Sparta High School (New Jersey)
Encyclopedia
Sparta High School is a four-year public high school
serving grades nine through twelve in Sparta Township
, in Sussex County
, New Jersey
, as part of the Sparta Township Public School District
. The school has just completed a $71.5M major reconstruction.
As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,218 students and 92 classroom teachers (on an FTE
basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.24.
, which had also served Sparta students, could no longer take on Sparta's rapidly growing high school-aged population. The sending districts of Byram and Hopatcong combined with Sparta to form the initial student body.
In its first year of operation, Sparta High enrolled over 400 students enrolled in just three grades, including students from not only Sparta, but also from nearby Hopatcong
and Byram Township
, which shared the school.
When it opened in 1959, the school employed only 28 teachers and participated in only four sports: football, basketball, wrestling, and baseball. There were, however, shop classes and home economics rooms, and the school gave behind-the-wheel driving lessons. In 1963, Sparta graduated its first class—of 160 students—that had attended the school for all four years.
During the 1970s, Sparta High School instituted split sessions to help alleviate problems brought on by increased enrollment. This was only a temporary fix, however, and the town later approved a referendum to build an "annex" onto the back of the school, more than doubling its area. The section added a new cafeteria, a library, and open classroom spaces.
In the early 1990s, the open spaces provided by the built-on annex were renovated and became closed classrooms. By this time, over one thousand students—all from Sparta—were enrolled in the school. Later in the 1990s, the high school was expanded yet again, adding a new science wing and a number of technological upgrades.
In September 2006, Sparta residents approved a referendum to perform major renovations on the school that aim to bring the school up to date. The construction began in the spring of 2008 and was finally completed by the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year. This reconstruction was to alleviate the issue of overcrowding that the school faced. During the construction, many classrooms were displaced to a cluster of modular trailer rooms.
magazine's September 2010 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", after being ranked 63rd in 2008 out of 316 schools. The school was ranked 73rd in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which included 316 schools across the state.
, following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association
. Sparta High School had previously been a member of the now-defunct Sussex County Interscholastic League
. All sports teams compete in one of three seasons:
In 2003, Sparta's football team won the North I, Group II state championship at Giants Stadium
against Dover High School
16-0, finishing the season with a 12-0 record and making them Sussex County's only 12-win undefeated football team.
The wrestling team won the North I, Group III state sectional championship in 2000 with a 36-29 win against Indian Hills High School
.
The 2001 girls basketball team won the North I, Group III state sectional championship with a 36-32 win versus Northern Highlands Regional High School
. The team moved on to win the 2001 Group II State Championship, defeating West Morris Mendham High School
in the semifinals and Toms River High School South
in the finals to take the title.
The girls basketball team won the 2003 North I, Group III title with a 34-28 win against Pascack Valley High School
in the tournament final. The 2006 team won the title in a low-scoring match, topping Northern Highlands Regional high School by a final score of 27-18.
In 2005, the softball team won the North I, Group III state title with a 2-1 win against Nutley High School
.
In 1995, Sparta's boys' soccer team won the state sectional championship and had a final season record of 21-2. The team finished first in the S.C.I.L with an undefeated record of 18-0.
to be recognized in each of the past six years (Woodbury High School
is the other).
, the graduation rate for Sparta High School is 94.7%. This rate exceeds the national high school graduation rate of approximately 70%. Sparta High School currently has the highest graduation rate in Sussex County.
Sparta High School has the following Clubs and Activities: Academic Bowl, Art Club, Beginnings (Literary Magazine), Chemistry Olympics, Choir (Select, Treble, Men's, Freshmen Select, Women's), Debate Team, DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America), Drama Club, FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America), GSA/Spectrum (Gay Straight Alliance), Habitat for Humanity, History Club, Jazz Bands: Blues Inc! Blues Sanction, JSA (Junior Statesmen of America, Key Club, Marching Band/Color Guard, Mock Trial - TBA, National Honor Society, Olympian (Yearbook), PDP (PeerDevelopment Program), Science League, Science Olympiad, Strings Club, Student Council, The Spartan Ink (Newspaper), Theater Productions, and a World Language National Honor Society.
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....
serving grades nine through twelve in Sparta Township
Sparta Township, New Jersey
Sparta Township is a Township in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 19,722...
, in Sussex County
Sussex County, New Jersey
The County of Sussex is the northernmost county in the State of New Jersey. It is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 Federal decennial census, 149,265 persons resided in Sussex County...
, 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...
, as part of the Sparta Township Public School District
Sparta Township Public School District
The Sparta Township Public School District is a comprehensive community public school district that serves over 4,100 students from Sparta, in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States...
. The school has just completed a $71.5M major reconstruction.
As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,218 students and 92 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 13.24.
History
The school opened in September 1959 when Newton High School in neighboring NewtonNewton, New Jersey
Newton is a town in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the town population was 8,244. It is the county seat of Sussex County....
, which had also served Sparta students, could no longer take on Sparta's rapidly growing high school-aged population. The sending districts of Byram and Hopatcong combined with Sparta to form the initial student body.
In its first year of operation, Sparta High enrolled over 400 students enrolled in just three grades, including students from not only Sparta, but also from nearby Hopatcong
Hopatcong, New Jersey
Hopatcong is a Borough in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 15,147.The area had been called "Brookland" in the 19th century and the lake that was expanded to become Lake Hopatcong had been known as "Great Pond" or "Brookland...
and Byram Township
Byram Township, New Jersey
Byram Township — "The Township of Lakes" — is a Township in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 8,350...
, which shared the school.
When it opened in 1959, the school employed only 28 teachers and participated in only four sports: football, basketball, wrestling, and baseball. There were, however, shop classes and home economics rooms, and the school gave behind-the-wheel driving lessons. In 1963, Sparta graduated its first class—of 160 students—that had attended the school for all four years.
During the 1970s, Sparta High School instituted split sessions to help alleviate problems brought on by increased enrollment. This was only a temporary fix, however, and the town later approved a referendum to build an "annex" onto the back of the school, more than doubling its area. The section added a new cafeteria, a library, and open classroom spaces.
In the early 1990s, the open spaces provided by the built-on annex were renovated and became closed classrooms. By this time, over one thousand students—all from Sparta—were enrolled in the school. Later in the 1990s, the high school was expanded yet again, adding a new science wing and a number of technological upgrades.
In September 2006, Sparta residents approved a referendum to perform major renovations on the school that aim to bring the school up to date. The construction began in the spring of 2008 and was finally completed by the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year. This reconstruction was to alleviate the issue of overcrowding that the school faced. During the construction, many classrooms were displaced to a cluster of modular trailer rooms.
Awards and recognition
The school was the 78th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 322 schools statewide, in New Jersey MonthlyNew 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 63rd in 2008 out of 316 schools. The school was ranked 73rd in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which included 316 schools across the state.
Sports
The Sparta High School Spartans now compete in the Northwest Jersey Athletic ConferenceNorthwest Jersey Athletic Conference
The Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference is a sports league that includes public and private high schools from Morris County, Sussex County and Warren County, New Jersey, that operates under the auspices 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:...
. Sparta High School had previously been a member of the now-defunct Sussex County Interscholastic League
Sussex County Interscholastic League
The Sussex County Interscholastic League was a high school athletic conference located in Sussex County and Morris County, New Jersey. The league was formed in 1976 when a number of new high schools opened up in the previous year. The formation of the league was to promote athletics and to cut...
. All sports teams compete in one of three seasons:
- Fall: Football, Boys' Soccer, Girls' Soccer, Cross-Country (Boys' & Girls'), Field Hockey, Girls' Volleyball, Cheerleading, Marching Band, and Girls' Tennis
- Winter: Boys' Basketball, Girls' Basketball, Skiing (Boys' & Girls'), Bowling (Boys' & Girls'), Winter Track (Boys' & Girls'), Wrestling, Swimming (Boys' & Girls'), and Ice Hockey
- Spring: Track and Field (Boys' & Girls'), Boys' Lacrosse, Girls Lacrosse', Baseball, Softball, Golf (Boys' & Girls') and Boys' Tennis
In 2003, Sparta's football team won the North I, Group II state championship at Giants Stadium
Giants Stadium
Giants Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Maximum seating capacity was 80,242. The building itself was 230.5 m long, 180.5 m wide and 44 m high from service level to the top of the seating bowl and 54 m high to...
against Dover High School
Dover High School (New Jersey)
Dover High School is a four-year public high school located in Dover, New Jersey in Morris County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Dover School District....
16-0, finishing the season with a 12-0 record and making them Sussex County's only 12-win undefeated football team.
The wrestling team won the North I, Group III state sectional championship in 2000 with a 36-29 win against Indian Hills High School
Indian Hills High School (New Jersey)
Indian Hills High School is a comprehensive four-year public high school located in Bergen County, New Jersey. The school is a part of the Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District, serving students from Franklin Lakes, Oakland and Wyckoff. The high school is located in Oakland. Ramapo...
.
The 2001 girls basketball team won the North I, Group III state sectional championship with a 36-32 win versus Northern Highlands Regional High School
Northern Highlands Regional High School
Northern Highlands Regional High School is a regional public high school and school district in Allendale, Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. The school serves students in grades 9–12 from Allendale, Ho-Ho-Kus, Saddle River, and Upper Saddle River...
. The team moved on to win the 2001 Group II State Championship, defeating West Morris Mendham High School
West Morris Mendham High School
West Morris Mendham High School is a four-year comprehensive regional public high school that serves students in ninth though twelfth grade as part of the West Morris Regional High School District. The school is located in Mendham Borough, New Jersey, United States...
in the semifinals and Toms River High School South
Toms River High School South
Toms River High School South is a comprehensive four-year public high school, and was the first high school established in Dover Township , Ocean County, as part of the Toms River Regional Schools. The original Toms River High School graduated its first class in 1891 and the current building opened...
in the finals to take the title.
The girls basketball team won the 2003 North I, Group III title with a 34-28 win against Pascack Valley High School
Pascack Valley High School
Pascack Valley High School is a four-year regional public high school located in Hillsdale in Bergen County, New Jersey, one of two high schools in the Pascack Valley Regional High School District...
in the tournament final. The 2006 team won the title in a low-scoring match, topping Northern Highlands Regional high School by a final score of 27-18.
In 2005, the softball team won the North I, Group III state title with a 2-1 win against Nutley High School
Nutley High School
Nutley High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school in the Township of Nutley, New Jersey, United States, as part of the Nutley Public Schools. Its colors are maroon and gray. The school is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. The school is located at...
.
In 1995, Sparta's boys' soccer team won the state sectional championship and had a final season record of 21-2. The team finished first in the S.C.I.L with an undefeated record of 18-0.
Academic excellence off the field
The boys' soccer team has earned the National Soccer Coaches Association of America's High School Boys Team Academic Award for six consecutive seasons (2003–04 through 2009–10) and eight of nine dating back to 2001–02. To qualify for the award, the team must have a minimum grade point average of 3.25 for the entire academic year. The team GPA is determined by adding every player’s GPA, then dividing by the number of players. Sparta is one of only two boys' soccer teams in all of New JerseyNew 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...
to be recognized in each of the past six years (Woodbury High School
Woodbury Junior-Senior High School
Woodbury Junior-Senior High School is a comprehensive community middle school and public high school that serves students in sixth through twelfth grades from Woodbury, in Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States, as part of the Woodbury Public Schools system.As of the 2008-09 school year, the...
is the other).
Graduation rate
According to the New Jersey HeraldNew Jersey Herald
The New Jersey Herald is a newspaper published six days every week. Its headquarters are in Newton, New Jersey. It is the only daily newspaper published in Sussex County, New Jersey and one of the oldest in the state...
, the graduation rate for Sparta High School is 94.7%. This rate exceeds the national high school graduation rate of approximately 70%. Sparta High School currently has the highest graduation rate in Sussex County.
Clubs and student activities
Sparta High School has many clubs, academically-related teams and student activities to choose from. The school hosts an Academic Team, Debate Team and countless clubs for whatever interests a student may have. Some progressive groups such as the Gay Straight Alliance are also school sanctioned clubs. The creation of a new club require a teacher sponsor for the cause (tasked with supervising) and approval from the Administration.Sparta High School has the following Clubs and Activities: Academic Bowl, Art Club, Beginnings (Literary Magazine), Chemistry Olympics, Choir (Select, Treble, Men's, Freshmen Select, Women's), Debate Team, DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America), Drama Club, FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America), GSA/Spectrum (Gay Straight Alliance), Habitat for Humanity, History Club, Jazz Bands: Blues Inc! Blues Sanction, JSA (Junior Statesmen of America, Key Club, Marching Band/Color Guard, Mock Trial - TBA, National Honor Society, Olympian (Yearbook), PDP (PeerDevelopment Program), Science League, Science Olympiad, Strings Club, Student Council, The Spartan Ink (Newspaper), Theater Productions, and a World Language National Honor Society.
Administration
Core members of the school's administration are:- Dennis Tobin - Principal
- Janet Ferraro - Vice Principal
- Steven Stoner - Vice Principal
- Stan Abromavage - Director of Guidance
- Patrick Shea - Athletic Director
Notable alumni
- Greg BatyGreg BatyGregory James Baty is a former American football tight end, who played eight seasons in the National Football League. He played college football at Stanford University....
(born 1964), former NFL player. - Mike BudnikMike BudnikMichael Allan Budnik is an American mixed martial artist and former professional in-line skater. He competed in the first ten X-Games.Budnik has been a resident of Sparta Township, New Jersey.-MMA career:...
(born 1974), former professional inline skater, and professional mixed martial artsMixed martial artsMixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
fighter. - Tom CaltabianoTom Caltabiano- Career :He began performing stand-up in such venues as The Original Improv, The Comedy Cellar, Stand-Up NY, and Catch A Rising Star, and appeared on TV shows such as HBO Comedy Showcase. During this time, Caltabiano met fellow stand-up comedian Ray Romano, and frequently toured with him as...
(1979), writer/producer of sitcom Everybody Loves RaymondEverybody Loves RaymondEverybody Loves Raymond is an American television sitcom that originally ran on CBS from September 13, 1996, to May 16, 2005. Many of the situations from the show are based on the real-life experiences of lead actor Ray Romano, creator/producer Phil Rosenthal and the show's writing staff...
. - Chris JentChris JentChris Jent is a retired American professional basketball player and former coach in the NBA. He is currently an assistant coach at his alma mater, Ohio State.Jent was born in Orange, California and grew up in Sparta, New Jersey...
(born 1970), former NBA player. - Dan MillerDan Miller (fighter)Daniel James Miller is an American Middleweight mixed martial artist signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the older brother of fellow MMA fighter Jim Miller.-Martial arts background:...
(born 1981), mixed martial artsMixed martial artsMixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
fighter and Cage Fury Fighting ChampionshipsCage Fury Fighting ChampionshipsCage Fury Fighting Championships was an American mixed martial arts promotion. Founded by Felix & Amy Martinez, the promotion promoted in Atlantic City, NJ, having just held five events. The last minute cancellation of its sixth event signalled its demise...
MiddleweightMiddleweightMiddleweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have begun in the 1840s. In the bare-knuckle era, the first middleweight championship fight was between Tom Chandler and Dooney Harris in 1897...
Champion. - Jim MillerJim Miller (fighter)James Andrew Miller is an American mixed martial artist. He has held the Cage Fury Fighting Championships Lightweight Championship and Reality Fighting Featherweight Championship. He currently fights for the UFC's lightweight division. He is the younger brother of fellow MMA fighter Dan Miller...
(born 1983), mixed martial artsMixed martial artsMixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
fighter and Cage Fury Fighting ChampionshipsCage Fury Fighting ChampionshipsCage Fury Fighting Championships was an American mixed martial arts promotion. Founded by Felix & Amy Martinez, the promotion promoted in Atlantic City, NJ, having just held five events. The last minute cancellation of its sixth event signalled its demise...
LightweightLightweightLight-weight is a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight.-Professional boxing:The lightweight division is over 130 pounds and up to 135 pounds weight class in the sport of boxing....
Champion.
External links
- Sparta High School web pages
- Sparta Township Public School District
- Data for the Sparta Township 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...
- District loses schools chief to Sparta