008: By Rank", New Jersey Monthly , September 2008, posted August 7, 2008. Accessed August 19, 2008.
  10. ↑ League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  11. ↑ NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
  12. ↑ 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."
  13. ↑ NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2022–2024, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  14. ↑ NJSIAA Boys Basketball Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
  15. ↑ 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."
  16. ↑ 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"
  17. ↑ Home page, Perth Amboy High School. Accessed October 12, 2022.
  18. ↑ "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."
  19. ↑ 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."
  20. ↑ Mayor Wilda Diaz, City of Perth Amboy. Accessed October 10, 2011.
  21. ↑ 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."
  22. ↑ 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."
  23. ↑ "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."
  24. ↑ "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."
  25. ↑ "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."
  26. ↑ 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;..."
  27. ↑ 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'".
  28. ↑ 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."'"
  29. ↑ 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."
  30. ↑ 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."
  31. ↑ 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."
  32. 1 2 "The Ultimate New Jersey High School Yearbook: T-Z And Also...", The Star-Ledger , June 27, 1999. Accessed August 4, 2007.
  33. ↑ 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."
  34. ↑ 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."
  35. ↑ 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."
  36. ↑ "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."
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.