Kearny High School (Kearny, New Jersey)
Encyclopedia
Kearny High School is a four-year comprehensive
public high school
located in Kearny
, New Jersey
, and operating as part of the Kearny School District
.
Construction began on the present school facility began in 1921. Kearny High School opened for the fall semester in September 1923. The school's stadium was completed in 1925. In 1940, an addition costing $400,000 was added. In 1974, another addition was added that cost $5 million dollars, providing a new Music and Art Department, new gymnasium, locker rooms, classrooms and parking. The school is divided into two different buildings that are connected to each other.
As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,774 students and 138 classroom teachers (on a FTE
basis, for a student–teacher ratio of 12.86.
The school was the 230th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 322 schools statewide, in New Jersey Monthly
magazine's September 2010 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", after being ranked 235th in 2008 out of 316 schools. The school was ranked 200th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state.
The Kearny Museum
includes a full collection of Kearny High School yearbooks.
, which is made up of public high schools in Hudson County
in North Jersey
, operating under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association
(NJSIAA).
In 2002, the boys soccer team earned the North I, Group IV sectional title, edging Clifton High School 3-2 in the tournament final.
The Kearny High School Boy's soccer team has won 16 NJSIAA group IV championships since 1946, averaging a championship approximately every 3.85 years, in 1947, 1948, 1950, 1951, 1954-56, 1958, 1975, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1987, 1999, 2002, and 2004.
The baseball team won the North I, Group IV state sectional championship in 2003 with a 5-3 win vs. Ridgewood High School
in the tournament final.
In 2007, the girls soccer team, seeded #2, won the North I, Group IV state sectional championship with a 3-0 win over fourth-seeded Montclair High School in the tournament final, the team's second consecutive title.
The girls soccer team also won the first-ever Hudson County Tournament, defeating Bayonne High School
6-0.
In 2009, the boys Indoor Track and Field team won the county championship as the team continues its return to its previous status when many nationally ranked relays and individuals competed for the school. In cross country the school has produced many county, conference and state champions.
The girl's cross country team won consecutive county championships in 2007 and 2008, in addition to four consecutive state sectional titles and a Meet of Champions title in 1986, when Liz Duarte took the Group IV title.
The Kardinals wrestling team has won three consecutive Conference championships from 2001-2004 again in 2006, and then again in 2008 in the Watchung Conference
. Dave Cordoba won the 1999 state championship at 130 lbs, and holds the school record for career victories.
In 2006, the girls crew Lightweight Four boat (130 pounds and under) competed in the New Jersey Scholastic Rowing Championship and placed first. They had won the state championship for the third year in a row. The team's Crew House is located in Riverbank Park
on the Passaic River
.
Class III Atlantic Coast champions in 1985, and their percussion section won High Percussion honors for three years straight, from '83 to '85. In addition the Kearny High School Marching Unit under the direction of Patrick Ragnoni was group 3A USSBA Champions two years in a row in 1999 and 2000. In 2003, the field was under construction. This was devastating to the marching band, and the winning streak was lost. The Kearny High School Marching Unit under the direction of Edward Gargiulo is currently a Group 3A marching band as of the fall of 2008.
doctrine to his students during an American history class. When confronted by Kearny High School junior Matthew LaClair in a meeting with Paszkiewicz and the administration, Paszkiewicz denied the charge. After this, LaClair produced recorded tapes in which Paszkiewicz was recorded saying that God:
The teacher is said to have also taught that there were dinosaurs aboard Noah’s Ark and that there is no scientific basis for evolution
or the Big Bang
theory of the origin of the universe.
The incident received considerable coverage, with LaClair being interviewed on CNN
's Anderson Cooper 360°
and in The New York Times
.
The controversy raised questions over the legal right of students to record what teachers tell them during class, with some advocating the practice to ensure teacher accountability, and others arguing that it infringes on the teacher's personal liberty.
LaClair's supporters reported that "he has been the target of harassment and a death threat from fellow students and 'retaliation' by school officials who have treated him, not the teacher, as the problem. The retaliation, they say, includes the district's policy banning students from recording what is said in class without a teacher's permission and officials' refusal to punish students who have harassed Matthew."
Deborah Jacobs, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey
(ACLU-NJ) said Kearny High School had "violated the spirit and the letter of freedom of religion and the First Amendment", and that the ACLU would support the LaClairs if they were to file suit. The People for the American Way Foundation
expressed similar support.
Comprehensive high school
Comprehensive high schools are the most common form of public high schools in the United States and are meant to serve the needs of all students, as compared to the common practice in other nations in which examinations are used to sort students into different high schools for different populations...
public high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
located in Kearny
Kearny, New Jersey
Kearny is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. It was named after Civil War general Philip Kearny. As of the United States 2010 Census, the town population was 40,684. The town is a suburb of the nearby city of Newark....
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, and operating as part of the Kearny School District
Kearny School District
The Kearny School District is a public school district that provides public education for students from the Town of Kearny, in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States....
.
Construction began on the present school facility began in 1921. Kearny High School opened for the fall semester in September 1923. The school's stadium was completed in 1925. In 1940, an addition costing $400,000 was added. In 1974, another addition was added that cost $5 million dollars, providing a new Music and Art Department, new gymnasium, locker rooms, classrooms and parking. The school is divided into two different buildings that are connected to each other.
As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,774 students and 138 classroom teachers (on a FTE
Full-time equivalent
Full-time equivalent , is a unit to measure employed persons or students in a way that makes them comparable although they may work or study a different number of hours per week. FTE is often used to measure a worker's involvement in a project, or to track cost reductions in an organization...
basis, for a student–teacher ratio of 12.86.
The school was the 230th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 322 schools statewide, in New Jersey Monthly
New Jersey Monthly
New Jersey Monthly is a monthly glossy publication featuring issues of possible interest to residents of the United States state of New Jersey...
magazine's September 2010 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", after being ranked 235th in 2008 out of 316 schools. The school was ranked 200th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state.
The Kearny Museum
Kearny Museum
The Kearny Public Library is free public library of Kearny, New Jersey. Containing a collection of 85254 volumes it serves a population of approximately 46,000 from two locations and circulates 64,808 items annually...
includes a full collection of Kearny High School yearbooks.
Athletics
The Kearny High School Kardinals compete in the Hudson County Interscholastic Athletic AssociationHudson County Interscholastic Athletic Association
The Hudson County Interscholastic Athletic Association is a New Jersey high school sports association operating under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association . The league consists of 23 public and parochial high schools in Hudson County in northern New Jersey...
, which is made up of public high schools in Hudson County
Hudson County, New Jersey
Hudson County is the smallest county in New Jersey and one of the most densely populated in United States. It takes its name from the Hudson River, which creates part of its eastern border. Part of the New York metropolitan area, its county seat and largest city is Jersey City.- Municipalities...
in North Jersey
North Jersey
North Jersey is a colloquial term, with no precise consensus definition, for the northern portion of the U.S. state of New Jersey. A straightforward, noncolloquial term for the region is northern New Jersey.- Two-portion approaches :...
, operating under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association
New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association
The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association is an association of hundreds of New Jersey high schools that regulates high school athletics and holds tournaments and crowns champions in high school sports.-State championships:...
(NJSIAA).
In 2002, the boys soccer team earned the North I, Group IV sectional title, edging Clifton High School 3-2 in the tournament final.
The Kearny High School Boy's soccer team has won 16 NJSIAA group IV championships since 1946, averaging a championship approximately every 3.85 years, in 1947, 1948, 1950, 1951, 1954-56, 1958, 1975, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1987, 1999, 2002, and 2004.
The baseball team won the North I, Group IV state sectional championship in 2003 with a 5-3 win vs. Ridgewood High School
Ridgewood High School (New Jersey)
Ridgewood High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school serving students from Ridgewood, in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Ridgewood Public Schools....
in the tournament final.
In 2007, the girls soccer team, seeded #2, won the North I, Group IV state sectional championship with a 3-0 win over fourth-seeded Montclair High School in the tournament final, the team's second consecutive title.
The girls soccer team also won the first-ever Hudson County Tournament, defeating Bayonne High School
Bayonne High School
Bayonne High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in Bayonne, Hudson County, New Jersey, operated by the Bayonne Board of Education....
6-0.
In 2009, the boys Indoor Track and Field team won the county championship as the team continues its return to its previous status when many nationally ranked relays and individuals competed for the school. In cross country the school has produced many county, conference and state champions.
The girl's cross country team won consecutive county championships in 2007 and 2008, in addition to four consecutive state sectional titles and a Meet of Champions title in 1986, when Liz Duarte took the Group IV title.
The Kardinals wrestling team has won three consecutive Conference championships from 2001-2004 again in 2006, and then again in 2008 in the Watchung Conference
Watchung Conference
The Watchung Conference was a high school sports association under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association . The conference consisted of eleven public high schools covering Essex County, Hudson County and Union County in northern New Jersey. In 2009, the...
. Dave Cordoba won the 1999 state championship at 130 lbs, and holds the school record for career victories.
In 2006, the girls crew Lightweight Four boat (130 pounds and under) competed in the New Jersey Scholastic Rowing Championship and placed first. They had won the state championship for the third year in a row. The team's Crew House is located in Riverbank Park
Kearny Riverbank Park
Kearny Riverbank Park is a municipal linear park along the Passaic River in Kearny, New Jersey. It is located in the Kearny Uplands north of Bergen Avenue and was extended to Belleville Turnpike in 2011 with brownfield reclamation projects...
on the Passaic River
Passaic River
The Passaic River is a mature surface river, approximately 80 mi long, in northern New Jersey in the United States. The river in its upper course flows in a highly circuitous route, meandering through the swamp lowlands between the ridge hills of rural and suburban northern New Jersey,...
.
Marching Unit
The Kearny High School Marching Unit has enjoyed several years of great success in the past. Most notably, they were Tournament of BandsTournament of Bands
The Tournament of Bands is one of the largest competitive band organizations in the United States and is one of several major circuits in the mid-Atlantic states . TOB was founded in 1972 by the National Judges Association and currently has 439 member bands...
Class III Atlantic Coast champions in 1985, and their percussion section won High Percussion honors for three years straight, from '83 to '85. In addition the Kearny High School Marching Unit under the direction of Patrick Ragnoni was group 3A USSBA Champions two years in a row in 1999 and 2000. In 2003, the field was under construction. This was devastating to the marching band, and the winning streak was lost. The Kearny High School Marching Unit under the direction of Edward Gargiulo is currently a Group 3A marching band as of the fall of 2008.
International Festival
Kearny High School is noted for its International Festival. Every year in May or June the students comes together to show off their heritage. The festival includes an assembly, in which many fellow students perform songs or dances from a specific country. The school's 13th annual International Festival in 2010 featured more than 85 tables of food, music and information from the broad range of cultures and ethnicities represented in Kearny's student body.Religion in classroom controversy
In the autumn of 2006, a controversy was generated by the discovery that David Paszkiewicz, a history teacher at Kearny High of 14 years, preached ChristianChristian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
doctrine to his students during an American history class. When confronted by Kearny High School junior Matthew LaClair in a meeting with Paszkiewicz and the administration, Paszkiewicz denied the charge. After this, LaClair produced recorded tapes in which Paszkiewicz was recorded saying that God:
The teacher is said to have also taught that there were dinosaurs aboard Noah’s Ark and that there is no scientific basis for evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
or the Big Bang
Big Bang
The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological model that explains the early development of the Universe. According to the Big Bang theory, the Universe was once in an extremely hot and dense state which expanded rapidly. This rapid expansion caused the young Universe to cool and resulted in...
theory of the origin of the universe.
The incident received considerable coverage, with LaClair being interviewed on CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
's Anderson Cooper 360°
Anderson Cooper 360°
Anderson Cooper 360° is a one-hour television news show on CNN, hosted by the American journalist Anderson Cooper. It is also broadcast around the world on CNN International....
and in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
.
The controversy raised questions over the legal right of students to record what teachers tell them during class, with some advocating the practice to ensure teacher accountability, and others arguing that it infringes on the teacher's personal liberty.
LaClair's supporters reported that "he has been the target of harassment and a death threat from fellow students and 'retaliation' by school officials who have treated him, not the teacher, as the problem. The retaliation, they say, includes the district's policy banning students from recording what is said in class without a teacher's permission and officials' refusal to punish students who have harassed Matthew."
Deborah Jacobs, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey
American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey
The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit civil rights organization in Newark, New Jersey and an affiliate of the national American Civil Liberties Union...
(ACLU-NJ) said Kearny High School had "violated the spirit and the letter of freedom of religion and the First Amendment", and that the ACLU would support the LaClairs if they were to file suit. The People for the American Way Foundation
People for the American Way Foundation
People For the American Way Foundation is the charitable arm of People For the American Way , a progressive advocacy organization in the United States...
expressed similar support.
Sexual conduct allegation
During the 2006-07 school year Celeste Adamski, a 27-year-old English teacher who had taught for three years at the school, was suspended with pay on suspicion of sexual activity with one or more of her students. Based on allegations passed on to the school principal, Adamski was then suspended with pay for the summer of 2007 until October, while the investigation was conducted. In mid-October she pleaded guilty to an allegation concerning her behavior with one male student. As part of her plea agreement, she gave up her teaching certificate, and was barred from teaching or holding a public job. Her husband, John Adamski, a history teacher at the school, will continue to teach.Administration
Core members of the school's administration are:- Dr. Cynthia Baumgartner - Principal
- Michael Barbone - Vice Principal of Curriculum
- John Millar - Vice Principal of Athletics and Student Activities
- Patrick Ragnoni - Vice Principal of Discipline and Attendance
Notable alumni
- Sam DenteSam DenteSamuel Joseph Dente [Blackie] was a shortstop in Major League Baseball who played for five different teams between 1947 and 1955. Listed at 5' 11, 175 lb., Dente batted and threw right-handed...
(1922-2002), major league baseball shortstop from 1947-1955. - Ed HalickiEd HalickiEd Halicki , is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1974-1980. On August 24, 1975, Halicki threw a no-hitter for the San Francisco Giants against the New York Mets in a 6-0 victory...
(born 1950), baseball pitcherPitcherIn baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
for San Francisco GiantsSan Francisco GiantsThe San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
. - John HarkesJohn HarkesJohn Harkes is an American former soccer player. Harkes was the first American ever to play in the English Premier League, and the second American to score at Wembley Stadium. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame. He appeared in two FIFA World Cup tournaments, and won two MLS Cup...
(born 1967), soccer player (Captain of the US Men's National team for ten years and Olympian). - Tony MeolaTony MeolaAntonio Michael "Tony" Meola is an American former soccer goalkeeper who played for the United States national team at the 1990 and 1994 World Cups, and from 1996 to 2006 played in Major League Soccer, the U.S. top soccer division, where he obtained multiple honors...
(born 1969), soccer goalkeeper for New York Red Bulls now playing for New Jersey IronmenNew Jersey IronmenThe New Jersey Ironmen were an American indoor soccer team. They originally joined the Major Indoor Soccer League for the 2007–08 season. When the MISL ceased operations a year later, they joined the Xtreme Soccer League. The team played at the Prudential Center, sharing the facility with the...
in indoor soccer. - Archie StarkArchie StarkArchibald “Archie” Stark was a U.S. soccer forward who became the dominant player in U.S. leagues during the 1920s and 1930s. He spent nine seasons in the National Association Football League and another twelve in the American Soccer League. He also earned two caps, scoring five goals, as a...
(1897-1985), early American soccer player. - Bob StanleyBob StanleyRobert William "Bob" Stanley is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher who played with the Boston Red Sox.Over his 13-year career, Stanley played only for the Red Sox from 1977-89...
(born 1954), Class of 1973, baseball pitcherPitcherIn baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
for Boston Red SoxBoston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
. - Ray Toro (born 1976), guitarist for My Chemical RomanceMy Chemical RomanceMy Chemical Romance is an American alternative rock band from New Jersey, formed in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist Gerard Way, guitarists Ray Toro and Frank Iero, and bassist Mikey Way and have a diverse sound incorporating elements of punk, emo, glam metal, and progressive rock...
. - Alex WebsterAlex Webster (football player)Alexander "Red" Webster is a former American football fullback and halfback in the National Football League for the New York Giants. He was also the head coach of the Giants from 1969 to 1973.-Early life:...
(born 1931), former fullback and head coachHead coachA head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
for the New York GiantsNew York GiantsThe New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. - Ray YagielloRay Yagiello-External links:***...
(born 1923), former Los Angeles Rams player and Montclair State UniversityMontclair State UniversityMontclair State University is a public research university located in the Upper Montclair section of Montclair, the Great Notch area of Little Falls, and Clifton, New Jersey. As of October 2009, there were 18,171 total enrolled students: 14,139 undergraduate students and 4,032 graduate students...
head football coach
External links
- Kearny High School
- Kearny School District
- Data for the Kearny School District, National Center for Education StatisticsNational Center for Education StatisticsThe National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...
- Kearny High School Alumni