Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School
Encyclopedia
The Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (sometimes abbreviated RFH) is a regional, four-year comprehensive public high school and school district
, serving students in grades 9 through 12 from the suburban Monmouth County
, New Jersey
, communities of Fair Haven
and Rumson
. The communities are situated on a peninsula in northern Monmouth County bounded by the Navesink
and Shrewsbury River
s and the Atlantic Ocean
. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
Commission on Secondary Schools since 1940.
Rumson-Fair Haven High School receives students from two middle school
s, Forrestdale Middle School of the Rumson School District
and Knollwood School of the Fair Haven Public Schools
, as well as from private schools, including Rumson Country Day School
and Holy Cross School.
As of the 2008-09 school year, the school had an enrollment of 973 students and 74.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE
basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.0.
The district is 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.
The facility, constructed by the Works Progress Administration
in 1936, is located in Rumson. Since its original construction, the school facility has had three significant additions.
. It was discovered from the body of an Iraqi physicist, the son of a member of the Ba’ath Party. The man’s father had a strong connection to the al-Qaeda
terrorist network. The information pertaining to RFH did not include floor plans, but did contain information about the school’s vandalism and bullying policies. The CD also contained information about radon
and depleted uranium
. The recent Beslan school hostage crisis
in which 385 people were killed, half of them students, was compared to the school because RFH, like the Russian school, had construction under way.
In April 2010, a bomb threat caused officials to evacuate about 1,000 people from Rumson-Fair Haven High School, which was checked and cleared by law enforcement. Students were dismissed at 12:45 p.m., and Rumson Police and Monmouth County
Sheriff's K-9 officers deemed the building to be clear by 2:45 p.m. "Kids are coming back in as I'm watching," the Superintendent said.
, the school was ranked 51st in New Jersey and 1,606th nationwide. The school was ranked in 1,181st place, the 40th-highest in New Jersey, in Newsweek
magazine's 2010 rankings of America's Best High Schools. In Newsweek
's May 22, 2007 issue, ranking the country's top high schools, Rumson-Fair Haven High School was listed in 1108th place, the 35th-highest ranked school in New Jersey.
The school was the 31st-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 30th in 2008 out of 316 schools. The school was ranked 33rd in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which included 316 schools across the state.
The school was the winner of the National Fed Challenge
in 2004, and has done well in subsequent years, making it to the District Finals in 2005 and 2008. In 2008, Rumson was defeated by Marlboro High School, although, the team put up a stellar performance.
In 2008, the school was the national winner of the Euro Challenge, an economics competition sponsored by the European Delegation to the United States and the Moody's Foundation.
, an athletic conference made up of private and public high schools centered at the Northern Jersey Shore
. All schools in this conference are located within Monmouth County
and Ocean County
. The league operates under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association
(NJSIAA).
The 2002 girls basketball team nosed by Newton High School 44-42 to win the Group II state championship. The 2006 girls basketball team won the sectional championship over Abraham Clark High School
, 41-32, then defeated River Dell Regional High School
49-42 to earn the Group II state championship. The 2001 team also took the sectional title, defeating Voorhees High School
, 46-29. The 2007 team won the Central Jersey Group II sectional championship, defeating Somerville High School
, 38-30 in the final game. The team then moved on the Group II championship, winning over River Dell Regional High School
by a score of 44-23, before falling to Trenton Central High School
, 48-37 in the first round of the Tournament of Champions
. The 2002 team won the Central Jersey Group II championship, edging Raritan High School
46-44.
The boys' tennis team won the 2003 Central Jersey Group II championship, defeating Montgomery High School 3-2 in the final match. The 2005 team won the sectional championship by a 4-1 score over Shore Regional High School
in the final. The 2007 team won the Central Group II title with a series of 5-0 wins over Somerville High School
, New Providence High School
, and ultimately Governor Livingston High School
in the tournament final.
The girls' tennis team won the Central Jersey Group I tournament in 1999, beating Middlesex High School
5-0. The team came back to the sectional championship in 2004, knocking off Shore Regional High School
by 4-1.
The girls' swim team won the 2002 Public Central B Sectionals, topping Red Bank Regional High School
by 111-59.
The girls soccer team won the Central Jersey Group II title in 2002 over Burlington Township High School
by a final score of 3-2. The 2007 team, seeded fourth, won the Central, Group II sectional title with a 1-0 overtime win (4-2 on penalty kicks) over second-seed Somerville High School
in the tournament final. The girl's soccer team beat Delaware Valley to win the 2008 Central Jersey Group II sectional title, the first time RFH has ever won back-to-back girl's soccer titles. They went on to beat Haddonfield and Hasbrouck Heights to win the first girl's Group II State Championship title in school history.
In 2007 and 2008 the Boys Track and Field Team went undefeated and became division champions for the first time in many years.
In 2006, the girls Field Hockey team won its first ever state title, beating Delran High School
2-1 to win the Central Jersey Group II state sectional championship.
The Rumson-Fair Haven Varsity Football team won the Patriot Division in 2006, 2007, and 2009. They advanced to the Central Jersey Group II championship in 2007 and the semi-finals in 2009. They went undefeated in 2009 (8-0) during the regular season and finished the season 9-2, breaking the school record for most regular season wins.
School district
School districts are a form of special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools.-United States:...
, serving students in grades 9 through 12 from the suburban Monmouth County
Monmouth County, New Jersey
Monmouth County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 630,380, up from 615,301 at the 2000 census. Its county seat is Freehold Borough. The most populous municipality is Middletown Township with...
, 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...
, communities of Fair Haven
Fair Haven, New Jersey
Fair Haven is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, along the Navesink River. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 6,121....
and Rumson
Rumson, New Jersey
Rumson is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 7,122.Rumson was formed as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 15, 1907, from portions of Shrewsbury Township, based on the results of a...
. The communities are situated on a peninsula in northern Monmouth County bounded by the Navesink
Navesink River
The Navesink River is an estuary, approximately 8 mi long in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. It is surrounded by the communities of Middletown, Red Bank, Fair Haven and Rumson....
and Shrewsbury River
Shrewsbury River
The Shrewsbury River is a short stream and navigable estuary, approximately 8 mi long, in central New Jersey in the United States....
s and the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. 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 1940.
Rumson-Fair Haven High School receives students from two middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
s, Forrestdale Middle School of the Rumson School District
Rumson School District
The Rumson School District is a community public school district that serves students in grades kindergarten through eighth grade from the Borough of Rumson, in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States....
and Knollwood School of the Fair Haven Public Schools
Fair Haven Public Schools
The Fair Haven Public Schools is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in prekindergarten through eighth grade from Fair Haven, in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States....
, as well as from private schools, including Rumson Country Day School
Rumson Country Day School
Rumson Country Day School is a coeducational, nonsectarian private day school located on a campus in Rumson, New Jersey, serving students in preschool through eighth grade. The school contains 48 classrooms in which 9 of them are equipped with smartboard technology...
and Holy Cross School.
As of the 2008-09 school year, the school had an enrollment of 973 students and 74.6 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 13.0.
The district is classified by the New Jersey Department of Education
New Jersey Department of Education
The New Jersey Department of Education administers state and federal aid programs affecting more than 1.4 million public and non-public elementary and secondary school children in the state of New Jersey. The department is headquartered in Trenton.The Department is responsible for ensuring that...
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.
The facility, constructed by the Works Progress Administration
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
in 1936, is located in Rumson. Since its original construction, the school facility has had three significant additions.
History
In the fall of 2004, information about Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School was recovered from a CD found on the body of a dead Iraqi insurgent killed in BaghdadBaghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
. It was discovered from the body of an Iraqi physicist, the son of a member of the Ba’ath Party. The man’s father had a strong connection to the al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
terrorist network. The information pertaining to RFH did not include floor plans, but did contain information about the school’s vandalism and bullying policies. The CD also contained information about radon
Radon
Radon is a chemical element with symbol Rn and atomic number 86. It is a radioactive, colorless, odorless, tasteless noble gas, occurring naturally as the decay product of uranium or thorium. Its most stable isotope, 222Rn, has a half-life of 3.8 days...
and depleted uranium
Uranium
Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons...
. The recent Beslan school hostage crisis
Beslan school hostage crisis
The Beslan school hostage crisis of early September 2004 was a three-day hostage-taking of over 1,100 people which ended in the deaths of over 380...
in which 385 people were killed, half of them students, was compared to the school because RFH, like the Russian school, had construction under way.
In April 2010, a bomb threat caused officials to evacuate about 1,000 people from Rumson-Fair Haven High School, which was checked and cleared by law enforcement. Students were dismissed at 12:45 p.m., and Rumson Police and Monmouth County
Monmouth County, New Jersey
Monmouth County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 630,380, up from 615,301 at the 2000 census. Its county seat is Freehold Borough. The most populous municipality is Middletown Township with...
Sheriff's K-9 officers deemed the building to be clear by 2:45 p.m. "Kids are coming back in as I'm watching," the Superintendent said.
Awards and recognition
In the 2011 "Ranking America's High Schools" issue by The Washington PostThe Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, the school was ranked 51st in New Jersey and 1,606th nationwide. The school was ranked in 1,181st place, the 40th-highest in New Jersey, in Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
magazine's 2010 rankings of America's Best High Schools. In Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
's May 22, 2007 issue, ranking the country's top high schools, Rumson-Fair Haven High School was listed in 1108th place, the 35th-highest ranked school in New Jersey.
The school was the 31st-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 30th in 2008 out of 316 schools. The school was ranked 33rd in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which included 316 schools across the state.
The school was the winner of the National Fed Challenge
National Fed Challenge
The National Fed Challenge is an academic competition that provides high school students with an insider's view of how the United States central bank, the Federal Reserve, makes monetary policy....
in 2004, and has done well in subsequent years, making it to the District Finals in 2005 and 2008. In 2008, Rumson was defeated by Marlboro High School, although, the team put up a stellar performance.
In 2008, the school was the national winner of the Euro Challenge, an economics competition sponsored by the European Delegation to the United States and the Moody's Foundation.
Athletics
The Rumson_Fair Haven Regional High School Bulldogs compete in the Shore ConferenceShore Conference
The Shore Conference is an athletic conference of private and public high schools in the U.S. state of New Jersey, centered at the Northern Jersey Shore. All schools in this conference are located within Monmouth County and Ocean County. The Shore Conference is broken up into six classes based on...
, an athletic conference made up of private and public high schools centered at the Northern Jersey Shore
Jersey Shore
The Jersey Shore is a term used to refer to both the Atlantic coast of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the adjacent resort and residential communities. . The New Jersey State Department of Tourism considers the Shore Region, Greater Atlantic City, and the Southern Shore to be distinct, each having...
. All schools in this conference are located within Monmouth County
Monmouth County, New Jersey
Monmouth County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 630,380, up from 615,301 at the 2000 census. Its county seat is Freehold Borough. The most populous municipality is Middletown Township with...
and Ocean County
Ocean County, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 510,916 people, 200,402 households, and 137,876 families residing in the county. The population density was 803 people per square mile . There were 248,711 housing units at an average density of 151/km²...
. The league operates 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).
The 2002 girls basketball team nosed by Newton High School 44-42 to win the Group II state championship. The 2006 girls basketball team won the sectional championship over Abraham Clark High School
Abraham Clark High School
Abraham Clark High School is a four-year public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grade from the borough of Roselle, in Union County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Roselle Public Schools. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association...
, 41-32, then defeated River Dell Regional High School
River Dell Regional High School
River Dell High School is a four-year comprehensive regional public high school, part of the River Dell Regional School District, which is shared with the neighboring communities of Oradell and River Edge in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States...
49-42 to earn the Group II state championship. The 2001 team also took the sectional title, defeating Voorhees High School
Voorhees High School
Voorhees High School is a four-year public high school located in Lebanon Township, New Jersey. The school is named after Foster MacGowan Voorhees, the 30th Governor of New Jersey. It is one of two high schools in the North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District, serving students from six...
, 46-29. The 2007 team won the Central Jersey Group II sectional championship, defeating Somerville High School
Somerville High School (New Jersey)
Somerville High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school of the Somerville Public Schools serving students from Somerville and Branchburg Township in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States....
, 38-30 in the final game. The team then moved on the Group II championship, winning over River Dell Regional High School
River Dell Regional High School
River Dell High School is a four-year comprehensive regional public high school, part of the River Dell Regional School District, which is shared with the neighboring communities of Oradell and River Edge in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States...
by a score of 44-23, before falling to Trenton Central High School
Trenton Central High School
Trenton Central High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Trenton, in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States, as part of the Trenton Public Schools....
, 48-37 in the first round of the Tournament of Champions
Tournament of Champions (NJSIAA)
The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Tournament of Champions is the sports tournament for New Jersey high schools that determines which high school will be crowned as the #1 overall team in the state for each sport...
. The 2002 team won the Central Jersey Group II championship, edging Raritan High School
Raritan High School
Raritan High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school serving Hazlet Township, New Jersey, operating as part of the Hazlet Township Public Schools...
46-44.
The boys' tennis team won the 2003 Central Jersey Group II championship, defeating Montgomery High School 3-2 in the final match. The 2005 team won the sectional championship by a 4-1 score over Shore Regional High School
Shore Regional High School
Shore Regional High School is a regional public high school and school district serving students from four communities in Monmouth County, New Jersey. The high school serves students from the constituent municipalities of Monmouth Beach, Oceanport, Sea Bright and West Long Branch, where the school...
in the final. The 2007 team won the Central Group II title with a series of 5-0 wins over Somerville High School
Somerville High School (New Jersey)
Somerville High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school of the Somerville Public Schools serving students from Somerville and Branchburg Township in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States....
, New Providence High School
New Providence High School
New Providence High School is a public high school in the borough of New Providence, in Union County, New Jersey, operating as the only high school in the New Providence School District, serving students in grades 9 through 12. New Providence High School opened on September 8, 1958 with its first...
, and ultimately Governor Livingston High School
Governor Livingston High School
Governor Livingston High School, known informally as GL, is a comprehensive four-year co-educational public high school located in Berkeley Heights, in Union County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Berkeley Heights Public Schools...
in the tournament final.
The girls' tennis team won the Central Jersey Group I tournament in 1999, beating Middlesex High School
Middlesex High School
Middlesex High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in the center of Middlesex, Middlesex County, New Jersey. It is part of the Middlesex Board of Education...
5-0. The team came back to the sectional championship in 2004, knocking off Shore Regional High School
Shore Regional High School
Shore Regional High School is a regional public high school and school district serving students from four communities in Monmouth County, New Jersey. The high school serves students from the constituent municipalities of Monmouth Beach, Oceanport, Sea Bright and West Long Branch, where the school...
by 4-1.
The girls' swim team won the 2002 Public Central B Sectionals, topping Red Bank Regional High School
Red Bank Regional High School
Red Bank Regional High School is a comprehensive regional four-year public high school that serves students in grades nine through twelve in Monmouth County, New Jersey, from the boroughs of Little Silver, Red Bank and Shrewsbury...
by 111-59.
The girls soccer team won the Central Jersey Group II title in 2002 over Burlington Township High School
Burlington Township High School
Burlington Township High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Burlington Township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Burlington Township School District...
by a final score of 3-2. The 2007 team, seeded fourth, won the Central, Group II sectional title with a 1-0 overtime win (4-2 on penalty kicks) over second-seed Somerville High School
Somerville High School (New Jersey)
Somerville High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school of the Somerville Public Schools serving students from Somerville and Branchburg Township in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States....
in the tournament final. The girl's soccer team beat Delaware Valley to win the 2008 Central Jersey Group II sectional title, the first time RFH has ever won back-to-back girl's soccer titles. They went on to beat Haddonfield and Hasbrouck Heights to win the first girl's Group II State Championship title in school history.
In 2007 and 2008 the Boys Track and Field Team went undefeated and became division champions for the first time in many years.
In 2006, the girls Field Hockey team won its first ever state title, beating Delran High School
Delran High School
Delran High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Delran Township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States, as part of the Delran Township School District....
2-1 to win the Central Jersey Group II state sectional championship.
The Rumson-Fair Haven Varsity Football team won the Patriot Division in 2006, 2007, and 2009. They advanced to the Central Jersey Group II championship in 2007 and the semi-finals in 2009. They went undefeated in 2009 (8-0) during the regular season and finished the season 9-2, breaking the school record for most regular season wins.
Notable alumni
- Rob PetittiRob PetittiRob Christopher Petitti is an American football offensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Pittsburgh....
(born 1982), offensive tackle for the New Orleans SaintsNew Orleans SaintsThe New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
of the NFL. - Henry SelickHenry SelickHenry Selick is an American stop motion director, producer and writer who is best known for directing The Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach and Coraline...
(born 1952), stop motionStop motionStop motion is an animation technique to make a physically manipulated object appear to move on its own. The object is moved in small increments between individually photographed frames, creating the illusion of movement when the series of frames is played as a continuous sequence...
director. - Jay WeinbergJay WeinbergJay Weinberg is an American drummer and the son of drummer Max Weinberg. He has played with the punk band The Reveling and toured in 2009 as a drummer with Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, substituting for his father. During 2010, he was briefly the drummer for Madball...
(born 1990), metal/punk/substitute E Street BandE Street BandThe E Street Band has been rock musician Bruce Springsteen's primary backing band since 1972.The band has also recorded with a wide range of other artists including Bob Dylan, Meat Loaf, Bonnie Tyler, Air Supply, Dire Straits, David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Stevie Nicks, Tom Morello, Sting, Ian...
drummer.
Administration
Core members of the school's administration are:- Dr. Peter Righi, Superintendent
- Frank Gripp, Business Administrator / Board Secretary
- Tracy Handerhan - Principal
- Chris Lanzalotto - Vice Principal
External links
- Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School website
- Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School, 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...