The constituent municipalities—the Chester School District (Chester Borough / Township), Mendham Borough / Township, Mount Olive and Washington Township—approved a referendum in 1956 by a better than 7–1 margin for the construction of a high school to cost $1,961,000 (equivalent to $22million in 2023).[6]
The school opened in September 1958, with 531 students in grades 9–11 in a building with 39 classrooms designed to accommodate 1200 people.[7][8] The school's first hire was a biology teacher named Maria Young.[9]
Enrollment
As of the 2022–23 school year, the school had an enrollment of 994 students and 84.2 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.8:1. There were 11 students (1.1% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and none listed as eligible for reduced-cost lunch.[1]
Rankings
West Morris Central was the 14th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 339 schools statewide in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2018 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", using a new ranking methodology.[10] The school had been ranked 56th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 43rd in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.[11] The magazine ranked the school 42nd in 2008 out of 316 schools.[12] The school was ranked 41st in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which included 316 schools across the state.[13]
Schooldigger.com ranked the school 92nd out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (a decrease of 32 positions from the 2010 ranking) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the mathematics (87.1%) and language arts literacy (96.8%) components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).[14]
In 2017, the Washington Post ranked WMCHS as the third most challenging public, non-charter high school in New Jersey behind West Morris Mendham HS and Princeton HS. The school was also ranked 328th in the entire nation in the list of most challenging high schools.
In its 2013 report on "America's Best High Schools", The Daily Beast ranked the school 535th in the nation among participating public high schools and 43rd among schools in New Jersey.[15] The school was ranked 226th in the nation and 20th in New Jersey on the list of "America's Best High Schools 2012" prepared by The Daily Beast / Newsweek, with rankings based primarily on graduation rate, matriculation rate for college and number of Advanced Placement / International Baccalaureate courses taken per student, with lesser factors based on average scores on the SAT / ACT, average AP/IB scores and the number of AP/IB courses available to students.[16]
Awards
History Teacher Rosanne Lichatin, was named the 2005 Preserve America History Teacher of the Year, and was recognized with the honor by First Lady Laura Bush.[17]
Programs
The school is accredited by the New Jersey Department of Education.[18] The school has offered the IB Diploma Programme, as part of the International Baccalaureate Organization, since January 1998[19] The school was one of 17 high schools in New Jersey to offer the IB diploma program in 2021; along with its sister school West Morris Mendham, it is one of the two high schools in New Jersey to offer both the IB Diploma and Career Programs.[20]
The school's mascots are either the Highlanders or the Wolfpack depending on the team. School colors are Columbia blue, navy blue and gray.[2][3][22]
Teams compete in the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference, an athletic conference comprised of high schools located in Morris, Sussex and Warren counties, which was established following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).[23][24] Prior to the NJSIAA's 2009 realignment, the school had been a member of the Iron Hills Conference.[25] With 919 students in grades 10–12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Group III for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 761 to 1,058 students in that grade range.[26] The football team competes in the Freedom Blue division of the North Jersey Super Football Conference, which includes 112 schools competing in 20 divisions, making it the nation's biggest football-only high school sports league.[27][28] The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Group III North for football for 2024–2026, which included schools with 700 to 884 students.[29]
Football
The football team has won ten sectional championships. The team won the North II Group III state sectional championship in 1982, 1991, 1995, 2001, 2004, 2009, 2021, 2022 and 2023,[30] and won a North II Group IV title in 2012.[31][32] The 1982 team avenged its only loss of the season with a 10–6 win in the North II Group III sectional championship game against Randolph High School to finish the season at 10–1 bringing the Wolfpack their first championship title.[33] The 1991 team finished the season with a 10–1 record after a 14–0 win in the North II Group III state sectional championship game against Nutley High School.[34] The 1995 team again topped Nutley by a score of 21–0. The 2001 football team won the North II, Group III state championship against West Morris Mendham High School by a score of 15–14.[35] The team won the 2004 North II, Group III state championship against West Morris Mendham by a score of 10–7.[36] The 2009 football team won the North II, Group III state championship against Passaic Valley Regional High School by a score of 28–19.[37] The 2012 team won the North II, Group IV against Warren Hills High School by a score of 35–7.[38] The 2021 team finished the season with a 10–3 record after winning the North I Group III championship against West Essex High School by a score of 21-0 and then winning the North Group III championship game—the program's first regional title—against the previously unbeaten and NJ.com's 11th-ranked football team, Cranford High School by a score of 53–14.[39] In a rematch, the team won the North II Group III championship in 2022 with a 21–7 win against West Essex that marked the first back-to-back championships for the Wolfpack.[40] The 2023 team won the program's third consecutive North II Group III championship with a 21–17 win against Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan.[30] The intra-district football rivalry with West Morris Mendham was ranked 23rd on NJ.com's 2017 list "Ranking the 31 fiercest rivalries in N.J. HS football".[41] With a 24–16 win in 2024, West Morris Central has won 16 consecutive times and leads the series with an overall record of 27–7–1, including sectional finals victories against West Morris Mendham in both 2001 and 2004.[42][43]
Girls basketball
The 2008-09 girls' basketball team won the Morris County Tournament by advancing to the finals and defeating top-seeded Hanover Park High School by a score of 42-32 for the championship, winning the county title for the third time in program history, having most recently won in 1993.[44]
Field hockey
The field hockey team won the North I Group III state sectional championship in 2010 and 2012.[45]
Ice hockey
The ice hockey team won the Halvorsen Cup in 2009, 2013 and 2014, and won the Haas Cup in 2010, 2022[46] and 2023.[47]
The boys' lacrosse team won the Group II state championship in 2007 (against Ramapo High School in the tournament final) and won the Group III title in 2016 (vs. Moorestown High School).[49] The team won the 2007 Group II title, the program's first, with an 8–7 win against Ramapo High School in the championship game.[50] The team won the Group III title in 2016 with an 8–7 win against Moorestown on a goal scored with seconds left in the game.[51]
Boys tennis
The boys' tennis team won the Group III state championship in 1990, defeating Ramapo High School in the tournament final.[52]
Girls soccer
The girls soccer team was the Group III state co-champion after ending in a tie with Notre Dame High School in the final game of the tournament.[53] The team won the North II Group III state sectional title in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2021 and 2022.[54] The team won the North II Group III state sectional championship with a 1–0 win against Somerville High School in the final game of the tournament.[55][56] The 2022 team won the program's first outright group championship with a 1–0 win over Wall High School in the finals of the Group II tournament.[57]
Boys soccer
The boys' soccer team was the 2000 Group III state co-champion, the program's first title, after playing Ocean City High School to a 0–0 tie in the title game, finishing the season with a 20-4-2 record.[58][59]
Baseball
The 2019 Baseball team won the North II, Group III sectional state championship by a score of 2–1 in extra innings against Nutley High School.[60]
Girls SoftballSoftball
The 2002 girls' softball team won the North II, Group III sectional state championship, edging Cranford High School by a score of 1–0.[61] The team won the North II Group III sectional title in 2013 with a 5–4 win in the tournament final against West Morris Mendham High School.[62]
Girls volleyball
The volleyball team has won the Group III state championship in 2009 (vs. Northern Highlands Regional High School), 2012 (vs. Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan) and 2018 (vs. Old Tappan).[63] The 2009 team won the Group III state championship against Northern Highlands Regional High School, for the program's first group title in school history, in a season in which they also won the Morris County Tournament and were American Division champions in the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference.[64][65] The 2018 team won the Morris County Tournament and the Group III championship, defeating Old Tappan in two sets — 25-18 and 25-20 — in the tournament's final match; Old Tappan had won the Group III title the three previous years.[66][67] The Lady Highlanders have won the most Morris County Tournament championships, including four consecutive MCT titles from 2000 to 2003,[68] and won 13 of the 19 titles through 2018.[69]
Wrestling
The wrestling team won its first ever Iron Hills-Iron title in 2006. The Wolfpack wrestlers were considered as high as number two in the Daily Record area, and was voted a top ten team in Region 1 of NJSIAA wrestling. The team was led under the guidance of Ken Rossi who was a two-time state finalist for Jefferson High School.[citation needed]
Clubs
This section needs additional citations for verification. (August 2018)
The clubs at West Morris Central have included: three a capella singing groups, Academy of Science, Archery Club, Art/Photography Club, Astronomy Club, Band Front[clarification needed], Book Club, Bowling Club, Volleyball Club, Chess Club, Chinese Club, Choral Club, Debate Club, Diversity Club, Fall Cheerleader, Fashion Design Club, FBLA, Film Club, Future Educators, Fishing Club, Gardening Club, Highlanders for Humanity, International/Cultural Arts Club[citation needed], Intramurals, Investment Club, Jam Club, Kick Boxing, Literary Magazine, Marching Band, Math League, National History Club, National Honor Society, Newspaper, Project Peace Anti-Bullying Club,[70] Reach (Peer Leadersip), Red Cross, Relay for Life, School Store,[71] Science League, Self-Defense Club, Service Learning Club, Ski Club, Sound/Lighting, Spikeball, Stage Craft, STARS[citation needed], STEM (Technology Club), Student Council, Technology Club, Unified Sports Club, World Language Honor Society and Yearbook.[72]
About, West Morris Central High School. Accessed August 14, 2019. "Originally known as the Highlanders, many West Morris Central teams have taken on the name Wolf Pack."
About West Morris, West Morris Central High School. Accessed February 12, 2020. "The West Morris Regional High School District consists of two high schools: West Morris Central High School, serving residents of Washington Township West Morris Mendham High School, serving residents of Mendham Borough, Mendham Towhship, Chester Borough, and Chester Township."
"Voters Approve $2 Million School", Courier News, December 13, 1956. Accessed March 6, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "The five municipal school districts in the West Morris Regional High School District last night approved spending $1,961,000 for a school. The total vote was 1,332 to 189."
"531 to Enter New School", Courier News, September 9, 1958. Accessed March 6, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "An estimated 531 ninth, tenth and eleventh grade students will begin classes tomorrow at the partially completed $2,000,000 West Morris Regional High School, Morris County's third regional school. James H. M. Darvie, principal, said construction would not be completed until Dec. 1, but that most of the new building's 39 classrooms were ready. The school serves Chester Township, Mendham Borough, Mount Olive Township and Washington Township..... The brick and glass building has a capacity of 1,200."
WMRHSD Now and Then, West Morris Regional High School District. Accessed November 17, 2021. "West Morris Central (WMC), built in 1958, is located in, and serves, Washington Township."
Home Page, Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference. Accessed August 27, 2020. "The Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference prides itself on being one of New Jersey's premier high school conferences and is comprised of 39 high schools located in Northwest New Jersey."
Mills, Ed. "West Morris, Sparta win state titles; Wolfpack topples Randolph in championship 'hunt' 10-6", Daily Record, December 5, 1982. Accessed February 27, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "But in the end the hunt proved fruitful for the West Morris Central High School football team. Yesterday, West Morris, the hunter, finally bagged its quarry in the form of Randolph High School. The Wolfpack defeated Randolph, 10-6, in the North Jersey Section 2, Group III football championship playoff game before more than 4,000 fans at Randolph High School. West Morris, which lost its first game of the season to Randolph 11-9, finishes at 10-1 after winning 10 in a row."
Cafaro, Danny. "Nutley shut down by West Morris", The Record, December 8, 1991. Accessed January 30, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Tobin Barkman scored on two 1-yard touchdown runs in the second half Saturday as West Morris Central blanked Nutley, 14-0, in the Group 3, Section 2 football final."
Hague, Jim. "West Morris Captures Football Championship: North 2, Group III Championship", Daily Record, December 4, 2009. Accessed November 21, 2023, via Newspapers.com. "Burton carried the ball 16 times for 158 yards and scored a touchdown, returned a kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown and threw a 47-yard touchdown pass, leading West Morris to a 28-19 victory over Passaic Valley in the NJSIAA North Jersey Section 2, Group III championship game at Giants Stadium."
"Football: West Morris beats Warren Hills, 35-7, for North 2, Group 4 title", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, December 8, 2012. Accessed November 28, 2022. "West Morris has had a habit of making big defensive plays in the red zone since the NJSIAA playoffs began three weeks. The Morris County school did not break the trend in its 35-7 victory over Warren Hills in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 final Saturday at Rutgers University."
Gantaifis, Nick. "West Morris football blows by Cranford to win first regional title", Daily Record, November 26, 2021. Accessed January 2, 2022. "West Morris only needed 24 minutes of football to secure its place in history. The Wolfpack raced out to an insurmountable halftime lead on Friday to knock off previously unbeaten Cranford, 53-14 in the NJSIAA North Group 3 regional championship game at MetLife Stadium.... West Morris (10-3) completed a playoff run for the ages, winning all four postseason games in dominant fashion.... Last week, the Wolfpack claimed the eighth sectional title in program history by defeating West Essex, 21-0, in the North 2, Group 3 final."
Cohen, Todd. "West Morris football holds off West Essex to win section title for second year in a row", Daily Record, November 11, 2022. Accessed November 28, 2022. "Montella had a game-high 259 yards and two touchdowns to lift top-seeded West Morris past third-seeded West Essex in the North 2 Group 3 championship game.... The victory preserved an undefeated season and second straight sectional crown for West Morris (12-0). It’s the first time in school history the Wolfpack have won consecutive sectional crowns."
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. "23-Mendham vs. West Morris... The rivalry between these two teams is more than just that of next-door neighbors – they're also sister schools within the same district.... All-time series: West Morris leads, 21–7-1"
Cohen, Todd. "Corkery’s late TDs help West Morris hold off Mendham - football recap", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, August 30, 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024. "The duo set up a pair of Jaxon Corkery fourth quarter touchdowns to end Mendham's hopes at a second half comeback as West Morris captured a 24-16 victory Friday night in Mendham.... The victory gives West Morris a 27-7-1 advantage in the series between the Morris County schools."
"Morris/Sussex football: Takeaways, standouts and news", Daily Record, August 31, 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024. "Jaxon Corkery rushed for a pair of touchdowns to put West Morris ahead for good. Declan Higgins caught a touchdown from eight yards out as time expired to pull Mendham within one score. It was the 16th straight victory for the Wolfpack in the series, including wins to begin each of the last three seasons."
Staff. "West Morris 42, Hanover Park 34 — Morris County Tournament (High school Girls' Basketball scores & results)", The Star-Ledger, February 27, 2009. Accessed March 2, 2012. "Third-seeded West Morris, No. 19 in The Star-Ledger Top 20, improved to 22-2 by winning its third MCT final and first since 1993. It was its 12th straight victory in a streak that includes triumphs over Morris Knolls and Columbia, the teams it lost to earlier in the season. Top-seeded and No. 17 Hanover Park fell to 22-2."
Bobal, Brian. "The beat goes on for West Morris after 8-0 win over Gill St. Bernard’s", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, January 14, 2024. Accessed February 10, 2024. "The offensive weaponry was on full display on Saturday, as Rhone Armijo notched his first hat trick and nine different players had at least a point in an 8-0 win over Gill St. Bernard’s at Mennen Arena in Morristown."
Caruso III, Anthony. "NJ Group 3 boys’ championship: Moorestown drops heartbreaker to West Morris, 8-7", Philly Lacrosse, June 2, 2016. Accessed November 4, 2020. "Ryan Antonelle scored with 4.3 seconds to play, lifting West Morris Central to an 8-7 win over the Quakers today in the New Jersey Group 3 championship at Cherokee High."
"West Morris girls soccer records 16th shutout to win North 2, Group 3 title, 1-0 over Somerville", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, November 12, 2015, updated August 24, 2019. Accessed October 31, 2019. "Webb, along five fellow seniors, also got their second taste of sectional championship after capturing in 2013, but the goalkeeper said there is a bit of extra significance for her on this title.... 'Every title is great," added Rossi, who also led West Morris to a sectional crown in 2011."
Knego, Lauren. "Somerville girls soccer falters in quest for sectional title", Courier News, November 12, 2015. Accessed October 31, 2019. "The second-seeded Pioneers fell to top-seeded West Morris 1-0 in the NJSIAA North 2 Group III sectional final. Somerville was looking for its first sectional title in two years, while the Wolfpack (20-1-1) won its first crown since 2013."
LoGiudice, Daniel. "West Morris girls soccer wins first state title since 1994, ends Wall's dramatic turnaround", Asbury Park Press, November 12, 2022. Accessed November 28, 2022. "Behind the power of an Alexa Murawski goal and some stout defensive play, West Morris held on for a 1-0 victory against Wall in the Group 2 final. It’s the Wolfpack’s first state crown since 1994. It’s also the program’s first ever outright title after the Wolfpack shared a co-championship in the Group 3 tournament with Notre Dame."
"2000 was best ever for West Morris Central boys soccer", New Jersey Hills, January 11, 2001. Accessed November 4, 2020. "The decided underdog against defending champion Ocean City, the West Morris Highlanders held Ocean City scoreless through regulation and two overtime periods. The speedy Highlander forwards threatened to score on several occasions, but could not find the back of the net. The match ended a 0-0 tie, but was a moral victory for the unranked Highlanders.... The Highlanders had cause to celebrate a dominating 20-4-2 season, registering 18 shutouts, scoring 74 goals and allowing only 14 goals against. The Group 3 state championship was the first ever claimed by West Morris Central High School."
Fenton, Kelly. "West Morris Central girls' volleyball team wins crown", Observer-Tribune, November 20, 2009. Accessed July 24, 2011. "After falling to Northern Highlands a year ago in the Group 3 finals, the Lady Highlanders wanted another shot. While they would have played whoever was across the net from them on Saturday in the Group 3 championship at William Paterson University, they were happy to see those other Highlanders make it through their side of the bracket. For one game and the first part of the next, it appeared the script was headed for a repeat of last year. But West Morris rallied, and won its first-ever volleyball group title, beating Northern Highlands 18-25, 25-20 and 25-17."
Havsy, Jane. "West Morris reached all its goals", Daily Record, December 17, 2009. Accessed July 24, 2011. "During preseason, the West Morris volleyball players wrote their goals on the white squares of a poster made up to look like a checkered flag. West Morris lived up to all three, winning the MCT for the first time since '07, a share of the inaugural NJAC-American Division, and finally earning the first NJSIAA Group III title in school history."
Havsy, Jane. "Volleyball: West Morris upsets Old Tappan to win Group III title", Daily Record, November 10, 2018. Accessed November 21, 2023, via Newspapers.com. "West Morris didn't just leave the William Paterson Recreation Center with the NJSIAA Group III volleyball trophy on Saturday.... West Morris upended three-time defending champion Old Tappan, 25-18, 25-20, to earn the awards."
"No. 16 West Morris upsets No. 3 Old Tappan to win Group 3 title (PHOTOS/VIDEO)", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, November 10, 2018, updated August 23, 2019. Accessed November 4, 2020. "Winning the Morris County Tournament was just enough to whet West Morris' appetite for more. With Liz Gialanella amassing 16 kills, seven digs and a block and junior Sophie DeFaria coming up with 17 digs, West Morris, No. 16 in The NJ.com Top 20, was able to slake its title desires with a 25-18, 25-20 decision over No. 3 Old Tappan in the NJSIAA Group 3 final at William Paterson in Wayne."
Staff. "West Morris makes it four titles in a row", Daily Record, November 1, 2003. Accessed November 21, 2023, via Newspapers.com. "Devon Brothers and her West Morris volleyball team were not superstitious leading up to Saturday's Morris County Tournament final against Morris Knolls.... Instead, she had 24 assists, four kills and four aces to lead West Morris to its fourth-straight MCT title 25-14, 25-21, 25-8 over the rookie Golden Eagles."
Havsy, Jane. "West Morris volleyball returns to the top", Daily Record, October 27, 2018. Accessed October 31, 2019. "The Wolfpack defeated host Randolph, 25-19, 24-26, 25-23, in one of the most dramatic finales in MCT history. It is West Morris' first championship since 2014, the 13th in 19 years."
Shwalb, Bob. "Back where they belong", Daily Record, February 25, 1996. Accessed July 6, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "Tashy Bohm backstrokes the length of the pool, 50 yards, in exactly 13 strokes.... At next month's New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Meet of Champions, the West Morris junior will try to win a third consecutive title in the 100-yard backstroke."
Howell Jr., Tom. "News Teen fights for safer roads after friend's death", New Jersey Herald, November 22, 2008. Accessed August 13, 2018. "Kyleigh, a star athlete at West Morris Central High School, died when an Audi TT driven by a 17-year-old boy careened into a tree on Fairview Avenue in Long Valley."
Garber, Phil. "Mendhams, Long Valley heavy into top ranks of Trump campaign ", Observer-Tribune, August 31, 2016. Accessed November 22, 2016. "And last week, Trump's campaign hired Bill Stepien, 38, of Long Valley, a graduate of West Morris Central High School and Rutgers."
West Morris Regional High School District 2015 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed June 4, 2016. "Established in 1958, the West Morris Regional High School District operates two schools, West Morris Central High School and West Morris Mendham High School. The regional district serves the students of five Morris County communities: Chester Borough, Chester Township, Mendham Borough, Mendham Township and Washington Township. Students from Washington Township attend West Morris Central High School, and students from the Chesters and the Mendhams attend West Morris Mendham High School."
