Rutherford High School (New Jersey)

For the high school in Florida, see Rutherford High School (Florida).

Rutherford High School
Address
56 Elliott Place Rutherford , Bergen County , New Jersey 07070 United States
Coordinates	40°49′42″N74°06′30″W / 40.828407°N 74.108466°W / 40.828407; -74.108466
Information
Type	Public high school
Established	1922
NCES School ID	341446000810 [1]
Principal	Frank Morano
Faculty	68.6 FTEs [1]
Enrollment	753 (as of 2022–23) [1]
Student to teacher ratio	11.0:1 [1]
Color(s)	Navy blue and   white [2]
Athletics conference	North Jersey Interscholastic Conference
Team name	Bulldogs [2]
Website	www.rutherfordschools.org/rhs/

Rutherford High School is a comprehensive four-year public high school located in Rutherford, in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as part of the Rutherford School District. The original structure was built in 1922 and expanded in 1938, 1957 and 2005. ^[3] Rutherford High School is overseen by the New Jersey Department of Education and has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1940. ^[4]

As of the 2022–23 school year, the school had an enrollment of 753 students and 68.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.0:1. There were 9 students (1.2% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 6 (0.8% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch. ^[1]

Awards, recognition and rankings

During the 1999-2000 school year, the school was awarded the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education, the highest award an American school can receive, which recognized the school's use of technology in the instruction process in which every classroom was wired for Internet access and a substantially higher than average level of access by students to computers. ^{[5] [6]}

The school was the 124th-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 71st in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 73rd in 2010 out of 322 schools listed. ^[8] The magazine ranked the school 72nd in 2008 out of 316 schools. ^[9] The school was ranked 88th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which included 316 schools across the state. ^[10] Schooldigger.com ranked the school tied for 141st out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (unchanged from the 2010 ranking) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the mathematics (86.2%) and language arts literacy (92.0%) components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA). ^[11]

Curriculum and facilities

Rutherford High offers courses ranging from Honors classes to Advanced Placement (AP) classes for college credit. The elective classes are also offered, ranging from classes of technology, to those that are career-related as well. The school contains a television studio that is used for morning announcements in homeroom and sends out feeds for the local public access station. There is a newly expanded library with 23 computers and over 20,000 books. Two gyms house athletic programs and physical education classes. Located on the East Wing of the school features a half-size Olympic-style swimming pool currently leased by the YMCA of the Meadowlands. It is also used by the Rutherford Bulldogs Swim Team.

Student life

A typical day at Rutherford High starts at 7:50 AM when homeroom starts. School is in session five days a week. There are 7 blocks, consisting of 57-minute classes that are on a rotating block schedule and one lunch period. Extra-curricular activities include an abundance of clubs, academic groups, and music programs.

Academic teams and extracurricular activities

Rutherford Academic Decathlon wins New Jersey state championship for the second consecutive year.

Rutherford High School has a host of academic teams and non-athletic extracurricular activities.

Rutherford was the Academic Decathlon champion for the state of New Jersey, having represented New Jersey at the National Competition in Memphis, Tennessee in April 2009, and competed once again in Omaha in April 2010. ^{[12] [13]}

The theater arts program puts out two performances each school year; a play in November, and a musical in March.

Athletics

2005 Group II State Champs

The Rutherford High School Bulldogs ^[2] participate in the North Jersey Interscholastic Conference, which is comprised of small-enrollment schools in Bergen, Hudson, Morris and Passaic counties, and was created following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA). ^{[14] [15] [16]} Prior to the realignment that took effect in the fall of 2010, Rutherford was a member of the Bergen County Scholastic League (BCSL) American Division. ^[17] With 568 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 486 to 758 students in that grade range. ^[18] The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Group II North for football for 2024–2026, which included schools with 484 to 683 students. ^[19]

Interscholastic sports that are offered by the Rutherford athletic program include: ^[2]

• Fall Sports: B/G Cross Country, Football, Girls' Tennis, B/G Soccer, Volleyball, Cheerleading
• Winter Sports: B/G Basketball, B/G Swimming, B/G Track & Field, Wrestling, Coed Bowling
• Spring Sports: Baseball, Boys' Tennis, Softball, B/G Track & Field

The boys track team won the Group IV spring / outdoor track state championship in 1922 and 1923. ^[20]

The boys' cross country team won the overall public school state championship in 1926. ^[21]

The boys' basketball team won the Group III state championship in 1940 (defeating Bound Brook High School in the tournament final) and 1942 (vs. Merchantville High School), and won the Group II title in 1985 (vs. Burlington City High School). ^[22] The 1940 team pulled ahead by 23-12 at the half and held off a late rally to upset Bound Brook by a final score of 42-33 in the championship game. ^[23]

The boys' track team won the Group I / II state indoor relay championship in 1969. ^[24]

The baseball team won the Group II state title in 1992 (vs. Kingsway Regional High School), 2004 (vs. Sterling High School) and in 2005 (vs. Seneca High School). ^[25]

The girls volleyball team won the Group II state championship in 1991 (against runner-up Mahwah High School in the final match of the playoffs), 1992 (vs. Dumont High School) and 1994 (vs. Elmwood Park Memorial High School). ^[26]

In 2007, the girls' soccer team, seeded #3, won the North II, Group II state sectional championship with a 5-4 win on penalty kicks over top-seeded Summit High School in the tournament final, the team's first title in this section. ^{[27] [28]}

The football team won the North II Group II state sectional championship in 2017 and 2018. ^[29] In 2017, the football team finished the season with a 12-0 record and won its first championship in the playoff era, defeating sixth-seeded Hackettstown High School in the finals of the North II Group II state sectional tournament, in a game played at MetLife Stadium. ^{[30] [31]} The 2018 team won the program's second consecutive sectional title, defeating Lyndhurst High School by a 32-14 score in the tournament final ^[32] and went on to win the inaugural North Group II bowl game with a 62-14 win against Kittatinny Regional High School. ^[33]

The boys soccer team became Northeast Group 2-B regional champions in 2020 by beating Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest by a score of 3-1 in the final of the tournament that had been reconfigured due to the COVID pandemic. It was the program's first ever state title. ^[34]

Administration

The school's principal is Frank Morano. His core administration team includes the assistant principal. ^[35]

Notable alumni

See also: Category:Rutherford High School (New Jersey) alumni

Notable alumni of Rutherford High School's include:

• Brant Alyea (born 1940), former MLB outfielder from 1965 to 1972, who is one of nine players to hit a home run on his first MLB pitch. ^[36]
• Henry Becton (1914–2009), chairman of Becton Dickinson and Company ^[37]
• Jim Blumenstock (1918–1963), American football fullback who played in the NFL for the New York Giants. ^[38]
• Henry Drucker (1942–2002), political scientist and university fund-raiser ^[39]
• Charles Evered (born 1964), playwright and director. ^[40]
• Louis Frey Jr. (born 1934), former member of the United States House of Representatives from Florida. ^[41]
• Jim Garrett (born 1930), college football coach. ^{[42] [43]}
• Bill Hands (born 1940), former Major League Baseball pitcher. ^[44]
• Kelly Hecking (born 1980), former backstroke and freestyle competition swimmer. ^[45]
• Art Hillhouse (1916–1980), professional basketball center who played two seasons in the Basketball Association of America for the Philadelphia Warriors. ^[46]
• James A. Hyslop (1885-1953), entomologist who founded the Insect Pest Survey of the U.S. Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine. ^[47]
• Nancy Kedersha (born 1951, class of 1969), cell biology and micrographer. ^[48]
• Kim Kyung-jun (born 1987), violinist. ^[49]
• Vin Mazzaro (born 1986), pitcher for the Kansas City Royals. ^[50]
• Pamela McCorduck (1940–2021), author who wrote about the history and philosophical significance of artificial intelligence, the future of engineering, and the role of women and technology. ^[51]
• Peggy Noonan (born 1950), speechwriter for U.S. presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush. ^{[52] [53]}
• Pat Pacillo (born 1963), pitcher who played two seasons for the Cincinnati Reds. ^[54]
• Thomas R. Pickering (born 1931), United States Ambassador to the United Nations from 1989 to 1992. ^[53]
• Frank Serrao (1918–1991, class of 1937), head football coach at Redlands University in Redlands, California from 1964 to 1983, where he compiled a record of 115–80–1. ^[55]
• Calvin J. Spann (1924-2015), an original Tuskegee Airman and fighter pilot with the 100th Fighter Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group. ^[56]
• Siobhan Vivian (born 1979, class of 1997), novelist, editor and screenwriter. ^[57]
• John Wallace, head coach of the Rutgers football team from 1924 to 1926. ^[58]
• Ramy Youssef (born 1991), stand-up comedian and writer, who is best known for his role as Ramy Hassan on the Hulu comedy series Ramy ^[59]

References

1. School data for Rutherford High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 1, 2024.
2. Rutherford High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
3. About, Rutherford High School. Accessed April 3, 2022.
4. Rutherford High School, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools, backed up by the Internet Archive as of April 14, 2012. Accessed March 29, 2015.
5. National Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982 Through 2019 (PDF), United States Department of Education. Accessed September 1, 2024.
6. Cheslow, Jerry. "If You're Thinking of Living In/Rutherford; A Patriotic Town With an Easy Commute", The New York Times , November 4, 2001. Accessed August 29, 2011. "Last year, Rutherford High School won the coveted United States Department of Education Blue Ribbon School of Excellence award. 'We were recognized for our overall focus on technology,' Ms. Conlon explained. Every room in the high school is wired for Internet access, compared with a state average of 74 percent. There is one computer for every 2.9 students, compared with one for every 4.8 students statewide."
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 December 2, 2012.
9. Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly , August 16, 2010. Accessed February 10, 2011.
10. "Top New Jersey High Schools 2008: By Rank", New Jersey Monthly , September 2008, posted August 7, 2008. Accessed August 19, 2008.
11. New Jersey High School Rankings: 11th Grade HSPA Language Arts Literacy & HSPA Math 2010-2011, Schooldigger.com. Accessed March 5, 2012.
12. 2009 Nationals Final Results Archived January 1, 2010, at the Wayback Machine , United States Academic Decathlon. Accessed August 17, 2011.
13. O'Keefe, Daniel. "Another award-winning year for Rutherford Academic Decathlon", South Bergenite, April 14, 2011. Accessed August 17, 2011.
14. Mattura, Greg. "Small-school NJIC may debut its own league championship", The Record , January 9, 2017. Accessed August 30, 2020. "The small-school North Jersey Interscholastic Conference may debut its own boys basketball tournament this season, one season after introducing its girls hoops championship. The NJIC is comprised of schools from Bergen, Passaic and Hudson counties and the event offered to the 36 boys teams would serve as an alternative to likely competing against larger programs in a county tournament."
15. Member Schools, North Jersey Interscholastic Conference. Accessed August 30, 2020.
16. League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
17. New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association League Memberships – 2009-2010, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, backed up by the Internet Archive as of July 24, 2011. Accessed October 18, 2014.
18. NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
19. NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2024–2026, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.
20. NJSIAA Boys Spring Track Summary of Group Titles, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
21. NJSIAA Boys Cross Country State Group Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
22. NJSIAA Boys Basketball Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed September 1, 2022.
23. via Associated Press. "Bound Brook Upset 42 to 33 By Rutherford; Seven Consecutive Points at End Give Somerset 5 Group 3 Crown Wildwood Also Wins", Asbury Park Press , March 17, 1940. Accessed February 8, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Rutherford, another underdog, whipped Bound Brook, 42-33, to win the Group 3 title In the other evening game.... Rutherford's triumph was a minor upset against Bound Brook which had shown brilliantly in the previous rounds. Paced by Capt. Palmer Zitzmann, Art Stein and Ted Ryder, Rutherford jumped into a 13-4 lead in the first quarter and held a 23-12 margin at the half."
24. History of the NJSIAA Indoor Relay Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 1, 2020.
25. Baseball Championship History: 1959–2024, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.
26. NJSIAA Girls Volleyball Group Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
27. 2007 Girls Soccer - North II, Group II, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 15, 2007.
28. "Ramapo buzzing over latest crown", The Record , November 9, 2007. Accessed November 15, 2007. "The third-seeded Bulldogs had just won their first North 2, Group 2 title, defeating No. 1-seeded Summit on penalty kicks, 3-2, after a 4-4 tie through double overtime."
29. NJSIAA Football History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
30. Conrad, JJ. "Rutherford grabs first title since 1966 with N2G2 win over Hackettstown", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, November 30, 2017. Accessed December 4, 2017. "And Rutherford, at last, was champion again. The top-seeded and undefeated Bulldogs capped a perfect season Thursday night at MetLife Stadium, defeating sixth-seeded Hackettstown, 21-13, in the North 2, Group 2 sectional final.... The win gives Rutherford its first title since 1966 and its first since the current playoff system was established in 1974."
31. "Football - 2017 NJSIAA North 2, Group 2 Playoffs", NJ.com.
32. Tartaglia, Greg. "Rutherford football wins sectional title by beating Lyndhurst", The Record , November 17, 2018. Accessed October 15, 2020. "After winning the North 2, Group 2 football championship there last year, Rutherford repeated as the sectional champion with a 32-14 win against Lyndhurst at home."
33. Aitken Jr., Robert. "Rutherford football rolls past Kittatinny in North, Group 2 bowl game", The Record , November 23, 2018. Accessed October 15, 2020. "Rutherford may have been considered the away team, but the Bulldogs felt right at home at MetLife Stadium on Friday. After allowing a touchdown on the opening drive, the Bulldogs scored 48 straight points to win the first-ever North, Group 2 championship bowl game, 62-14."
34. Anzidei, Melanie. "Rutherford boys soccer stuns NV/Demarest to win program's first sectional title", The Record , November 21, 2020. Accessed February 6, 2023. "The Rutherford boys soccer program ended an unconventional season with an historic win, securing the first sectional title in program history. The Bulldogs defeated NV/Demarest, 3-1, in a major upset in the Northeast Group 2-B championship game Saturday morning, after scoring three quick goals at the start of the second half against the No. 1 seed.... This victory marks the first sectional win in program history for the Bulldogs."
35. Staff Directory, Rutherford Public Schools. Accessed December 27, 2022.
36. O'Reilly, Charlie. Brant Alyea, Society for American Baseball Research. Accessed October 29, 2017. "Garrabrant Ryerson Alyea IV, a free-swinging right-handed batter and one of just nine players to hit a home run on the first pitch he saw in the major leagues, was born on December 8, 1940, in Passaic, New Jersey, to a family of Dutch heritage that had been in the northern New Jersey area since the 17th century.... Alyea lettered in three sports at Rutherford High School, playing quarterback for the Bulldogs and starring in basketball and baseball."
37. "Becton with Intelligence in British Air Base", The Record , September 20, 1944. Accessed December 18, 2023. via Newspapers.com. "Becton of 377 Walnut Street, Englewood, was associated with Becton, Dickinson and Company in Rutherford. He attended Rutherford High School and was graduated from Taft School, Watertown, Conn., and from Yale University."
38. Jim Blumenstock Stats, Pro-Football-Reference.com. Accessed December 3, 2020. "Born: April 28, 1918 in Rutherford, NJ... High School: Rutherford (NJ)"
39. "Thirteen Students Compete for Offices", The Allegheny Campus , February 21, 1963. Accessed August 31, 2023,. "Competing for the presidency will be two juniors, Robert Beck of Pittsburgh and Henry Drucker of Rutherford, NJ.... A graduate of Rutherford, (N.J.) High, where he was president of his senior class, Drucker was a member of the Executive Committee of the Bergen County Student Council Association."
40. Coutros, Evonne. "Screenwriter Has Spielberg's Number", The Record , May 15, 1994, backed up by the Internet Archive as of May 16, 2011. accessed September 17, 2018. "Evered, a 29-year-old screenwriter and playwright who graduated from Rutherford High School..."
41. Louis Frey Jr., Biographical Directory of the United States Congress . Accessed July 7, 2007.
42. Staff. "Jim Garrett ... Halfback: Rough Riders Sign Import And Canuck", Ottawa Citizen , June 22, 1957. Accessed August 29, 2011. "Garrett, who started his career at Rutherford High School, Rutherford, N.J. booted 55 out of 60 extra points while in service and had 12 out of 16 field goal attempts."
43. RHS Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Dinner Archived October 20, 2007, at the Wayback Machine , Rutherford High School, April 19, 1996. Accessed July 7, 2007.
44. Adamek, Steve. "Where are they now? Rutherford's Bill Hands", The Record , June 1, 2010. Accessed July 13, 2012. "And inevitably, one season always comes up: 1969 — the best of seasons and worst of seasons for the Rutherford High School product, the one the Miracle Mets stole from Hands, Ferguson Jenkins and the rest of Leo Durocher's Cubs."
45. Zagoria, Adam. "Winning a Way of Life for Rutherford's Hecking; All-American Swimmer Headed to Notre Dame", Herald & News , April 9, 1998. Accessed June 9, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "'She finally got one of each (color) so I said, "Just go back to getting the blues," ' Hecking's mother, Diana, said Wednesday at Rutherford High School before her daughter signed a National Letter of Intent to attend Notre Dame on a near-full athletic scholarship."
46. Art Hilhouse, Basketball-Reference. Accessed May 4, 2020. "Born: June 12, 1916 in Rutherford, New Jersey... High School: Rutherford in Rutherford, New Jersey"
47. Who's who in the Nation's Capital, p. 199. Consolidated Publishing Company, 1921. Accessed September 17, 2018. "Hyslop, James Augustus, entomologist, U. S. Bureau of Entomology; born July 7, 1885, in Chicago, Ill., son of Charles George and Mary Agnes (Garvey) Hyslop. Educated at Rutherford (N. J.) High School, Massachusetts Agricultural College, Washington State College."
48. "Rutherford is looking for distinguished graduates to add to list", South Bergenite, January 29, 2003. Accessed September 29, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "cell biologist Nancy Kedersha, '69, whose examination of the components of a cell led to the identification of a new organelle named 'vault,' 1997."
49. Kyung-Jun Kim, violin, From The Top. Accessed September 17, 2018. "Kyung-Jun Kim (violin), age 18, is a senior at Rutherford High School in his hometown of Rutherford, NJ."
50. Staff. "Former Rutherford High star gets win in AAA baseball", The Record , May 13, 2009. Accessed June 8, 2009.
51. "Obituary: Pamela Ann McCordruck", The Santa Fe New Mexican , October 31, 2021. Accessed April 3, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "The family resided in New Jersey near relatives until 1949 when they moved to the Bay Area. For a brief time in the late 50s, she and her family lived in Rutherford, New Jersey where she graduated from Rutherford High School at the early age of 15 before returning to the Bay Area where she attended the University of California Berkeley earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Composition and Literature in 1960."
52. Oreskes, Michael. "The Monster Woman: Peggy Noonan looks at Hillary Clinton and sees a privileged elitist who is still getting away with it! Grrr!", The New York Times , March 19, 2000. Accessed August 29, 2011. "She brings herself to Mrs. Clinton, too. 'I look at Mrs. Clinton and see the kneesocked girl in the madras headband, the Key Club president who used to walk into the bathroom in Rutherford High School, wrinkle her nose at the 10th-grade losers leaning against the gray tile walls, leave, go down the hall, and mention to a teacher that they're smoking in the girls' room again. That's my own private Hillary, or at least one aspect of her.'"
53. About Rutherford High School Archived October 20, 2007, at the Wayback Machine , Rutherford High School. Accessed July 7, 2007. "Career diplomat and ambassador Thomas H. Pickering and presidential speechwriter Peggy Noonan are among those honored as part of this tradition."
54. Moran, Malcolm. "Players; A Pitcher Who Likes To Hit", The New York Times , June 5, 1984. Accessed August 29, 2011. "Pacillo had also played football and basketball at Rutherford High School, and at one time he had pictured himself as a prospect in football, not baseball."
55. Olsen, Rusty. "Serrao, New Rutherford Coach. Will Shelve 'T' Formation in Favor of Single Wingback", Herald News . July 6, 1949.Accessed December 5, 2020. "Back a decade, in 1934-37, Serrao was an outstanding Rutherford High School athlete, especially in football where he played fullback and captained the 36 squad."
56. Cowen, Richard. "Rutherford native Calvin Spann, famed Tuskegee Airman, dies at age 90", The Record , September 7, 2015, backed up by the Internet Archive as of March 4, 2016. Accessed October 29, 2017. "Lieutenant Spann told The Record in a 2012 interview that, as a child, he was fascinated by the planes he saw taking off from Teterboro Airport. He read The Adventures of Smiling Jack, an aviation comic strip, and wanted to do the things Jack did. He learned about the physics of flying while a student at Rutherford High School."
57. Speiser, Matt. "Rutherford Upbringing Inspires Young Author", Rutherford Daily Voice, April 21, 2016. Accessed November 18, 2017. "If you graduated Rutherford High School with Siobhan Vivian in 1997, you might find yourself as a character in one of her books.The author, who is about to publish her eighth young adult book, says her Rutherford upbringing serves as a 'deep well' of inspiration that she returns to time and time again."
58. Staff. "Jack Walace Coaching Undefeated Rutherford", The Central New Jersey Home News , November 24, 1919. Accessed August 7, 2019. "He entered Rutgers from Rutherford High School where he had played quarterback on the eleven which had been the State scholastic champions the year before."
59. Kuperinsky, Amy. "Meet Ramy Youssef, star of Ramy, the Hulu show that breaks new ground while drawing on his N.J. roots", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, April 19, 2019. Accessed December 27, 2019. "Youssef got his start as a performer when he was still a student at Rutherford High School, where he dove into TV production and started focusing on comedy."

External links

• Rutherford High School web site
• Rutherford High School athletic schedules
• School Performance Report for Rutherford High School , New Jersey Department of Education
• School Data for the Rutherford School District, National Center for Education Statistics