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Neptune High School

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Coordinates: 40°12′42″N 74°02′09″W / 40.211755°N 74.035734°W / 40.211755; -74.035734
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For the fictional high school from Veronica Mars, see Locations in Veronica Mars § Neptune High.

Neptune High School
Address
Map
55 Neptune Boulevard

Neptune Township
,
Monmouth County, New Jersey
,
New Jersey
07753

United States
Coordinates40°12′42″N 74°02′09″W / 40.211755°N 74.035734°W / 40.211755; -74.035734
Information
School typePublic high school
MottoSchool of Excellence and No Excuses
Established1897
School districtNeptune Township Schools
NCES School ID341116004032[1]
PrincipalTom Decker[2]
Faculty95.0 FTEs[1]
Grades9-12
Enrollment1,203 (as of 2022–23)[1]
Student to teacher ratio12.7:1[1]
Color(s)  Red
  Black[3]
Athletics conferenceShore Conference[4]
MascotKing Neptune
Team nameScarlet Fliers[3]
RivalsAsbury Park High School
Long Branch High School
Lakewood High School
AccreditationMiddle States Association of Colleges and Schools[7]
NewspaperThe Blazer[5]
YearbookTrident[6]
Websitehs.neptuneschools.org

Neptune High School is a comprehensive four-year community public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Neptune Township, in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as part of the Neptune Township Schools. Neptune Township Schools is one of New Jersey's 31 former Abbott districts.[8] The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1929.[7]

As of the 2022–23 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,203 students and 95.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.7:1. There were 347 students (28.8% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 64 (5.3% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.[1]

History

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In 1897, the site in Ocean Grove was leased to the school district for the purpose of creating Neptune High School. Completed in 1898, the then school had won an award at the 1906 World's Fair for its architectural splendor.[9] The school opened in 1897, with Lida Doren serving as the state's first female principal and superintendent. The building was used until September 1960, when it was replaced by the district's existing high school building.[10] The building had been used as a school up until the 1980s, after which the state of the building was allowed to decline. In 2004, the original building was repurposed as the Jersey Shore Arts Center.[9]

Awards, recognition and rankings

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The school was the 292nd-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.[11] The school had been ranked 283rd in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after also being ranked 283rd in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.[12] The magazine ranked the school 268th in 2008 out of 316 schools.[13] The school was ranked 221st in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state.[14]

Athletics

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The Neptune High School Scarlet Fliers[3] compete in Division B North of the Shore Conference, an athletic conference comprised of public and private high schools in Monmouth and Ocean counties along the Jersey Shore.[4][15] The league operates under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).[16] With 970 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.[17] The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Group III South for football for 2024–2026, which included schools with 695 to 882 students.[18]

The boys track team won the Group II spring / outdoor track state championship in 1939 and 1940 (as co-champion).[19]

The boys' basketball team won the Group II state championship in 1949 with a win over Millburn High School, won the Group IV title in 1981 with a win against Malcolm X Shabazz High School, and won the Group III title in 2002 vs. Weequahic High School and 2009 against Teaneck High School.[20] The team won the 1949 Group II state championship with a 47–45 win against Merchantville High School in the semifinals and 62–59 against Millburn in the championship game.[21] The 1981 team was the state's only unbeaten boys basketball team, finishing the season 29-0 after taking their first lead of the game in the middle of the fourth quarter of the championship game on its way to winning the Group IV title with a 60–55 win against Malcolm X Shabazz at Jadwin Gymnasium.[22] Led by Taquan Dean, the 2002 team won the Group III title with an 84–58 win against Weequahic in the championship game at the Louis Brown Athletic Center and advanced to the Tournament of Champions, where the team received a bye as the second seed and defeated third-seeded East Side High School 71–63 in the semifinals before falling to top-seed St. Anthony High School 69–49 in the finals at the Continental Airlines Arena to finish the season with a 29–3 record.[23][24][25]

The boys track team won the indoor track Group IV state championship in 1974 and 1976.[26] The girls team won the Group IV championship in 1987 (as co-champion), the Group II titles in 1995-96 and the Group III title in 2009 (co-champion).[27]

In 1976, the boys' track team won the Group IV state indoor relay championship. The girls team won the Group III title in 1996.[28]

The boys track team won the winter track Meet of Champions in 1976.[29]

The 1980 boys' soccer team finished the season with a record of 21-3 after winning the program's first Group IV state championship, defeating Columbia High School in the tournament final at Mercer County Park by the score of 3–1.[30][31][32]

The girls' basketball team won the Group IV state championships in 1984 against Plainfield High School, and won the Group III title in 2010 (vs. Pascack Valley High School) and 2011 (vs. Teaneck High School).[33] The girls' basketball team won the 2011 state championship, topping St. John Vianney High School by a score of 67–48 in the finals of the Tournament of Champions in a game played at the Izod Center, earning the first ToC championship for the school and for any school in the Shore Conference.[34][35]

The field hockey team won the Central Jersey Group IV state sectional title in 1984 and 1986, and won the Group IV state championship in 1986.[36]

The girls spring track team was the Group IV state champion in 1987 and 2012.[37]

The football team won the Central Jersey Group III state sectional title in 1995, 1997, 1998 and 2011.[38]

Administration

[edit]

The school's principal is Tom Decker.[2] His administration team includes three vice principals.[39]

Notable alumni

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See also: Category:Neptune High School alumni

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e School data for Neptune High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 1, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Welcome From Our Principal, Neptune High School. Accessed October 2, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Neptune High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  4. ^ a b Shore Conference Realignment for 2018-2019 and 2019-2020, Shore Conference. Accessed November 15, 2020.
  5. ^ The Blazer, Neptune High School. Accessed May 16, 2022.
  6. ^ Trident Yearbook, Neptune High School. Accessed May 16, 2022.
  7. ^ a b Neptune High School, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed March 31, 2020.
  8. ^ Abbott School Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed June 15, 2016.
  9. ^ a b DeMasters, Karen. "A Derelict School Gets New Life With the Arts", The New York Times, January 2, 2000. Accessed May 24, 2016.
  10. ^ a b Staff. History of King Neptune and the Scarlet Fliers, Neptune High School, October 25, 2003, last revised June 4, 2012. Accessed April 24, 2015. "Joe M. Vetrano '36 – Earned eight varsity letters and was an All-State selection in football for the Scarlet Fliers. Went on to garner All-American status at Mississippi Southern. Was an original member of the San Francisco 49ers and played halfback from 1946 to 1949."
  11. ^ Staff. "Top Schools Alphabetical List 2014", New Jersey Monthly, September 2, 2014. Accessed September 5, 2014.
  12. ^ Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed December 2, 2012.
  13. ^ Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed May 27, 2011.
  14. ^ "Top New Jersey High Schools 2008: By Rank", New Jersey Monthly, September 2008, posted August 7, 2008. Accessed August 19, 2008.
  15. ^ Member Schools, Shore Conference. Accessed November 15, 2020.
  16. ^ League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  17. ^ NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
  18. ^ NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2024–2026, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.
  19. ^ NJSIAA Boys Spring Track Summary of Group Titles, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  20. ^ NJSIAA Boys Basketball Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
  21. ^ "Neptune Defeats Millburn For State Court Crown; Entire Township Praises 'Conquering Heroes' Starting With Saturday Night Parade", The Ocean Grove Times, March 25, 1949. Accessed December 8, 2020. "The entire high school student body massed into the Auditorium Tuesday afternoon, filling the main floor and gallery, to do honor to Neptune high school's State Basketball Champions for 1949. They had won the crown for the first time in Neptune history last Saturday afternoon in a thrilling up-hill contest with Millburn, by a score of 62 to 59, after having won the opening game of the state tournament the previous Wednesday night from the champions of South Jersey—Merchantville—by the score of 47 to 45".
  22. ^ Burrows, Walt. "Neptune tops Shabazz", Courier-Post, March 22, 1981. Accessed December 20, 2020, via Newspapers.com. "Bob Braun and Kevin Thomas sparked a fourth-period rally that led unbeaten Neptune High School to a 60-55 triumph over Malcolm X Shabazz and to the Group 4 Boys state basketball championship here last night in Princeton University's Jadwin Gymnasium.... Braun topped all scorers with 22 points and Thomas followed with 20 and Gabriel added 11 as Neptune finished as the state's only unbeaten team at 29-0."
  23. ^ Graham, Tony. "Crowns for Neptune, Rumson; First love was worth the wait", Asbury Park Press, March 11, 2002. Accessed January 25, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Basketball coach and former Scarlet Fliers point guard Ken O'Donnell, in order to advance through the school system's administrative ranks, was going to resign. Also, star junior Taquan Dean was going to transfer. But as last night's NJSIAA Group III championship 84-58 victory over Weequahic was concluding, there was O'Donnell high-fiving Dean on the Neptune bench at the Louis Brown Athletic Center."
  24. ^ NJSIAA Boys Basketball Tournament of Champions History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 1, 2020.
  25. ^ Kerwick, Mike. "No. 1 St. Anthony simply too much", Asbury Park Press, March 25, 2002. Accessed January 25, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Dean picked up on what the 10,069 spectators at yesterday's Tournament of Champions final noticed five minutes into the game: St. Anthony was the gold standard, is the gold standard, and until someone finds a more consistent way to outduke Friars coach Bob Hurley, St. Anthony will continue to be the gold standard. The Friars (29-1) won their eighth title in the tournament's 14-year history yesterday afternoon, crushing Neptune 69-49 at Continental Airlines Arena.... Nobody from Neptune (29-3) had more than 10 points, just four days after every Scarlet Fliers starter had at least 13 points."
  26. ^ Boys Winter Track and Field Championship History: 1922-2023, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated November 2023. Accessed February 1, 2024.
  27. ^ Girls Winter Track and Field Championship History: 1922-2023, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated November 2023. Accessed February 1, 2024.
  28. ^ History of the NJSIAA Indoor Relay Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 1, 2020.
  29. ^ NJSIAA Winter Track Previous Team Meet of Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
  30. ^ NJSIAA History of Boys Soccer, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  31. ^ Graham, Tony. "Neptune breaks its 'jinx' to win first soccer crown", Asbury Park Press, November 20, 1980. Accessed December 8, 2020, via Newspapers.com."On the field in yesterday's NJSIAA Group IV championship game at Mercer County Park, the Neptune High School soccer team buried a jinx. The Scarlet Fliers dethroned two-time defending champion Columbia, 3-1, to win their first Group IV soccer title and with the victory cracked the school's history of torment and trauma in NJSIAA finals."
  32. ^ LoGiudice, Daniel. "NJ boys soccer: 30 greatest Jersey Shore teams ever", Asbury Park Press, June 16, 2020. Accessed December 8, 2020. "1980 Neptune (21-3) - The 'jinx' ended in 1980 for Neptune. After going 0-2 in their previous two group finals, the Scarlet Fliers won their first group title with a 3-1 triumph against two-time defending champion Columbia in the Group IV final."
  33. ^ Girls Basketball Championship History: 1919–2024, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated March 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.
  34. ^ Lerner, Gregg. "Girls Basketball - 2009-10 NJSIAA Tournament - Tournament of Champions - Round 3 - Game 1 - Girls Basketball", The Star-Ledger, March 23, 2010. Accessed July 14, 2011. "Sparked by its playmaker performing at a feverish rate, Neptune, No. 2 in The Star-Ledger Top 20, pulled away in the fourth quarter to secure a 67-48 victory over third-seeded and defending champion St. John Vianney, ranked No. 5, last night in the NJSIAA/Meadowlands Sports Complex Tournament of Champions final before 2,817 at the Izod Center in East Rutherford. Neptune (30-1) claimed its first T of C crown and became the first public school from the mighty Shore Conference to win the prestigious event."
  35. ^ NJSIAA Girls Basketball Tournament of Champions History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
  36. ^ History of NJSIAA Field Hockey Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  37. ^ NJSIAA Girls Spring Track Summary of Group Titles, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  38. ^ NJSIAA Football History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  39. ^ Meet our Vice Principals, Neptune High School. Accessed October 2, 2024.
  40. ^ Stamelman, Peter. "Lynn Ahrens: From a Boardwalk Town to Broadway Success - Tony-winning lyricist Lynn Ahrens is making a splash yet again on the Great White Way with the revival of Once on This Island.", New Jersey Monthly, May 1, 2018. Accessed October 13, 2018. "No doubt, the 69-year-old Ahrens continues to gain inspiration when she flashes back to her youthful days in Neptune, 'flag-twirling for the Scarlet Fliers at Neptune High School, working as a carhop at a drive-in restaurant called Horner's, going to Mom's for pizza, summers on the beach, and high school graduation ceremonies under a giant, electrified American flag at Ocean Grove's Great Auditorium.'"
  41. ^ "Armstrong Disarms Mets", The Record, May 4, 1990. "OK, let's get the obvious out of the way. Born in Englewood and a star at Neptune High School who went on to pitch at Rider College and the University of Oklahoma, 6-foot-5, 220-pound Cincinnati right-hander Jack Armstrong fulfills the qualifications for the obvious nickname, 'All-American Boy,' like the fictional character of the same name."
  42. ^ Lewis, Evelyn Stryker. "Neptune and Shark River Hills", p. 88. Arcadia Publishing, 1998. ISBN 0-7385-5699-8. Accessed May 27, 2011.
  43. ^ Beltle, Richer. "Neptune Sports", Ocean Grove Times, July 7, 1994. Accessed June 27, 2019. "John Best played some sub-varsity basketball at Neptune before moving to Tennessee. He grew 6", went on to East Tennessee State, and will go to camp with the Nets in the fall."
  44. ^ Staff. "'Bam Bam' Dead at 45; Wrestler Bigelow Found in Fla. House", New York Daily News, January 22, 2007. Accessed October 14, 2018. "Bigelow, who finished third in the 1979 New Jersey state wrestling tournament for Neptune High School, was known for the fiery tattoo that covered his skull and uncanny agility for a man of nearly 400 pounds."
  45. ^ Walsh, David. "Curry ready for 1st series win", The Herald-Dispatch, September 6, 2010. Accessed December 25, 2011. "Recruited to Marshall by former head coach Mark Snyder, Curry got in 12 preseason practices before the NCAA declared him ineligible. Curry was an academic non-qualifier. He had an outstanding career at Neptune (N.J) High School and Harmony Community School in Cincinnati."
  46. ^ Bob Davis Archived February 8, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, database Football. Accessed December 15, 2007.
  47. ^ "Pirate Time Machine No. 41 (2009)". bonesville.net. 2009. Archived from the original on May 9, 2015. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
  48. ^ "Jake Jones '71", Assumption College. Accessed September 11, 2014.
  49. ^ Keith Kirkwood, Temple Owls football. Accessed November 12, 2018. "Hometown: Neptune, N.J. High School: Neptune.... A 2013 graduate of Neptune High School in New Jersey"
  50. ^ Remembering The 20th Century: An Oral History of Monmouth County - Interview with Harry Larrison Jr., [[Monmouth County, New Jersey|]], October 30, 2000. Accessed October 14, 2018. "I attended Summerfield Grammar School. Started pre-primary, graduated the eighth grade, and I went to Neptune High School and graduated from there in 1945."
  51. ^ D'Amato, Anthony. "Far From E Street, Still a Spirit in the Night; Vini 'Mad Dog' Lopez, the E Street Band's first drummer, lives for the music he and Bruce made in their Boardwalk days.", New Jersey Monthly, April 30, 2008. Accessed October 14, 2018. "Lopez's old bandmate, Garry Tallent, still the E Street bassist, slipped in to watch part of the set. “We went to [Neptune] high school together,” Tallent says. “Vini was the most solid drummer I had ever experienced at that time.'"
  52. ^ Cory Nelms Archived October 6, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, Profootballarchives.com. Accessed October 2, 2014.
  53. ^ Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey: 2004 Edition, p. 224. Lawyers Diary and Manual, LLC., 2004. ISBN 9781577411871. Accessed September 24, 2019. "Joseph A. Palaia, Rep., Ocean... Mr. Palaia was born in Neptune on Feb. 3, 1927. He attended grade school in Ocean Grove and Neptune High School, and graduated from Rider College, with a degree in business administration, in 1949."
  54. ^ Pelzman, J.P. "Feeling the pain of troubled lives", The Record, April 2, 2005, backed up by the Internet Archive as of March 4, 2016. Accessed October 14, 2016. "Dean's college career hasn't been easy, either, although his various injuries and maladies pale in comparison to what he's already been through. The former Neptune High School standout was hampered by a sports hernia last season, when he averaged 10.8 points."
  55. ^ via Associated Press. "Haydn Proctor, Former N.J. Supreme Court Justice, 93", The Press of Atlantic City, October 4, 1996. Accessed June 4, 2011. "Proctor was born in Asbury Park grew up in Ocean Grove and graduated from Neptune High School in 1922."
  56. ^ "Q Lazzarus, N.J. singer Diane Luckey, known for ‘Goodbye Horses’ in ‘Silence of the Lambs,’ dead at 59", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, August 18, 2022. Accessed August 18, 2022. "The singer, a Neptune native born Diane Luckey, died July 19, according to a short obituary notice announcing funeral arrangements in the Asbury Park Press.... Luckey, the youngest of seven children, was an alumna of Neptune High School and grew up singing at Mount Pisgah Baptist Church, according to a longer obituary shared by Neptune’s Jackson Funeral Home."
  57. ^ Jandoli, Ron. "The Century's Best -- Boys Soccer: Top 10 Players of each decade", The Star-Ledger, November 7, 1999, backed up by the Internet Archive as of January 10, 2003. Accessed September 11, 2008.
  58. ^ Nate Ramsey profile Archived September 30, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, database Football. Accessed June 19, 2007.
  59. ^ "A player way ahead of his time", Asbury Park Press, September 23, 1992. Accessed October 14, 2018. "'I had a great time back at Neptune High School and the Jersey Shore,' said Renery, who now runs soccer camps in California. 'I was there in the beginning, I guess. I came to Neptune when I was just 13 and I had already been playing for 10 years.'"
  60. ^ Feitl, Steve. "Karl Roberson fights to put Neptune on MMA map at UFC Fight Night", Asbury Park Press, November 10, 2017. Accessed November 4, 2018. "Karl Roberson is ready to show the world what he can do.... Today, the former baseball player at Neptune High School trains at Killer B Combat Sports Academy in Oakhurst."
  61. ^ Summer Newsletter Archived July 28, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Bradley Beach Public Library, Summer 2003. Accessed September 24, 2007. "Ike graduated from Neptune High School and then, in 1915, graduated from the Naval Academy."
  62. ^ Kaz, Ed. "It's His Party, And He'll Sing The Blues If He Wants To" Archived May 27, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Asbury Park Press, December 29, 2000, copy of article on AsburyJukes.net. Accessed August 26, 2008. "Jersey Alive: And where did you guys go to high school? Southside Johnny: Neptune High School. The Scarlet Flyers, man."
  63. ^ Fizgerald's Legislative Manual, State of New Jersey, Volume 194, Part 2; Volume 195, Parts 1-2, p. 363. J.A. Fitzgerald, 1971. "Richard R. Stout was born September 21, 1912, at Ocean Grove, New Jersey. He is a graduate of Neptune High School, Lawrenceville School, Princeton University and the Newark Law School."
  64. ^ Jordan, Chris. "Review: E Street Band's Garry Tallent shines at Stone Pony", Asbury Park Press, May 15, 2017. Accessed October 14, 2018. "'You notice I got my Neptune High School colors on?' Tallent said. The bassist for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band is a member of Neptune's Class of '67.... Dawg Whistle, featuring Vini Lopez, also a member of the Neptune Class of ‘67, opened the show."
  65. ^ Braun, Stephen. "The Trouble With Terrigno : When West Hollywood’s First Mayor Was Driven From City Hall, She Took Part of the Dream of a ‘Gay Camelot’ With Her", Los Angeles Times, June 1, 1986. Accessed March 6, 2023. "The family outgrew even the largest affordable flat and, in 1966, moved to Neptune, a small New Jersey town dominated by German Methodists.... A self-described bookworm, Terrigno skipped a grade and graduated second in her class at Neptune High School."
  66. ^ Schrag, Paul. "President Rocks: University Puget Sound President Ronald R. Thomas reflects on music and the '60s", University of Puget Sound Weekly Volcano, December 13, 2007. Accessed February 22, 2021. "While growing up in Ocean Grove, NJ, Thomas sat behind E-Street Band bass player Gary Tallent in home room at Neptune High School."
  67. ^ Edelson, Stephen. "Edelson: For paralyzed golfer Dennis Walters, Bob Jones Award fitting honor", Asbury Park Press, April 10, 2018. Accessed October 13, 2018. "That's why the United States Golf Association's decision to tap Neptune native Dennis Walters as the recipient of the 2018 Bob Jones Award, the sport's highest honor, is so important.... Walters, who played at Neptune High School and North Texas State, and lives in Jupiter, Florida, will spend a month this summer performing shows in the Philadelphia area."
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