Northern Highlands Regional High School

Northern Highlands Regional High School (NHRHS) is a regional public high school and school district in Allendale, in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The school serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Allendale, Ho-Ho-Kus, Saddle River, and Upper Saddle River.^[6][7] Students from Saddle River have the option of attending either Northern Highlands or Ramsey High School, as part of sending/receiving relationships with the two districts.^[8] The high school is the only facility of the Northern Highlands regional High School District.^[9][10]

Northern Highlands Regional High School
Address
298 Hillside Avenue Allendale , Bergen County, New Jersey, 07401 United States
Coordinates	41.034822°N 74.145511°W / 41.034822; -74.145511
District information
Grades	9–12
Superintendent	Scot Beckerman
Business administrator	Sue Anne Mather
Schools	1
Students and staff
Enrollment	1,287 (as of 2022–23)[1]
Faculty	111.9 FTEs[1]
Student–teacher ratio	11.5:1[1]
Other information
District Factor Group	J
Website	www.northernhighlands.org
Ind. Per pupil District spending Rank (*) 9-12 average  %± vs. average 1A Total Spending $21,018 28 $18,891 11.3% 1 Budgetary Cost 16,570 29 15,592 6.3% 2 Classroom Instruction 9,503 30 8,807 7.9% 6 Support Services 2,456 28 2,294 7.1% 8 Administrative Cost 1,462 13 1,592 −8.2% 10 Operations & Maintenance 2,087 28 1,954 6.8% 13 Extracurricular Activities 1,036 34 873 18.7% 16 Median Teacher Salary 73,835 34 71,726 Data from NJDoE 2014 Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending.[2] *Of 9-12 districts with any number of students. Lowest spending=1; Highest=47

Northern Highlands Regional High School
Location
Information
Type	Public high school
Established	1965
School district	Northern Highlands Regional School District
NCES School ID	341173000646[1]
Principal	Joseph J. Occhino
Faculty	111.9 FTEs[1]
Grades	9–12
Enrollment	1,287 (as of 2022–23)[1]
Student to teacher ratio	11.5:1[1]
Color(s)	Red   black and   white[3]
Athletics conference	Big North Conference (general) North Jersey Super Football Conference (football)
Team name	Highlanders[3]
Publication	Loch and Quay (literary magazine)[4]
Newspaper	The Highland Fling[4][5]
Yearbook	Thistle[4]

As of the 2022–23 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,287 students and 111.9 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.5:1. There were 10 students (0.8% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 3 (0.2% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.^[1]

The district was classified by the New Jersey Department of Education as being in District Factor Group "J", the highest of eight groupings. District Factor Groups organize districts statewide to allow comparison by common socioeconomic characteristics of the local districts. From lowest socioeconomic status to highest, the categories are A, B, CD, DE, FG, GH, I and J.^[11]

Northern Highlands Regional High School is accredited by the New Jersey Department of Education.

History

Prior to the opening of the regional high school, students from Allendale had attended Mahwah High School, while those from Upper Saddle River had previously been sent to attend Ramsey High School. The districts reached agreement to an early end of the sending arrangement, with plans to have 230 students from Allendale and 260 from Upper Saddle River in the new regional facility.^[12]

In May 1963, voters in Allendale and Upper Saddle River approved a referendum to create Northern Highlands Regional High School, with the planned expenditure of $3.65 million (equivalent to $36.3 million in 2023) to build a facility on a 40-acre (16 ha) site, with the objective to complete the building in time to start classes in September 1965.^[13]

The building, completed at a cost of $4 million, was dedicated in February 1966 and was constructed to handle an expected enrollment of 1,300 students. The facilities included in the original structure included a planetarium and 750-seat auditorium / theater and an FM radio station.^[14]

As of 2012, school elections were shifted from April to the November general election as part of an effort to reduce the costs of a standalone April vote.^[15]

In 2016, the Northern Highlands district reached an agreement with the Ho-Ho-Kus School District to extend the send / receive agreement through 2026 under a fixed-price contract by which Ho-Ho-Kus would pay $3.6 million for the 2016–17 school year, escalating by 2% a year to $4.3 million in 2025–26, regardless of the number of students from the borough sent to the high school.^[16]

Awards, recognition and rankings

During the 1986–87 school year, Northern Highlands Regional High School was awarded the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education,^[17] the highest award an American school can receive.^[18][19]

In 2009, Maryann Woods-Murphy, a Northern Highlands Regional High School Spanish teacher, was named the New Jersey Teacher of the Year, the highest honor given to a teacher by the state.^[20]

The school was the 3rd-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.^[21] The school had been ranked 22nd in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 6th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.^[22] The magazine ranked the school 8th in 2008 out of 316 schools.^[23] The school was ranked 7th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which included 316 schools across the state.^[24] Schooldigger.com ranked the school 43rd out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (a decrease of 29 positions from the 2010 ranking) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the mathematics (93.2%) and language arts literacy (97.7%) components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).^[25]

In Newsweek's 2014 ranking of the country's top high schools, Northern Highlands Regional High School was listed in 59th place, the 9th-highest ranked school in New Jersey.^[26]

In the 2011 "Ranking America's High Schools" issue by The Washington Post, the school was ranked 35th in New Jersey and 1,171st nationwide.^[27] The school was ranked 1174th nationwide, the 39th-highest in New Jersey, in Newsweek magazine's 2010 rankings of America's Best High Schools.^[28] In Newsweek's May 22, 2007 issue, ranking the country's top high schools, Northern Highlands Regional High School was listed in 766th place, the 16th-highest ranked school in New Jersey.^[29]

Curriculum

Northern Highlands has a four-day rotating schedule; days are lettered with A through D. Students are scheduled for eight courses, six of which meet daily. This schedule provides longer segments of time (57-minute periods) to engage in higher-order thinking and performance-based learning. To receive a Northern Highlands Regional High School diploma, all students must pass the New Jersey High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA), and earn a minimum of 125 credits including: four years of English and a Freshman Rhetoric course for one semester; one year of World History / Cultures; two years of United States History; three years of Mathematics; three years of Science; two years of World Languages; two years of Career Education & Consumer, Family, and Life Skills, one semester of which is Contemporary Business Technology, one semester of a Financial Literacy course; two years of Visual and Performing Arts; and a year of Physical Education and/or Health for each year a student is in attendance at Northern Highlands.

Elective offerings in Visual and Performing Arts include: all art and music classes, Acting I, Actors' Workshop, Creative Writing I and II, Journalism, TV Production I and II, and Film Studies. Semester courses include: Digital Multimedia and Web Page Design, as well as Mass Communications, Introduction to TV and Film, and Public Speaking. Elective offerings in Family and Life Skills include: Business, Computer classes, Industrial Technology, Family and Consumer Sciences, Music and Fine Arts. Semester courses include Digital Multimedia and Web Page Design which may apply either to Visual and Performing Arts requirements OR Family and Life Skills, and Personal Finance and Investment, Entrepreneurship, Financial Management and Accounting, and Sports and Entertainment Marketing. Engineering courses are offered and rapidly growing in popularity. Those students who take two lab sciences must have a study.

There are 37 Honors courses – two of which are Syracuse University Honors Project Advance classes in Forensic Science and Writing Studio I/ Reading Interpretation^[30] – and 19 Advanced Placement courses, in AP English Language and Composition, AP English Literature and Composition, AP United States History, AP European History, AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Statistics, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Physics, AP French Language, AP Spanish Language, AP Latin Literature, AP Macroeconomics, AP Art History, AP Studio Art, AP United States Government and Politics, AP Computer Science and AP Music Theory. AP courses are available to juniors and seniors and sophomores, although sophomores are only allowed one.^[31]

Extracurricular activities

The school newspaper is called The Highland Fling.^[4]

The Northern Highlands Regiment, the high school marching band under the direction of Taylor Rehe, is a top program in the region, having won the USSBA New Jersey Division 4A state championship in 2004 and 2010 as well as the Group 3A State and National Championships in 2012. They also won the Group 4A National Championship in 2013 and 2014.^[32]

Athletics

Corcoran Gymnasium at Northern Highlands during the Palooza

The Northern Highlands Regional High School Highlanders^[3] compete in the Big North Conference, which is comprised of public and private high schools in Bergen and Passaic counties, and was established following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).^[33] Before the 2010 realignment, the school had previously competed in the North Bergen Interscholastic Athletic League, which had included schools in Bergen and Passaic counties.^[34] With 1,021 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.^[35] The football team competes in the Freedom Red 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.^[36][37] The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Group IV North for football for 2024–2026, which included schools with 893 to 1,315 students.^[38]

A track and football field at the stadium at Northern Highlands Regional High School

The football team won the NJSIAA North I Group III state sectional championship in 1978 and the North I Group IV title in 2019.^[39] Starting in 1965, Fred Conrad became the Northern Highlands Head football coach. After eight years, Conrad led Highlands to its first state final match. The Scotty Dogs ended up with Highlands' first playoff championship win in 1978, with a 6–0 win against Pascack Hills High School in the North I Group III championship game.^[40] Five years later, Conrad brought the Scotty Dogs to their second state championship. Three years later, the Scotty Dogs would face Indian Hills High School in the state, losing by a missed field goal. In 2019, the team beat Woodbridge High School by a score of 27–7 in the tournament finals to win the North I Group IV state sectional title, the program's second in 41 years.^[41]

The field hockey team won the North I Group III state sectional championship in 1986, 1987, 1989–1991, 1993, 2013 and 2014; the team won the Group III state championship in 1986, defeating Central Regional High School in the tournament final.^[42] The team won the 2008 Bergen County Championship, its first since 2002. They were named by The Record as Team of the Year and were ranked #3 in the state. In 2010, the Northern Highlands Field Hockey team has become the second field hockey team in school history to win three consecutive Bergen County Championships, defeating Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest by a score of 1–0 in 2008, and defeating Ramsey High School by 2–0 in 2009 and 3–2 in 2010.^[43] Northern Highlands had also won three consecutive titles from 1998 to 2000.^[44]

The girls cross country team won the Group III state championship in 1991 and the Group II title in 1993.^[45]

The men's track and field program were the league champions from 2002 to 2006. The men's track team won the League, County and Sectional championships in 2006.^{[citation needed]}

The ice hockey team won the Public B state championship in 2018.^[46] The team won the NBIL regular season title and the inaugural NBIL Cup in 2007.^[47] The team won the Public B title in 2018 with a 1–0 win against Randolph High School.^[48]

The boys lacrosse team won the Group III state championship in 2018 with a 10–6 win against runner-up Moorestown High School in the tournament final.^[49][50]

The girls tennis team won the Group III state championship in 2019, defeating Red Bank Regional High School in the final match of the tournament.^[51] The 2001 girls team won the NJSIAA North I, Group III sectional championship, defeating Ramapo High School, 3–2 in the tournament final.^[52] The boys' tennis team duplicated the feat that same year, also defeating Ramapo High School by the same three matches to two score in the final.^[53] The 2003 girls' tennis team won the North I, Group III sectional championship, defeating Ramapo High School, 3–2 in the tournament final.^[54] The 2004 and 2005 teams, repeated the result, winning 4–1 over Ramapo both years.^[55][56]

The girls' basketball team won the 2005 North I, Group III sectional championship, defeating West Morris Central High School 35–27 in the final game.^[57]

The girls' soccer team won the Group III state title in 1991 as co-champion with Ewing High School, was co-champion in 1992 with Hillsborough High School, was co-champion in 2009 with Hopewell Valley Central High School, won in both 2011 and 2012 vs. Moorestown High School, in 2013 vs. Toms River High School South, 2014 vs. Colts Neck High School and 2018 vs. Moorestown; the program's nine group championships are the fifth-most of any school in the state.^[58] The 1991 team finished the season with a 20–1–4 record after winning its share of the Group III state championship after a 1–1 tie against Ewing in the tournament final.^[59] The team won the 2003 North I Group III sectional championship over Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan by a 2–1 score.^[60] During the 2009 season, the girls' soccer team played against Hopewell Valley Central High School in the state finals in The College of New Jersey. The game ended with a tie of 0–0 and it was the first time Northern Highlands girls' varsity soccer team has ever won a co-championship since 1992.^[61] During the 2011 season, the varsity girls' soccer team again made it to the state finals on November 19, 2011. Highlands won championship against Moorestown High School at 2–0. The team ended the season with a perfect score of 24–0–0 ^[62] and with a national ranking of 4th among high school girls' soccer teams.^[63]

The boys' tennis team won the 2008 North I, Group III state sectional championship with a 4–1 win in the tournament final over Fair Lawn High School.^[64][65] The 2014 boys' tennis team won the North I, Group III state sectional championship with a 3–2 win in the tournament final over Northern Valley Regional High School Demarest.^[66] The 2017 boys' tennis team won the North I, Group III state section championship with a 3–2 win in the tournament final over Wayne Hills High School.^[67]

The 2008 girls' volleyball team won its first state championship by defeating West Morris Central High School 17–25, 25–22, 25–19, the school's first state championship victory since 1993.^[68]

The girls fencing team won the overall state team championship in 2010, 2011 and 2013, was sabre team winner in 2005–2007 and 2011, was the foil team winner in 2010, 2011, 2013, 2019 and 2020, and was épée team winner in 2013. The program's three state titles are ranked fourth in the state, while the nine squad titles are ranked second statewide.^[69] The team won state sectionals in 2008–09, becoming the number one fencing team in Bergen County. Then, they went on to the state championships where they were defeated 17–10 by Governor Livingston High School for first in the state. However, in the 2009–10 season the girls' team made it back to the state tournament against Governor Livingston where they won.^[70]

The wrestling team won the North I Group III state sectional championship in 2013.^[71]

The girls' bowling team won the 2014 North I Group III Sectional title.

The 2016 baseball team won the NJSIAA North I Group III sectional championship, defeating Ramapo High School, 6–4 in the sectional final. Two games later the men's baseball team won their first outright NJSIAA Group III state championship in school history, defeating Ocean City High School, 7–2 in the tournament final.^[72][73] The team ended with a 23–10 record, finishing ranked 2nd in Bergen County and 7th in the State and were named by The Record as Team of the Year for the 2016 season.^[74]

The boys' bowling team won the 2017 North I Group IV Sectional title.^[75]

School publications

The official student newspaper of Northern Highlands Regional High School is called The Highland Fling. The title refers to a traditional Scottish dance. ^{[citation needed]}

This 20-page paper is published eight times during the school year. Students do all of the work: planning the issues, writing articles, selling advertisements and assisting with the actual printing of the paper. The editors consider any interested students in grades 9–12 who wish to write or take photos for the paper. Students wishing to join the editorial staff first gain experience as contributing staff members and, in the spring, submit an application and writing sample. Outgoing editors select the new editorial staff from among the applicants.

The school's publications have won acclaim and numerous awards from the Garden State Scholastic Press Association, the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and the National Scholastic Press Association (co-sponsored by the American Society of Newspaper Editors), among others. The school's literary magazine, Loch and Quay, was recognized in both 1992 and 1994 by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association as a Silver Crown Magazine.^[76][77]

Clubs and activities

Northern Highlands has over 50 clubs that meet during and after school. They include: Animal Conservation, Art Club, Chemistry Club, Chess Club, Debate Club, DECA, Emergency Service, Engineering Club, Engineering Club, Environmental Awareness, Fed Challenge, Fishing Club, French Club, Freshman Literary Magazine, Gender Sexuality Awareness, Dumbledore's Army, Highlands Cares, Highlands Heros, Rotary Club, Italian Club, Leos CLub, Literary Magazine, Highlands Regiment, Mock Trial, Model Congress, Model UN, Highlands Voices, Highlands Belles, Highlands Harmonics, Guitar Club, The Highlands Fling, NH Theater Company, Quiz Bowl, Science League, Spanish Club, Stock Market Club, Students Against Destructive Decisions, Yearbook Club, and Yoga Club.^[78][79]

Administration

Core members of the district / school administration are:^[80][81]

District administration

• Scot Beckerman, superintendent. Beckerman took office July 1, 2015, succeeding John J. Petrelli, who was serving as interim superintendent.^[82]
• Sue Anne Mather, board secretary and business administrator

School administration

The school's principal is Joseph J. Occhino. His administration team includes two assistant principals.^[80]

Board of education

The district's board of education, comprised of nine elected members, sets policy and oversees the fiscal and educational operation of the district through its administration. As a Type II school district, the board's trustees are elected directly by voters to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with three seats up for election each year held (since 2012) as part of the November general election; an additional board member is appointed to represent Saddle River. The board appoints a superintendent to oversee the district's day-to-day operations and a business administrator to supervise the business functions of the district.^[83][84][85] Ten seats on the board are allocated based on the percentage of students from each district, with five seats assigned to Upper Saddle River, four to Allendale and one to Ho-Ho-Kus. Saddle River, whose student enrollment is below 10% of the total, is assigned a single non-voting representative.^[86]

Notable alumni

See also: Category:Northern Highlands Regional High School alumni

• Beth Beglin (born 1957), field hockey player who represented the United States three times at the Summer Olympics^[87]
• Kyah Cahill (born 2003), footballer who last played for the Lusail Football Academy^[88]
• James Comey (born 1960), seventh director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.^[89]
• Margaret Juntwait (born 1957), Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts announcer.^[90]
• Maria Pitillo (born 1966), actress who appeared in the 1998 film Godzilla^[91]
• Kevin J. Rooney (born 1960, class of 1977), politician who has represented the 40th Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly since 2016^[92]
• Danielle Schulmann (born 1989), soccer player who plays as a forward for the Israel women's national team^[93]
• Chloe Troast (born 1997, class of 2015), comedian and actress, who joined the cast of the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live in 2023 for its 49th season^[94]
• Chris Wylde (born 1976), actor and comedian^[95]

References

1. School data for Northern Highlands Regional High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 1, 2024.
2. Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending April 2013, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 15, 2013.
3. Northern Highlands Regional High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
4. Student Activities Guide 2021-22, Northern Highlands Regional High School. Accessed March 24, 2022.
5. The Highland Fling, Northern Highlands Regional High School. Accessed March 24, 2022.
6. Northern Highlands Regional High School 2015 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed May 31, 2016. "A four-year public high school, Northern Highlands strives to address the needs of all of its students who come from four towns in northern Bergen County: Allendale, Upper Saddle River, Ho-Ho-Kus, and Saddle River."
7. Northern Highlands Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Northern Highlands Regional High School District. Accessed February 17, 2020. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades 9 through 12 in the Northern Highlands Regional High School District.. Composition: The Northern Highlands Regional High School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Allendale and Upper Saddle River."
8. Staff. "Tuition to rise $219 under new contract", Town Journal, November 19, 2009. Accessed August 22, 2011. "With no high school in the borough, Saddle River students have the option of enrolling in either Ramsey High School or Northern Highlands. The new deal replaces the previous agreement that covered 1998 to 2008."
9. School Performance Reports for the Northern Highlands Regional High School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 3, 2024.
10. New Jersey School Directory for the Northern Highlands Regional High School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.
11. NJ Department of Education District Factor Groups (DFG) for School Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed October 13, 2014.
12. "Regional HS Path Cleared", The Paterson Morning Call, March 22, 1960. Accessed March 24, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "The early withdrawal of Allendale students from Mahwah Junior Senior High School, to permit Allendale to regionalize with Upper Saddle River was approved by the Board of Education last night. Allendale is currently under a ten-year agreement, due to expire in 1968 to send its students to Mahwah. Under the new plan, which was requested by both Allendale and Upper Saddle River, Allendale's ninth and tenth graders will withdraw from Mahwah by September 1965, when the regional high school is to be opened. Eleventh and twelfth graders will continue in Mahwah until graduation.... Upper Saddle River students currently attend Ramsey High School but have been ordered to withdraw by 1961.... The regional high school is to open by September 1965 with an anticipated 258 pupils from Upper Saddle River and from 235 from Allendale."
13. Staff. "2 Jersey Towns Approve New Regional High School", The New York Times, May 26, 1963. Accessed August 21, 2011.
14. Robbins, William. "Jersey School Is Equipped for Space Age Library Has Glass Walls", The New York Times, March 27, 1966. Accessed August 21, 2011.
15. Kleimann, Karen; Clyde, John. "Districts moving school elections", Town Journal, February 15, 2012. Accessed November 30, 2014. "The Allendale, Ho-Ho-Kus, Northern Highlands, Saddle River and Upper Saddle River boards of education voted to move their respective school elections to November for at least the next four annual elections. The five districts, along with a majority of school boards across the state, are moving their elections from April to November in hopes of sparing taxpayers the expense of a separate election, according to the New Jersey School Boards Association."
16. Northern Highlands Regional High School and the Borough of Ho-Ho-Kus announced a new 10-year send/receive agreement through 2026 last week... The total tuition to be paid by Ho-Ho-Kus for the 2016 to 2017 school year is $3,580,675. The fee increases by approximately 2 percent per year to $4,279,238 in the 2025 to 2026 school year."
17. Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982-1983 through 1999-2002 Archived June 30, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, United States Department of Education. Accessed November 2, 2016.
18. "CIBA cited as one of the best by Education Department", Journal Inquirer, November 16, 2006. "The Blue Ribbon award is given only to schools that reach the top 10 percent of their state's testing scores over several years or show significant gains in student achievement. It is considered the highest honor a school can achieve."
19. "Viers Mill School Wins Blue Ribbon; School Scored High on Statewide Test", The Washington Post. September 29, 2005 "For their accomplishments, all three schools this month earned the status of Blue Ribbon School, the highest honor the U.S. Education Department can bestow upon a school."
20. Coutros, Evonne. "Northern Highlands teacher named N.J. Teacher of the Year", The Record, October 21, 2009. Accessed August 3, 2011. "Each year in class, Spanish teacher MaryAnn Woods-Murphy and her students at Northern Highlands Regional High School share the message of achieving goals and never giving up on a dream. MaryAnn Woods-Murphy gets a hug from Principal Joseph Occhino. Woods-Murphy, 53, lived up to those words today when she was awarded the state's highest achievement as 2009-2010 New Jersey Teacher of the Year by Commissioner of Education Lucille E. Davy at a ceremony in Trenton."
21. Staff. "Top Schools Alphabetical List 2014", New Jersey Monthly, September 2, 2014. Accessed September 5, 2014.
22. Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed December 2, 2012.
23. Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed February 11, 2011.
24. "Top New Jersey High Schools 2008: By Rank", New Jersey Monthly, September 2008, posted August 7, 2008. Accessed August 19, 2008.
25. New Jersey High School Rankings: 11th Grade HSPA Language Arts Literacy & HSPA Math 2010-2011, Schooldigger.com. Accessed February 26, 2012.
26. "America's Top Schools 2014", Newsweek. Accessed October 13, 2014.
27. Mathews, Jay. "The High School Challenge 2011: Northern Highlands Regional High School", The Washington Post. Accessed August 16, 2011.
28. Staff. "America's Best High Schools: The List", Newsweek, June 13, 2010. Accessed March 27, 2011.
29. "The Top of the Class: The complete list of the 1,200 top U.S. schools", Newsweek, May 22, 2007. Accessed May 24, 2007.
30. Syracuse University Project Advance, Northern Highlands Regional High School. Accessed March 24, 2022.
31. Gifted and Talented Education, Northern Highlands Regional High School. Accessed March 24, 2022.
32. 'Highlands Regiment Wins Nationals" Archived October 26, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, NJ.com, November 14, 2013. Accessed October 13, 2014. "The Highlands Regiment, won the group 4A National Championship and the Cadet award at MetLife Stadium."
33. League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 16, 2017.
34. 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 13, 2014.
35. NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
36. Cooper, Darren. "Here's what we know about the new Super Football Conference 2020 schedule", The Record, July 23, 2020. Accessed March 22, 2021. "The Super Football Conference (SFC) is a 112-team group, the largest high school football-only conference in America, and is comprised of teams from five different counties."
37. Cooper, Darren. "NJ football: Super Football Conference revised schedules for 2020 regular season", The Record, July 23, 2020. Accessed March 22, 2021. "The Super Football Conference has 112 teams that will play across 20 divisions."
38. NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2024–2026, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.
39. NJSIAA Football History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
40. "North Bergen Wins; Seton Hall Is Victor", The New York Times, December 3, 1978. Accessed September 29, 2020. "Vin Calatri completed 15 of 28 passes, including a 6-yard touchdown strike to Mike Pesanello in the third period, and lifted Northern Highlands to a 6-0 victory over Pascack Hills in the Section Group 3 final."
41. Tufaro, Greg. "NJ football: Northern Highlands ends 41-year sectional championship drought", Courier News, November 22, 2019. Accessed September 29, 2020. "As his team prepared to end a 41-year sectional championship drought, Northern Highlands head football coach Greg Russo noticed the majority of pregame conversation centered around the opposition’s running back.... Harris rushed for a career-high 340 yards and four touchdowns on 31 carries to help Northern Highlands claim its first sectional title since 1978 with a 37-7 victory over Woodbridge in the North 1 Group 4 final on Friday night."
42. History of NJSIAA Field Hockey Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
43. Fox, Ron. "Northern Highlands wins third straight field hockey county title", Town Journal, October 28, 2010. Accessed August 17, 2011. "On the way to winning their third straight Bergen County field hockey championship Sunday, the Northern Highlands girls had to weather an unusual occurrence. The other team scored. In 2008, the Highlanders subdued Demarest, 2–0, for the title and last year blanked Ramsey, 1–0, to repeat as champion.... Then the Allendale team took charge and won, 3–2, on two second-half scores.
44. Cooper, Darren. "Northern Highlands dancing toward third straight field hockey crown", The Record, October 19, 2010. Accessed August 17, 2011. "The Highlanders are looking to match history by winning their third straight County title — they also did the trick from 1998-2000."
45. NJSIAA Girls Cross Country State Group Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
46. NJSIAA Ice Hockey State Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
47. Rosen, Dan. "Northern Highlands wins initial NBIL Cup", The Record, February 24, 2007. "The Highlanders avenged their lone loss of the season with a 3–2 victory over Fair Lawn in the first NBIL Cup championship game as sophomore left wing Andrew Milanesi scored what proved to be the winner 7:10 into the third period."
48. Tartaglia, Greg. "Northern Highlands skates to first state hockey championship at The Rock", The Record, March 5, 2018. Accessed October 21, 2020. "The Northern Highlands captain played the entirety of the Public B state hockey tournament with a torn ligament in his left knee. Midway through the second period of Monday’s title game against Randolph at Prudential Center, he collided with a Rams player and crumpled to the ice.... His worries were delayed further when the final horn sounded on second-seeded Northern Highlands' 1-0 win over No. 1 Randolph."
49. NJSIAA Boys Lacrosse Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
50. Farrell, Sean. "Boys lacrosse: Northern Highlands captures 1st state title", The Record, May 30, 2018. Accessed October 21, 2020. "The Highlanders (20-2) earned their first Group 3 state title with a 10-6 win over defending-champion Moorestown on Wednesday at Shore Regional."
51. Girls Tennis Championship History: 1971–2023, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated November 2023. Accessed September 1, 2024.
52. 2001 NJSIAA Girls Team Tennis - North I, Group III, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed April 28, 2007.
53. North I, Group III Archived September 30, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed April 28, 2007.
54. 2003 Girls Team Tennis – North I, Group III, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed April 28, 2007.
55. 2004 Girls Team Tennis – North I, Group III, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed April 28, 2007.
56. 2005 Girls Team Tennis – North I, Group III, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed April 28, 2007.
57. 2005 Girls Basketball – North I, Group III, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed April 28, 2007.
58. NJSIAA History of Girls Soccer, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023. Note that Northern Highlands is incorrectly shown as outright winner and Ewing as the runner up of the 1991 title, which ended in a tie.
59. Mayer, John. "Highlands gains share of title", The Record, November 24, 1991. Accessed January 27, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Teams usually become despondent when allowing a goal, but Northern Highlands took the opposite approach in Saturday's Group 3 State girls soccer final. The effort earned the Highlanders a 1-1 tie with Ewing and a share of the title.... Northern Highlands (20-1-4) tied the game with 6:37 to play in the first half as junior center midfielder Anny Madden buried a direct kick from about 25 yards over the goalie's head and into the net."
60. 2003 Girls Soccer – North I - 3, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed April 28, 2007.
61. Staff. "Girls Soccer - 2009 NJSIAA Tournament - Group 3, Public Semis/Finals - Round 2 - Game 1 - Girls Soccer", The Star-Ledger, November 21, 2009. Accessed June 15, 2011. "It was the Bulldogs' first crown since sharing it with Chatham in 1983, while Northern Highlands won its first since a co-championship in 1992."
62. "Moorestown (0) at Northern Highlands (2), NJSIAA Group Tournament, Final Round, Group 3 - Girls Soccer", accessed November 19, 2011
63. Girls - National - Final Poll - November 22, 2011, National Soccer Coaches Association of America. Accessed December 2, 2013.
64. 2008 Boys Team Tennis - North I, Group III, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed June 2, 2008.
65. Statpleton, Art. "Stapleton: Where dreams come true", The Record, May 19, 2008. Accessed June 2, 2008.
66. Fox, Ron. "H.S. Boys Tennis: Northern Highlands caps off great season with title". NorthJersey.com. Retrieved May 29, 2017.^{[permanent dead link]}
67. "Photos: Northern Highlands boys tennis edges Wayne Hills for North 1, Group 3 title", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, May 23, 2017, updated August 23, 2019. Accessed October 21, 2020. "Second-seeded Northern Highlands edged top-seeded Wayne Hills, 3-2, to win the North Jersey, Section 1, Group 3 title at Franklin Lakes Racquet Club."
68. NJSIAA Girls Volleyball Group Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
69. NJSIAA History of Girls Fencing Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
70. Mills, Ed. "Girls Fencing Team of the Year: Northern Highlands", The Record, March 24, 2010. Accessed June 25, 2010. "Northern Highlands made the big jump and won its first State fencing championship. The fourth-seeded Highlanders went 18–2 and defeated seventh-seeded Governor Livingston in the championship after stunning top-seeded Montgomery in the semifinals.... The Highlanders lost to Governor Livingston in last year's State team finals."
71. NJSIAA Wrestling Team Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2021.
72. Baseball Championship History: 1959–2024, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.
73. Perez, Braulio. "Northern Highlands stuns No. 2 Ocean City to capture first state title in program history", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, June 11, 2016. Accessed November 11, 2019. "But in the Group 3 final, Northern Highlands wasted no time getting to Mooney (five innings, six runs allowed), scoring two runs in the first inning, which fueled them the rest of the way in a stunning 7-2 victory over No. 2 Ocean City for the Group 3 title. And more importantly for the Highlanders, this is their first state title in school history, which already has the players talking about getting a championship banner hung inside the gymnasium on campus."
74. "H.S. baseball: Northern Highlands The Record Team of the Year", The Record, June 26, 2016. Accessed November 11, 2019. "The hitting caught up as the season went on, helping to spark a stirring drive to the first state sectional title since 1985 and first North 1, Group 3 state title in Highlands’ 50-year history. The Highlanders (23-10) lived up to all their preseason hype, and that’s why they are The Record Baseball Team of the Year."
75. Fox, Ron. "Cunningham's 300 game leads Northern Highlands bowling", The Record, February 12, 2017. Accessed September 15, 2020. "A respectable finish in the middle of the pack seemed to be the best Northern Highlands could hope for in Saturday's North 1, Group 4 state bowling sectionals. But then junior Will Cunningham let loose with the series of his life, rolling a perfect game, as the Highlanders gathered to pull off the surprising championship win, roaring past 39 other teams at Bowler City in Hackensack."
76. 1992 Scholastic Crown Recipients Archived September 28, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Columbia Scholastic Press Association. Accessed August 17, 2011.
77. 1994 Scholastic Crown Recipients Archived September 28, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Columbia Scholastic Press Association. Accessed August 17, 2011.
78. Clubs/Activities / Offerings, Northern Highlands Regional High School. Accessed March 25, 2021.
79. 2021 Clubs, Northern Highlands Regional High School. Accessed March 25, 2021.
80. Administration, Northern Highlands Regional High School. Accessed December 27, 2022.
81. New Jersey School Directory for Bergen County, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.
82. Nolan, Sarah. "Northern BOE selects Dr. Scot Beckerman as new superintendent", Town Journal, April 22, 2015. Accessed June 24, 2015. "The Northern Highlands Board of Education approved the appointment of Dr. Scot Beckerman as the new Superintendent of Schools at its April 13 meeting. Beckerman, who has been in education for 23 years, will begin his tenure at the high school on July 1 and replace Interim Superintendent John Petrelli, who has served in the role since last summer."
83. New Jersey Boards of Education by District Election Types - 2018 School Election, New Jersey Department of Education, updated February 16, 2018. Accessed January 26, 2020.
84. Annual Comprehensive Financial Report of the Northern Highlands Regional High School District, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2023. Accessed May 1, 2024. "The Northern Highlands Regional High School District is an instrumentality of the State of New Jersey, established to function as an educational institution. The District is a Regional Type II district located in the County of Bergen, State of New Jersey. As a Type II district, the School District functions independently through a Board of Education. The board is comprised of ten members, including a member from the Borough of Ho-Ho-Kus, elected to staggered three-year terms. The Board of Education is responsible for the fiscal control of the District. A Superintendent is appointed by the Board and is responsible for the administrative control of the District. The purpose of the district is to educate students in grades 9-12 from the Borough of Allendale and the Borough of Upper Saddle River, the District's constituent members. The District also provides educational services to students in grades 9-12 from the Boroughs of Ho-Ho-Kus and Saddle River pursuant to separate sending/receiving agreements." See "Roster of Officials" on page 14.
85. Board of Education, Northern Highlands Regional High School, updated November 12, 2021. Accessed January 25, 2022.
86. About the Board of Education, Northern Highlands Regional High School, updated June 20, 2020. Accessed January 25, 2022. "The Northern Highlands Regional High School Board of Education is comprised of a ten board members who are elected by the constituents in the three municipalities (Upper Saddle River, Allendale, and Ho-Ho-Kus) whose students attend the Northern Highlands Regional High School district. As Saddle River has less than 10% of the entire districts population, they have a non-voting liaison on the Board who serves as the 11th member. Currently, five members are elected from the Borough of Upper Saddle River, four from the Borough of Allendale and one from the Borough of Ho-Ho-Kus. The numeric breakdown of members is determined by total student population from each specific town, one member for each 10% of the entire schools population."
87. Jackson, Matt. "Northern Highlands Hall of Fame class unveiled", Town Journal, February 10, 2011. Accessed August 21, 2011.
88. Fox, Ron. "No. Highlands boys soccer has young talent", The Town Journal, August 30, 2018. Accessed December 3, 2023, via Newspapers.com.
89. Weiser, Benjamin. "Man in the News; Reputation for Tenacity; James Brien Comey", The New York Times, December 2, 2011. Accessed August 21, 2011. "Education: Northern Highlands Regional High School, Allendale, N.J.; B.S., College of William and Mary; J.D., University of Chicago Law School."
90. Beckerman, Jim. "Ridgewood native is the voice of the Met", The Record, July 28, 2008. Accessed July 29, 2008.
91. Ivry, Bob. "Upstaged By A Lizard -- Mahwah's Maria Pitillo Finds Glory In Godzilla's Giant Shadow", The Record, May 23, 1998. Accessed December 2, 2013. "Whereupon the petite actress, who also attended Northern Highlands Regional High School, executes a cutesy maneuver with her palms upraised -- a gesture best described as flouncing."
92. Nesi, Chris. "Four are vying for two seats on the governing body", Suburban News, October 22, 2009. Accessed January 25, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "Kevin J. Rooney... Education: Northern Highlands Regional HighSchool, 1977.Graduated from Ramapo College in Mahwah in 1980."
93. Danielle Schulmann Archived May 1, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, UConn Huskies women's soccer. Accessed May 1, 2016. "Hometown: Saddle River, N.J. High School: Northern Highlands High"
94. DeVencentis, Philip. "Ho-Ho-Kus native Chloe Troast makes her debut on Saturday Night Live", The Record, October 15, 2023. Accessed December 3, 2023. "Troast, 26, who grew up in Ho-Ho-Kus and graduated in 2015 from Northern Highlands Regional High School in Allendale, is the only newcomer to the cast of the award-winning sketch comedy series, now in its 49th year."
95. Strauss, Robert. "In Person; Hide Those Children. A Jersey Guy's on TV.", The New York Times, July 22, 2001. Accessed December 3, 2023. "On Aug. 5 at 11:30 p.m., The Chris Wylde Show Starring Chris Wylde, a 24-year-old who grew up as Chris Noll in Belvedere, Verona and Allendale, will premiere as the first late-night show on the cable network Comedy Central... 'So far, I think, the most famous person out of Northern Highlands Regional High School is Vinnie Testaverde's niece,' he said."

External links

• Northern Highlands Regional High School
• School Performance Report for Northern Highlands Regional High School, New Jersey Department of Education
• Data for Northern Highlands Regional High School, National Center for Education Statistics