Lawrence High School (New Jersey)

Lawrence High School
Location
Lawrence High School
Lawrence High School
Lawrence High School
2525 Princeton Pike (CR 583)
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
United States
Coordinates 40°15′51″N 74°43′50″W / 40.264214°N 74.730573°W / 40.264214; -74.730573Coordinates: 40°15′51″N 74°43′50″W / 40.264214°N 74.730573°W / 40.264214; -74.730573
Information
Type Public high school
Established 1969
School district Lawrence Township Public Schools
Principal David J. Adam
Asst. principal Alyson Fischer
Fay Lopez
Clifford Williams
Faculty 94.0 FTEs[1]
Grades 9-12
Enrollment 1,143 (as of 2015-16)[1]
Student to teacher ratio 12.2:1[1]
Color(s)      Red and
     white[2]
Athletics conference Colonial Valley Conference
Team name Cardinals[2]
Publication The Lawrencian
Facilities full gymnasium
auxiliary gymnasium
cafeteria
5 tennis courts
3 park tennis courts
full track
stadium style seating
swimming facility (6 lanes) w/ seating
2 soccer fields
3 baseball/softball fields
2 multipurpose fields
large auditorium w/ stage
Website School website

Lawrence High School (LHS) is a four-year comprehensive public high school in Lawrence Township, Mercer County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades as the lone secondary school of the Lawrence Township Public Schools. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Secondary Schools since 1992.[3]

As of the 2015-16 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,143 students and 94.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.2:1. There were 186 students (16.3% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 84 (7.3% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.[1]

The school colors are red and white. The school mascot is the Cardinal.[2]

History

Lawrence High School was constructed in 1967.

Students from Robbinsville Township (known as Washington Township until 2007) had attended Lawrence High School as part of a sending/receiving relationship which ended with the final graduating class of 2007.[4] Cranbury Township had previously sent students to Lawrence High School until they began a relationship with Princeton High School.[5]

Awards, recognition and rankings

The school was the 114th-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.[6] The school had been ranked 82nd in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 120th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.[7] The magazine ranked the school 124th in 2008 out of 316 schools.[8] The school was ranked 123rd in the magazine's September 2006 issue.[9] Lawrence High School had been ranked in the top 75 high schools in previous years' rankings.

Curriculum

Lawrence High School offers numerous honors and Advanced Placement (AP) classes including Biology, Calculus, Chemistry, Economics, English, Environmental Science, European History, Music Theory, Physics, Statistics, Studio Art, United States Government and Politics, and United States History.[10] The school also offers Cisco I and II, a certified networking course from Cisco Systems. LHS also offers many electives such as drafting, design and photography.

Athletics

The Lawrence High School Cardinals[2] compete in the Colonial Valley Conference, which operates under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).[11] With 893 students in grades 10-12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2015-16 school year as Central Jersey, Group III for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 822 to 1,068 students in that grade range.[12] The football team competes in the Valley Division of the 95-team West Jersey Football League superconference[13] and was classified by the NJSIAA as Central Jersey Group III for football for 2017-18.[14] The school's most successful teams include football, golf, wrestling, soccer, swimming, diving, tennis, softball, cheerleading and cross-country.

The school operates as the host school / lead agency for a joint ice hockey program with Ewing High School and Hightstown High School, under an agreement that expires at the end of the 2017-18 school year.[15]

The boys' soccer team won the Group II state championship in 1967 (defeating Northern Highlands High School in the tournament final), 1969 (vs. Morris Knolls High School), 1970 (vs. Shore Regional High School), 1971 (vs. Point Pleasant Borough High School), 1973 and 1975 (vs. Garfield High School both years), 1980 (vs. Governor Livingston High School) and 1994 (vs. Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School), and won the Group II state title in 1968 (vs. Glen Rock High School); The nine state championships are tied for third-most of any public school program and the streak of five consecutive titles from 1967 to 1971 is the longest for any public school.[16]

The football team was undefeated in 1973 with the help of running back Glenn Bethea, younger brother of NFL Hall of Famer, Elvin Bethea, who played for the Houston Oilers. The 1974 football team, featuring future NFL quarterback Scott Brunner, was overshadowed by a defensive unit that had eight shutouts and only allowed six points all year, with a record of 8-0-1, as part of a three-year undefeated stretch from 1972 to 1974 in the pre-playoff era where the team won 21 games and had one tie.[17]

The Lawrence boys' swim team won the Colonial Valley Conference in 2005 and 2007 with a 16-1 record both seasons. They were also the Mercer County Tournament Champions in 2005 and 2007 and Central "B" Division State Champions in 2008. The Girls swim team followed this success in 2006 by winning the Central "A" Division State Title with a 91-79 win against West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South.[18] Both the boys and Girls Team won the Patriot Division in the 2010-2011 season. In 2012 the boys won the Patriot Division again and was runner up in the Central New Jersey Group B State Finals.

Lawrence High School has one of the best diving teams in New Jersey.

The football team won the Colonial Valley Conference titles in 2004, 2005 and 2006. In 2006, the team made it to the state playoffs as the top seed, only to be knocked off by 8th-seeded Moorestown High School at home 19-14 in the first round of the tournament.[19] In 2007, the team made it to state playoffs once again but were defeated by Middletown South at home in the first round, 16-6. The football team won the WJFL Patriot division title in 2013, made the state playoffs and defeated Allentown HS, and Carteret HS to advance to the Central Jersey Group III Championship where they were defeated by Hopewell Valley HS.[20]

The wrestling team was the CVC Valley Division champions most recently in the 2003-04 season. Lawrence wrestling produced the first (and until 2012, the only) state champion to come out of Mercer County, Mark Savino, who won a title in 2004.[21]

The boys' track and field Team was the CVC Patriot Division champions in 2010, 2011 and Co-Champions in 2013. Lawrence Girls track and field team are the 2014 CVC Patriot Division Co-Champions. Lawrence had the Group II state champion and sectional champion in the long jump in 2012 as well as the shot put sectional champion.[22][23]

In 2012, the softball team, led by Coach Tara Harrigan, won their first state sectional title in program history, winning the Central Jersey Group III title with a 3-2 win over Manasquan High School.[24]

Extracurricular activities

Lawrence High features clubs such as the Lawrence High School Theater Company, LMTI, Model Congress, Model UN, International Alliance, Yearbook, Student Ambassadors, Teen PEP, Peer Leadership, The Lawrence High School Gay-Straight Alliance, a student newspaper, and Operation Smile. Lawrence High School also has a DECA chapter and is active in the New Jersey Science Olympiad. The school's Debate team won the county championship in 2008. In 2017, a Game Design Club and an Engineering Club were founded by students. These clubs wrote a co-grant and received $8,437 for their grant to build computers and engineer a go-kart.

Lawrence High School's mock trial team, led by history teacher Mark Rowe and local attorney Steve Goodell, has won 11 Mercer County Competitions and six Central Jersey Championships. The team also finished third in the state three times and second in the state three times over the past 14 years.

Lawrence High School's performing arts department includes instrumental and choral groups, a jazz band, and a marching band, the Red Scare.

The theater program is run by director Lorie Baldwin, also the educator in charge of theater classes.

"Red Scare" marching band

The Lawrence High School "Red Scare" Marching Band is the school's marching band, which provides entertainment at school football games, local parades, competitions and in cities across the country. The "Red Scare" was established in September 2001 by Eric Haltmeier and Lee Neamand. The band has been directed by Haltmeier, Neamand, and Antonio Padron, and is currently under the direction of Maggie McGill. For the 2017-2018 season, the band added a color guard to the band for the first time since 1989. The band is currently in the process of evolving into a traditional marching band, with new uniforms set to be added to the band for the 2018-2019 season. The band currently competes with USBands as a Group IA band.

The music program has been named in the Top 100 Communities in the Nation for Music Education for 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014 by NAMM.[25][26]

Administration

Members of the school's administration are:[27]

  • David J. Adam, Principal
  • Alyson Fischer, Assistant Principal
  • Fay Lopez, Assistant Principal
  • Clifford Williams, Assistant Principal

Noted alumni and faculty

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 School data for Lawrence High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 12, 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Lawrence High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed March 26, 2015.
  3. ↑ Lawrence High School, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Secondary Schools, backed up by the Internet Archive as of March 15, 2012. Accessed March 26, 2015.
  4. ↑ Nussbaum, Debra. "A Number Story", The New York Times, September 29, 2002. Accessed June 4, 2012. "In Washington Township, Mercer County, voters approved a bond issue in 2001 to build a high school in the district, which now sends its students to nearby Lawrence High School."
  5. ↑ Kilby, David. "CRANBURY: HHS alumni recalls how school used to be", CentralJersey.com, June 24, 2011. Accessed October 3, 2017. "Cranbury stopped sending its students to HHS in 1965, then it began sending its students to Hightstown-East Windsor High School. Cranbury students soon would go to Lawrence High School, then to Princeton High School, which is where they go today."
  6. ↑ Staff. "Top Schools Alphabetical List 2014", New Jersey Monthly, September 2, 2014. Accessed September 5, 2014.
  7. ↑ Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed September 11, 2012.
  8. ↑ Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed March 28, 2011.
  9. ↑ "Top New Jersey High Schools 2008: By Rank", New Jersey Monthly, September 2008, posted August 7, 2008. Accessed April 23, 2010.
  10. ↑ Lawrence High School 2011 New Jersey School Report Card, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed June 4, 2012.
  11. ↑ League Memberships – 2016-2017, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 14, 2017.
  12. ↑ General Public School Classifications 2015-2016, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, as of July 8, 2014. Accessed October 3, 2014.
  13. ↑ Divisions, West Jersey Football League. Accessed September 25, 2017.
  14. ↑ NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2017-2018, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, finalized August 2, 2017. Accessed September 25, 2017.
  15. ↑ NJSIAA 2017 - 2019 Co-Operative Sports Programs, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 2, 2017.
  16. ↑ 2015 Soccer Championships Program, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, as of December 15, 2015. Accessed December 16, 2016.
  17. ↑ O'Gorman, George. "Lawrence enjoying playoff success", The Trentonian, November 23, 2013. Accessed January 25, 2015. "Brunner was quarterback for the legendary Ed Shirk whose Lawrence teams from 1972-73-74, went 21-0-1. But there were no NJSIAA playoffs in those days, so the 8-0-1 team of '73 that posted eight shutouts, never got to play for a state title like these Cardinals will next month."
  18. ↑ 2006 NJSIAA Girls Team Swimming - Central - A, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed March 30, 2012.
  19. ↑ 2006 Football Tournament - Central, Group III, accessed November 14, 2006.
  20. ↑ 2007 Football - Central, Group III, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed March 10, 2008.
  21. ↑ Franklin, Paul. "The mystery that is Mercer County high school wrestling goes back 75 years. With the recent successes and raising of standards, the area as a whole is .... Seeking A Reversal", The Times (Trenton), February 11, 2013. Accessed March 19, 2013. "Last March Ray Bethea of Trenton High School won the county's second individual state title in Atlantic City. Mark Savino of Lawrence had won the first in 2004."
  22. ↑ Federovith, Barry. "Track & Field Sectional Championships Roundup: Nothing flukey, Princeton High girls roll again", The Times (Trenton), May 27, 2012. Accessed March 19, 2013. "Lawrence (36.5) had to settle for seventh, but had two individual winners: Robert Jean-Pierre in the long jump (22-2.75) and Ed Carrington in the shot (53-2.75)."
  23. ↑ Bevensee, Rich. "State track and field championships: Boys Group 2 recap", The Star-Ledger, June 2, 2012. Accessed March 19, 2013. "Long Jump: 1-Robert Jean-Pierre, Lawrence, 21-11 1/2."
  24. ↑ Lewin, Joe. "Softball Roundup: Lawrence High captures sectional title", The Times (Trenton), June 1, 2012. Accessed March 19, 2013. "Yesterday in Manasquan, the Cardinals continued their run through the state tournament with a 3-2 victory over third-seeded Manasquan to claim the sectional title, the first in the history of the program, which dates back to the 1970s.
  25. ↑ "Nationwide Survey Finds the 'Best Communities for Music Education' in U.S.", NAMM, April 16, 2009. Accessed March 19, 2013.
  26. ↑ "NAMM Foundation Survey Reveals 'Best Communities for Music Education' In the United States", NAMM, May 5, 2010. Accessed March 19, 2013.
  27. ↑ Meet the Administrators, Lawrence High School. Accessed May 14, 2017.
  28. ↑ Staff. "Author Ifa Bayeza Comes 'Home' At Library Reading and Book Signing", Town Topics (newspaper), March 27, 2013. Accessed November 6, 2017. "Ifa Bayeza had a homecoming of sorts at Princeton Public Library on Friday night, March 22. The author, artist, playwright and professor, who was born in Trenton and graduated from Lawrence High School, read a selection of her latest book Some Sing, Some Cry, to an audience that included"
  29. ↑ Staff. "BRACKETT MAKING IMPACT AS NITTANY LIONS RECEIVER", Centre Daily Times, September 4, 2008. Accessed October 10, 2012. "Now the fourth receiver in an offense that routinely utilizes four-wide sets, the redshirt sophomore from Lawrenceville, NJ, poses a big problem for opposing defenses... Brackett threw for 46 touchdowns and ran for 23 more during his career at Lawrence High School...."
  30. ↑ Schaefer, Beverly. "Former Giants QB Scott Brunner helps open new PEAC turf facility in Ewing", The Times (Trenton), January 26, 2015. Accessed December 18, 2017. "The Millburn resident played football at Lawrence High School and the University of Delaware and played for the Giants from 1980 to 1983."
  31. ↑ Morgan, Scott. "Ex-drummer and Lawrence native Pete Maloney settles into art career", Community News, July 28, 2017. Accessed October 3, 2017. "Maloney also grew up good friends with fellow Lawrence High School graduate Dan Lavery, who went on to play bass in the band Tonic (of 'If You Could Only See' fame) and get nominated for two Grammys."
  32. ↑ Soccer time at Moochie's fields Town to honor noted player, The Times, November 12, 2006, accessed April 21, 2007. "Myernick played soccer at both Slackwood Elementary and Lawrence High School. At Lawrence, he earned All-American honors and led his soccer team to three state championships."
  33. ↑ 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.
  34. ↑ Vrentas, Jenny. "Miami Dolphins draft former Monmouth tight end John Nalbone in the fifth round", The Star-Ledger, April 26, 2009. Accessed March 28, 2011. "Nalbone, a graduate of Lawrence High School, was a four-year starter for Monmouth and a Division I-AA All-American. His stock rose after he impressed in his Pro Day workouts with a 40 time in the 4.6 range, and he was hoping to sneak into the Draft's final rounds."
  35. ↑ Patricia Russo: Lucent's Best Hope?, Business Week, May 29, 2003. Today, with an optimism that's reminiscent of her days as captain of the cheerleading squad at Lawrence High School in New Jersey, Lucent's CEO contends that she can return the company to growth."
  36. ↑ "Ntozake Shange", Illustrated Women in History. Accessed October 3, 2017. "At the age of 13, Shange returned to New Jersey, and graduated from Lawrence High School before continuing her education at Barnard College in New York City."
  37. ↑ Comic Jon Stewart to host benefit for former teacher, Princeton Packet by Helen Pettigrew, April 17, 2001. "Jon Stewart, the Lawrence High School alumnus who hosts the Comedy Central hit The Daily Show, will return to his alma mater April 28 as special guest host for a benefit concert honoring Selma Litowitz, his former English teacher who is afflicted with Parkinson's disease."
  38. ↑ Filichia, Peter. "At Red Bank production of "Macbeth," there will be blood", The Star-Ledger, January 21, 2008. Accessed June 19, 2011. "Ironically, Teller likens his professional marriage to the Macbeths. He says of his 6-foot-6 partner -- who makes his own 5-foot-9 frame look minuscule -- 'Penn is my Lady Macbeth. I was here in New Jersey, teaching Latin at Lawrence High School (in Lawrence Township), when a mutual friend introduced us.'"
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