As of the 2022–23 school year, the school had an enrollment of 303 students and 15.9 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 19.1:1. There were 22 students (7.3% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 9 (3.0% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.[1]
Awards, recognition and rankings
Union County Magnet High School was recognized by Governor Jim McGreevey in 2003 as one of 25 schools selected statewide for the First Annual Governor's School of Excellence award.[4]
Union County Magnet High 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, during the 2004–05 school year.[5] In September 2013, the school was honored for a second time when it was one of 15 in New Jersey to be recognized by the 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 honoring schools that "represent examples of educational excellence".[6][7]
Union County Magnet High School was cited as a "Public Elite", one of 22 such schools recognized nationwide in Newsweek magazine's listing of "America's Best High Schools" in the May 8, 2006, issue. Newsweek described that the school's "Focus is on science, math and technology".[8]
In Newsweek's May 22, 2007 issue, ranking the country's top high schools, Union County Magnet High School was listed in 598th place, the 12th-highest ranked school in New Jersey.[9]
In 2005–06, the school averaged a 1922 combined SAT score, fourth highest of all public high schools statewide.[10]
In 2008, Magnet High School, along with the Academy for Allied Health Sciences, was named #1 youth per capita in the entire nation by the American Cancer Society for their Relay for Life. In total, the schools raised over $73,000.[11]
In 2009, Magnet High School, along with the other UCVTS schools, was named #1 youth per capita in the entire nation by the American Cancer Society for their Relay For Life program. In total, the schools raised over $115,000.[citation needed]
Schooldigger.com ranked the school as one of 16 schools tied for first 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 language arts literacy (100.0%) and mathematics (100.0%) components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).[12]
In 2011, Magnet High School was named a Silver Medal School and ranked #70 in the Nation as one of the best math and science high school according to U.S. News & World Report.[13]
In its 2013 report on "America's Best High Schools", The Daily Beast ranked the school 65th in the nation among participating public high schools and 5th among schools in New Jersey.[14] The school was ranked 102nd in the nation and fifth in New Jersey on the list of "America's Best High Schools 2012" prepared by The Daily Beast / Newsweek, with rankings based 25% each on graduation rate, matriculation rate for college and number of Advanced Placement / International Baccalaureate courses taken per student, with 10% based on average scores on the SAT / ACT, 10% on AP/IB scores and an additional 5% based on the number of AP/IB courses available to students.[15]
In Newsweek's 2014 "America's Best High Schools", Magnet was ranked 2nd in the nation.[16]
In its listing of "America's Best High Schools 2016", the school was ranked 4th out of 500 best high schools in the country; it was ranked 2nd among all high schools in New Jersey.[17]
Admissions
Applicants to the high school proceed through the admission process as follows:
Attendance at an information session
Submission of an application to the Principal's office
Admissions examination
Notification of acceptance
The following criteria will be considered for admission:
Final Grades for the 7th-grade year.
First marking period grades for the 8th-grade year.
Admissions test exam.
Schedule
Magnet classes run on a block scheduling system. Two revolving days (A/B) are broken up into five blocks (1/2, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8, 9/10). Each block is 83 minutes in length, with the exception of 5/6. Depending on the student's grade level, periods 5 and 6 are Co-Curricular and the Lunch period, in some order.
Graduation Requirements
In order to graduate from the Union County Magnet High School, a student is required to have taken:
Four years of English
Freshmen: English I - World Literature
Sophomore: English II - Early American Literature
Junior: English III - Modern American Literature
Senior: English IV: Choice of several different courses (British Literature, AP English Language and Composition, AP English Literature and Composition, etc.)
Four years of Mathematics. Mathematics courses depend on an individual's skill level, which is determined based on an initial assessment in the 8th grade year. Students are placed into one of the following classes each year:
Magnet is accepting and open to new cultures and tries to recognize and celebrate these cultures through the Multicultural Club and the French Club. In addition to these clubs, there is also drama club, Science Olympiad, and math league for those interested in science and math competitions, FIRST Robotics Competition, chess club, yearbook committee, class councils (one for each grade), and student council (whole school). Most clubs meet during lunch.
The school holds dances about once a month and annually, Magnet hosts a talent show and the Coffee House, which is put together by the drama club. In Spring 2006, the drama club put on its first full-length production since 2003. Since 2006, the drama club included a musical group, and in 2007, musicals and singing acts were included in the annual "Coffeehouse" production.
The second largest club within the school district is the 1257 Robotics Team. Because the school is oriented to math and science, the FIRST robotics team receives a lot of support. Although disbanded in 2006 due to loss of the founding members, the 1257 robotics team was reformed in the 2008–09 school year and is going strong once again.
Being enrolled in an engineering school, a few Magnet students also compete in the annual Union County College bridge building competition, which consists of teams of about five people each from all over the county. Teams are divided into novice and advanced categories, and each team must build a bridge with the given specifications (they change every year).
A new club at Magnet, which began in the 2007–08 school year, is the SMAC (Student Movement Against Cancer) club. The club was started by two students, and its main objective is to schedule, plan, and organize the annual Relay For Life held at the school.
Magnet does not offer any varsity sports, but students are allowed to join sports teams in their home districts, provided they do not pose any scheduling conflicts. The Union County Vocational Technical School district offers after school intramurals.
Clubs offered to students through both Magnet and the UCVTS district include Art Club, Bridge Building Club, Chess Club, Class Councils (Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior), SMAC, Dance Club, Drama Club (and Tech Crew), Future Business Leaders of America, Intramurals, Marine Corps, Math League, Multicultural Club, National Honor Society, News Club, Newspaper Club, Peer Mediation, Physics Club, Robotics Club, Science Olympiad, Spanish Club, Spanish National Honor Society, Student Council, and Yearbook Club.[18]
Building
The building that houses UCMHS was constructed in the 1960s and housed a portion of Union County College (UCC) through the 1970s. It was abandoned through the mid-1990s when the UCVTSD had the building gutted and renovated. UCMHS opened in 1997 and since then the building has seen minor renovations and the addition of a glass atrium to the fitness center. Following the major renovations in the mid-1990s, the building was named Mancuso Hall after the Chairman of the Union County Board of Education at the time.
The facade of the building features faux-stone over the staircases, which project from the building, and a series of white and brown gravel coated concrete panels, each containing a trapezoidal window.
In 2008, construction began on an addition to the Magnet building. This addition serves as the site of the Performing Arts school. The plans included a bridge linking the building with the addition, which will be located in one of the last free patches of ground on campus, over a frequently used path leading from a parking lot to the front door of the Magnet High School. These plans were finished in 2010. The Union County Vocational-Technical Schools (UCVTS) has now changed from an open, spacious environment into a more urban environment.
Legal issues
There are 21 municipal school districts that are contained within the Union County Vocational Technical Schools District (UCVTSD). Following the creation of this school in 1997, a number of these districts filed suit against UCMHS. Scotch Plains petitioned the New Jersey Department of Education to force the exclusion of students from their district from the Magnet School.[19]Rahway, New Jersey refused to allow Rahway students attending Magnet to participate in Rahway extracurricular programs.[20] Their argument was that Magnet was taking the best students away from the home districts and that Magnet was drawing funds away from the home districts.
The final case against UCMHS was the case launched by the City of Linden. It was resolved late in 2002 in favor of UCMHS.[21] Linden ran a science school within its own district where it sent its gifted and talented students. They argued that their program was comparable to UCMHS and they should not, therefore, be required to pay tuition for students attending the county school. The UCMHS argued that the programs were not comparable, as evidenced by Linden students desiring to leave their home district in favor of Magnet.
Magnet won each of these suits because it is, legally, a Vocational-Technical school (a school which offers a vocational education) and offers vocational certifications. State law requires local school districts pay tuition for students who attend the county vocational school.
Recently, as a result of extensive state budget cuts, the Board of Education of the Springfield Public Schools announced its plan in 2010 to refuse to pay tuition for students attending several of the schools on the UCVTS campus, on the grounds that it has comparable programs in engineering, performing arts, and health-care training. The Springfield Board of Education believes that, in the absence of any state funding to offset the cost of sending students to the Magnet, Performing Arts, and Allied Health high schools, it should not be obligated to pay to send its students to these schools.[22]
The Marine Academy of Science and Technology (MAST) is a coeducational four-year magnet public high school located in the Sandy Hook section of Middletown Township, in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, serving students in ninth through twelfth grade. The school offers learning in all subjects, specializing in marine science and technology. It is one of five career academies administered by the Monmouth County Vocational School District (MCVSD). MAST requires each student to participate in the Naval Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (NJROTC) every year as well as an Annual Military Inspection (AMI) in the spring or fall. The school's curriculum focuses on marine sciences and marine technology/engineering. The school offers small classes with close personal attention.
High Technology High School (HTHS), founded in 1991, is a four-year magnet public high school for students in ninth through twelfth grades, located in the Lincroft section of Middletown Township, in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operated as a cooperative effort between the Monmouth County Vocational School District (MCVSD) and Brookdale Community College. It is a pre-engineering academy, offering courses such as Introduction to Engineering and Design, Exploring Engineering, and Principles of Engineering. It is a member of the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science and Technology. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1995.
The Academy for Mathematics, Science, and Engineering (AMSE) is a four-year magnet public high school program intended to prepare students for STEM careers. Housed on the campus of Morris Hills High School in Rockaway, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, it is a joint endeavor between the Morris County Vocational School District and the Morris Hills Regional District.
John S. Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School (DFA) is a public magnet school for the fine and performing arts located in downtown Augusta, Georgia, United States. It draws students in grades 6 through 12 throughout Richmond County. In addition to a basic curriculum of college preparatory and Advanced Placement academic courses, Davidson offers academic and fine arts courses in the areas of visual arts, music, chorus, dance, cinema production, and theatre. It has been recognized as a National Grammy Signature School, has been ranked as the #1 school in the state of Georgia, and has placed in the top 100 tier of Newsweek's "America's Best High Schools."
Bergen County Technical High School, also known as Bergen Tech (BT), is a four-year, tuition-free public magnet high school located in Teterboro, New Jersey serving students in ninth through twelfth grades in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Bergen Tech is part of the Bergen County Technical Schools, a countywide district that also includes Bergen County Academies in Hackensack, Applied Technology in Paramus, and Bergen Tech in Paramus. The school is nationally recognized, as students have the opportunity to be engaged in a technical major while fulfilling college preparatory classes and having the opportunity to take a wide variety of electives.
Summit High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school in Summit, in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades as the lone secondary school of the Summit Public Schools. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1934.
The Academy of Allied Health and Science (AAHS), established in 1996, is a small magnet public high school located in Neptune Township, in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The school is one of five career academies offered by the Monmouth County Vocational School District. The school focuses on medical education for teenagers who want to pursue medical careers. Proximity to Jersey Shore University Medical Center provides students with hands-on training in a hospital setting. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1999.
The Monmouth County Vocational School District (MCVSD) is a vocational and technical public school district in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, providing vocational education to students across the county. The district has 15 learning environments. The shared time programs located in Aberdeen Township, Freehold Township, Hazlet Township, Keyport, Long Branch, Middletown Township and Wall Township provide students with field experience in various trades and professions.
Biotechnology High School (BTHS), or commonly referred to as Biotech, is a four-year comprehensive vocational public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades in Freehold Township, Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, as part of the Monmouth County Vocational School District (MCVSD). Its curriculum includes a science program, consisting of eight different science classes spread over four years, designed to prepare students to pursue further education in biotechnology and the natural sciences. Emphasis is placed on research, laboratory skills, critical thinking, problem solving, technology, and teamwork. Over 90% of the 2009 graduates selected college majors in the life sciences. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 2005.
The Union County Academy for Information Technology (UC-AIT) is a full-time four-year public high school located in Scotch Plains, in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, on the Union County Vocational Technical Schools Campus. The school is part of the Union County Vocational Technical Schools (UCVTS), which serves students in all of Union County. AIT focuses on education in computer science and computer engineering with an emphasis on mathematics and science.
The Union County Vocational-Technical Schools (UCVTS) are a grouping of schools on the Union County Vocational Technical Schools Campus in Scotch Plains, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, which offers educational programs for students across Union County, eight at the high school level for students in ninth through twelfth grades and one at the adult education level. The high school level programs are separated into two groups, full-time students and shared-time students; and the full-time programs are further subdivided into the vocational program and career academies.
Communications High School (CHS) is a four-year magnet public high school and career academy serving students in ninth through twelfth grades as part of the Monmouth County Vocational School District in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. CHS is located in Wall Township next to Wall High School. The school opened in 2000 with its first freshman class of 76 students and graduated its first class in 2004. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 2004.
The Middlesex County Magnet Schools, formerly known as the Middlesex County Vocational and Technical Schools, is a public school district that provides a network of high schools serving the vocational and technical education needs of students in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The district was the first county vocational school system in the United States. The district serves high school, adult, and special needs students.
The Union County Academy for Allied Health Sciences (UCAAHS) is a full-time vocational public high school, located in Scotch Plains, in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The school serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from across Union County as a career academy on the Union County Vocational Technical Schools Campus, which also includes the Academy for Information Technology, Union County Magnet High School, Academy for Performing Arts, and the Union County Vocational Technical High School. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools.
The Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science (MATES) is a comprehensive, selective magnet public high school with a focus on marine and environmental science that is part of the Ocean County Vocational School District. The school is located in the Manahawkin section of Stafford Township, in Ocean County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey directly behind the buildings of the Southern Regional School District and a joint parking lot with Ocean County College's Southern Education Center. As a public school, students attend the school at no charge. Prospective students must complete the application process which includes an entrance exam. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 2005.
The Morris County School of Technology is a vocational magnet public high school located in Denville Township, in Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as part of the Morris County Vocational School District. This school prepares high school students for future careers, through its academy programs, each focusing on a particular trade as well as an advanced college preparatory program. Students apply to one of the 13 different academies in a process that starts the 8th grade year of local students. The highly competitive process begins with a general admissions test and is followed by group interviews on an academy basis. The school has an overall acceptance rate of 30%.
The Union County Academy for Performing Arts is a full-time four-year public magnet high school located in Scotch Plains, in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, on the Union County Vocational Technical Schools Campus. Its first year was the 2008–2009 school year. The school offers majors in theatre, dance, and technical theatre. The school is part of the Union County Vocational Technical Schools (UCVTS). The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 2017.
The Woodbridge Academy Magnet School, formerly known as the Middlesex County Academy for Allied Health and Biomedical Sciences, is a four-year career academy and college preparatory magnet public high school located in Woodbridge Township in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades as part of the Middlesex County Magnet Schools, which serves students of many diverse cultures from all over Middlesex County. While enrolled in this high school student can receive college credits for classes based in allied health and biomedical sciences through Rutgers University–Newark.
The Union County Vocational-Technical High School is a full-time vocational public high school, located in Scotch Plains in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. This school serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from across Union county as a career academy on the Union County Vocational Technical Schools Campus, which also includes the Union County Academy for Allied Health Sciences, Academy for Information Technology, Union County Magnet High School and the Academy for Performing Arts. The school is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools.
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.
↑ 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."
↑ Kagan, Sam. "In a Manhattan nightclub, Griffin Maxwell Brooks comes alive", The Daily Princetonian, April 22, 2022. Accessed March 27, 2023. "Similarly detached from Brooks’ Manhattan presence is their love of engineering — a drive they’ve honed since they matriculated, alongside Martinez, at Union County Magnet High School, a small application-based public school for STEM students."
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