Plainfield High School (New Jersey)
Encyclopedia
Plainfield High School is a comprehensive
community four-year public high school
that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Plainfield
, in Union County
, New Jersey
, United States
. The school is part of the Plainfield Public School District
, one of New Jersey's 31 Abbott District
s. Plainfield High School was established in 1857, making it the second-oldest high school in New Jersey. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
Commission on Secondary Schools since 1928.
As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,638 students and 112 classroom teachers (on an FTE
basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 14.62.
The school was the 307th-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 293rd in 2008 out of 316 schools. The school was ranked 307th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state.
, following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association
. Before the 2010 realignment, the school had competed in the Watchung Conference
, a high school sports association that consists of public high schools covering Essex County
, Hudson County
and Union County
.
Plainfield's football rivalry with Westfield High School
dates back to 1900, making it the oldest active public high school football rivalry in the state.
The Boys' Basketball team won the 2004 North II, Group IV state sectional championship, defeating Elizabeth High School 47-42 in the final.
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...
community four-year 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....
that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Plainfield
Plainfield, New Jersey
Plainfield is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population increased to a record high of 49,808....
, in Union County
Union County, New Jersey
Union County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 536,499. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Elizabeth. Union County ranks 93rd among the highest-income counties in the United States. It also ranks 74th in...
, 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The school is part of the Plainfield Public School District
Plainfield Public School District
The Plainfield Public School District is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in prekindergarten through twelfth grade from Plainfield, in Union County, New Jersey, United States...
, one of New Jersey's 31 Abbott District
Abbott District
Abbott districts are school districts in New Jersey that are provided remedies to ensure that their students receive public education in accordance with New Jersey’s state constitution. They were created in 1985 as a result of the first ruling of Abbott v. Burke, a case filed by the Education Law...
s. Plainfield High School was established in 1857, making it the second-oldest high school in New Jersey. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools is a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit association dedicated to educational excellence and improvement through peer evaluation and accreditation...
Commission on Secondary Schools since 1928.
As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,638 students and 112 classroom teachers (on an 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 14.62.
The school was the 307th-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 293rd in 2008 out of 316 schools. The school was ranked 307th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state.
Athletics
Plainfield High School now competes in the Union County Interscholastic Athletic ConferenceUnion County Interscholastic Athletic Conference
The Union County Interscholastic Athletic Conference is a New Jersey high school sports association operating under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association...
, following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by 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:...
. Before the 2010 realignment, the school had competed 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...
, a high school sports association that consists of public high schools covering Essex County
Essex County, New Jersey
Essex County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the United States 2010 Census, the population was 783,969, ranking it third in the state after Bergen County and Middlesex County; Essex County's population has declined from 786,147 as of the bureau's...
, 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...
and Union County
Union County, New Jersey
Union County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 536,499. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Elizabeth. Union County ranks 93rd among the highest-income counties in the United States. It also ranks 74th in...
.
Plainfield's football rivalry with Westfield High School
Westfield High School (New Jersey)
Westfield Senior High School, or simply, Westfield High School is the only public high school located in Westfield, in Union County, New Jersey, operating as part of the Westfield Public Schools. It was established in the early 1900s at its original location on Elm Street until 1951 when it was...
dates back to 1900, making it the oldest active public high school football rivalry in the state.
The Boys' Basketball team won the 2004 North II, Group IV state sectional championship, defeating Elizabeth High School 47-42 in the final.
Administration
Core members of the school's administration are:- Otis Brown - Principal
- Deborah Celestand - Vice Principal (Guidance)
- Daniel Cone - Vice Principal (Athletics)
- Dian Roach - Vice Principal (Grade 10/11)
- Sasha Slocum - Vice Principal (Grade 11/12)
- Deltria Smith - Vice Principal (Grade 9)
Notable alumni
- Ernest R. AckermanErnest R. AckermanErnest Robinson Ackerman was an American Republican Party politician who represented New Jersey's 5th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1919 to 1931.-Early years:...
(1863-1931), represented in the United States House of RepresentativesUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from 1919-1931. - Joe BlackJoe BlackJoseph Black was an American right-handed pitcher in Negro League and Major League Baseball for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Cincinnati Redlegs, and Washington Senators who became the first black pitcher to win a World Series game, in 1952. Black died of prostate cancer at age 78.A native of Plainfield,...
(1924-2002), first African American pitcher to win a World SeriesWorld SeriesThe World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
game, in 1952. - Margaret Bourke-WhiteMargaret Bourke-WhiteMargaret Bourke-White was an American photographer and documentary photographer. She is best known as the first foreign photographer permitted to take pictures of Soviet Industry, the first female war correspondent and the first female photographer for Henry Luce's Life magazine, where her...
(1906-1971), photographer. - Milton CampbellMilton CampbellMilton Campbell is a former track and field athlete from the United States who mainly competes in the 400 metres.His success comes during the indoor season...
(born 1933), gold medalist in the decathlonDecathlonThe decathlon is a combined event in athletics consisting of ten track and field events. The word decathlon is of Greek origin . Events are held over two consecutive days and the winners are determined by the combined performance in all. Performance is judged on a points system in each event, not...
at the 1956 Summer Olympics1956 Summer OlympicsThe 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations...
in MelbourneMelbourneMelbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. - Manny CollinsManny CollinsManny Collins is an American football cornerback for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League. He was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football at Rutgers.-Early years:...
(born 1984) American footballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
cornerbackCornerbackA cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
. - Peter LiskePeter LiskePeter A. "Pete" Liske, is a former American football quarterback and later a university athletics administrator.-High school and college football careers:...
(born 1942), former professional football quarterback, who played in the NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, AFLAmerican Football LeagueThe American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
and CFLCanadian Football LeagueThe Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
. - Peter McDonoughPeter McDonoughPeter J. McDonough was an American Republican Party politician from New Jersey, who served in both houses of the New Jersey Legislature.-Biography:...
(1925-98), member of the New Jersey SenateNew Jersey SenateThe New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. From 1844 until 1965 New Jersey's counties elected one Senator, each. Under the 1844 Constitution the term of office was three years. The 1947...
. - Eugene MonroeEugene Monroe-Jacksonville Jaguars:In an effort to rebuild their offensive line, the Jaguars selected Monroe and Eben Britton with their first two picks. Monroe was expected to compete with veteran free-agent acquisition Tra Thomas for the start at left tackle...
(born 1987), professional football player with the NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's Jacksonville JaguarsJacksonville JaguarsThe Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and collegiate star at the University of VirginiaUniversity of VirginiaThe University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
. - Donald Van Blake (born 1922), member of United States Tennis Association Eastern Hall of Fame.
- Adella WotherspoonAdella WotherspoonAdella Liebenow Wotherspoon was the youngest and last living survivor of the General Slocum ship disaster of June 15, 1904.-Birth and siblings:...
(1903-2004), youngest and longest-living survivor of the 1904 fire on the General SlocumGeneral SlocumThe PS General Slocum was a passenger steamboat built at Brooklyn, New York, in 1891. The General Slocum was named for Civil War officer and New York Congressman Henry Warner Slocum. She operated in the New York City area as an excursion steamer for the next thirteen years under the same ownership...
. After graduating from the school, she taught business administration here from 1925 to 1961.
External links
- Plainfield High School
- Plainfield Public School District
- Taiwan Brown on Plainfield Public School District website.
- Data for the Plainfield Public 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...