Becton Regional High School

Becton Regional High School (formally Henry P. Becton Regional High School) is a four-year comprehensive public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades from Carlstadt and East Rutherford, in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as part of the Carlstadt-East Rutherford Regional School District. Students from Maywood attend the school as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Maywood Public Schools.

Becton Regional High School
Address
120 Paterson Avenue

East Rutherford
,
Bergen County
,
New Jersey
07073

United States
Coordinates40.83257°N 74.094149°W / 40.83257; -74.094149
Information
TypePublic high school
Established1971 / Renovated 2014
School districtCarlstadt-East Rutherford Regional School District
NCES School ID340280000300[1]
PrincipalDario Sforza
Faculty51.1 FTEs[1]
Enrollment653 (as of 2021–22)[1]
Student to teacher ratio12.8:1[1]
Color(s)  Maroon and
  white[2]
Athletics conferenceNorth Jersey Interscholastic Conference
Team nameWildcats[2]
RivalWallington High School
PublicationImages (art and literary)[3]
NewspaperCat's Eye View[4]
YearbookThe Tea Leaf[5]
Websitebectonhs.org/bhs/

Becton Regional High School is accredited by the New Jersey Department of Education and has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools since 1938.[6]

As of the 2021–22 school year, the school had an enrollment of 653 students and 51.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.8:1. There were 138 students (21.1% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 34 (5.2% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.[1]

History

A fire in October 1966 destroyed half of the former East Rutherford High School.[7][8]

The district was created with the passage of a referendum in June 1968.[9]

The new high school was named in honor of Henry P. Becton, son of Becton Dickinson co-founder Maxwell Becton, who donated part of the company's original East Rutherford property to be used as a site for the construction of the school.[10] Constructed on a 2.6-acre (1.1 ha) site, the building was designed to accommodate an enrollment of 1,100 students and was completed at a cost of $4.3 million (equivalent to $31.1 million in 2022)[11]

The building opened in September 1971 with 800 students in attendance.[8][12]

Becton Regional HS has science labs, a two-floor media center and technology hub, and a gymnasium and weight facility. The building recently underwent a $28 million renovation, which included enhancements to its technology infrastructure, heating & cooling, and security system.

In March 2020, the Maywood Public Schools received approval from the New Jersey Department of Education to end the relationship it had established with the Hackensack Public Schools in 1969 to send students to Hackensack High School. Maywood will begin transitioning incoming ninth graders to Henry P. Becton Regional High School beginning in the 2020–21 school year. The transition would be complete after the final group of twelfth graders graduates from Hackensack High School at the end of the 2023–24 school year.[13][14]

Awards, recognition and rankings

In 2018, the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) recognized Henry P. Becton Regional High School as a model high school based on recent academic success and career-focused programs. The NJDOE stated, "Henry P. Becton Regional High School instituted a more flexible and diversified class schedule, a common lunch period, career-focused internship and dual enrollment programs and digital learning upgrades focused on innovation across the curriculum. As a result, their graduation rate increased over 13 percentage points over the past 4 years."

The school was the 202nd-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 339 schools statewide in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2014 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", using a new ranking methodology.[15] The school had been ranked 150th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 150th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.[16] The magazine ranked the school 138th in 2008 out of 316 schools.[17] The school was ranked 145th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state.[18]

Schooldigger.com ranked the school 193rd out of 376 public high schools statewide in its 2010 rankings (a decrease of 30 positions from the 2009 rank) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the language arts literacy and mathematics components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).[19]

Location

The school is located on Paterson Avenue, near the border of Carlstadt, and near Route 17.

Curriculum

A variety of subjects is offered to prepare those students who plan to continue their education beyond high school and for those students who may seek employment directly upon completing high school. Through curricular offerings, extracurricular activities including a full athletic program for boys and girls, counseling, and special education services, the district aims to assist each pupil in achieving his/her goals, developing character and recognizing responsibility. Becton Regional High School offers a college preparatory program which includes several Advanced Placement (AP) classes, and career-oriented curriculum areas.

Becton requires that students earn a minimum of 140 academic credits during their four years of high school to graduate.

Becton students are accepted into some of the nation's top colleges and universities. Becton offers students SAT/ACT courses, and every 10th and 11th grader has the opportunity to take the PSAT. Students at Becton have the opportunity to earn numerous college credits through various programs.

Every student is assigned a school counselor, who plays an important role in academic progress, the college application process, post-high school plans and personal situations.

Extracurricular activities

The school mascot is the Wildcat, and its colors are maroon and white.[2] The school's newspaper is the weekly Cat's Eye View, and the yearbook is The Tealeaf. The school also publishes Images, an annual art and literary magazine.

Recent school musicals and plays have included Grease which was performed in March 2017, Little Shop of Horrors in 2016, and A Tough Act to Follow in 2015.

Becton offers an array of clubs and activities for students, including Horticulture Club, Political Science Club, Gaming Club, cheerleading (football), marching band & music activities, Debate, Environmental Club, Girls Helping Girls, Italian & Spanish Honor Society, Key Club, Math League, National Honor Society, Robotics Club, Science Olympiad, Student Council, Theatre Arts Club/play, and yearbook.

Athletics

Becton offers the following competitive team and individual sports: cross country, football, girls' and boys' soccer, girls' and boys' tennis, volleyball, wrestling girls' and boys' basketball, bowling, softball, baseball, and boys' and girls' track.

The Henry P. Becton Wildcats[2] participate in the North Jersey Interscholastic Conference, which is comprised of small-enrollment schools in Bergen, Hudson, Morris and Passaic counties, and was created following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).[20][21][22] With 357 students in grades 10–12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Group I for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 75 to 476 students in that grade range.[23] The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Group II North for football for 2022–2024, which included schools with 478 to 672 students.[24]

The school participates as the host school / lead agency in joint girls soccer and boys tennis teams with Wallington High School. These co-op programs operate under agreements scheduled to expire at the end of the 2023–24 school year.[25][26]

The football team won the NJSIAA North I Group I state sectional championship in 1974 (awarded by the NJSIAA) and 1993, and won the North II Group I title in 2003.[27] The 1993 team finished the season with a 10–1 record after winning its first sectional playoff title with a 21–14 victory in the North I Group I championship game against Pompton Lakes High School.[28] The team won the 2003 North II, Group I state sectional championship with a 24–0 win over Bogota High School in the tournament final.[29][30][31] Becton has maintained a rivalry with Wallington High School since the two schools first played each other in 1973, which was listed by The Record as one of the best in Bergen and Passaic counties; through the 2017 season, Becton leads with a 15–5 record in games between the two schools.[32]

The wrestling team won the North I Group I state sectional championship in 1996[33] The team won back-to-back league championships in 2008-09 and 2009–10. They also were the District 15 champions and Garfield tournament champions. The Wildcats were also voted the 2010 Bergen County Group I/II team of the year.[34]

The 2002 baseball team won the North I, Group I state title, edging Weehawken High School 7–6 in the final game.[35][36] The team won for the second consecutive year in 2003, defeating Waldwick High School 2–1 in the tournament final.[37][38] The team made it a threepeat in 2004, with a 5–2 win in the title game against Verona High School.[39]

The boys' cross country team won the 2003-2005 BCSL National titles and the 2005 Bergen County D title. The girls' cross country team won the 2005-07 BCSL National titles.

Since 2000, the bowling team has won the following titles:

  • BCSL National champions: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011
  • Bergen County Group 1-2: 2007
  • State sectional title, North I, Group I: 2012
  • State Group I champion: 2007[40]

Controversy

In 1994, the school made efforts to allow a handicapped athlete to compete using a wheelchair in track events against able-bodied runners. The effort was rejected by a New Jersey judge who ruled against the district.[41]

Administration

The school's principal and superintendent is Dario Sforza. His core school administration team includes the assistant principal.[42]

Notable alumni

See also

References
  1. School data for Henry P. Becton Regional High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 1, 2022.
  2. Henry P. Becton Regional High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  3. Images Art & Literary Magazine, Henry P. Becton Regional High School. Accessed September 13, 2022.
  4. Cat's Eye View School Newspaper, Henry P. Becton Regional High School. Accessed September 13, 2022.
  5. Tea Leaf Yearbook, Henry P. Becton Regional High School. Accessed September 13, 2022.
  6. Becton Regional High School, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools, backed up by the Internet Archive as of April 24, 2012. Accessed March 26, 2015.
  7. Staff. "Fire Destroys Jersey School", The New York Times, October 9, 1966. Accessed January 9, 2018. "A fire destroyed East Rutherford High School tonight."
  8. Lanza, Monica P. "Becton High is a reality at last", Herald News, November 15, 1971. Accessed March 2, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Mrs. Irene Mercoun, president of the Carlstadt-East Rutherford Board of Education, formed in 1968, traced the chain of events that culminated in the reality of a regional school for the two towns. 'It all started with a nightmare for East Rutherford High School and the Municipal Square School,' Mrs. Mercoun said. The nightmare was a fire that destroyed the Municipal Square School which was being used by high school students from Carlstadt and East Rutherford. The fire cost the system half of its available facilities for high school students."
  9. Clock Dedication and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, Henry P. Becton Regional High School. Accessed January 9, 2018.
  10. BD Director Emeritus Henry P. Becton Sr. Dies at 95, Becton Dickinson. Accessed August 19, 2011. "When the East Rutherford, New Jersey high school burned down, BD donated land for a new school renamed the Henry P. Becton Regional High School."
  11. "New Becton H.S. - 'out of this world'", Herald News, April 26, 1971. Accessed April 3, 2022. "The south wing of the Henry P. Becton Regional High School reflects the progress on the $4.3 million facility slated for opening in September. The school with a capacity of 1,100 students, can be expanded in the future by an addition to the wing..... The building, set on a 2.6-acre tract donated by Becton, Dickinson & Co., off Paterson Avenue at Route 17, is essentially completed."
  12. McGuire. Jane. "New Schools, Smooth Start", The Record, September 10, 1971. Accessed April 3, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "Approximately 800 students from Carlstadt and East Rutherford entered the classrooms of the Henry P. Becton Regional High School yesterday for the first time."
  13. Stoltz, Marsha A. "Here's why Maywood will send its students to Becton instead of Hackensack High School", The Record, March 9, 2020. Accessed April 6, 2020. "Maywood high school students will have four years to phase out of Hackensack High School and into Henry P. Becton Regional High School in East Rutherford. The process will begin in September, when current Maywood eighth-graders will be the first to attend Becton as freshmen, according to a March 7 joint announcement by the superintendents of the two districts."
  14. Board of Education of the Borough of Maywood, Bergen County, Petitioner, v. Board of Education of the City of Hackensack, Bergen County, Respondent Final Decision, New Jersey Department of Education, March 2, 2020. Accessed April 6, 2020. "Accordingly, the Commissioner granted the petitioner’s application for severance, subject to establishment of a sending-receiving relationship with the Carlstadt-East Rutherford Regional School District for a minimum duration of five years."
  15. Staff. "Top Schools Alphabetical List 2014", New Jersey Monthly, September 2, 2014. Accessed September 5, 2014.
  16. Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed September 12, 2012.
  17. Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed February 10, 2011.
  18. "Top New Jersey High Schools 2008: By Rank", New Jersey Monthly, September 2008, posted August 7, 2008. Accessed August 19, 2008.
  19. New Jersey High School Rankings: 11th Grade HSPA Language Arts Literacy & HSPA Math 2009-2010 Archived May 10, 2018, at the Wayback Machine, Schooldigger.com. Accessed January 15, 2012.
  20. Mattura, Greg. "Small-school NJIC may debut its own league championship", The Record, January 9, 2017. Accessed August 30, 2020. "The small-school North Jersey Interscholastic Conference may debut its own boys basketball tournament this season, one season after introducing its girls hoops championship. The NJIC is comprised of schools from Bergen, Passaic and Hudson counties and the event offered to the 36 boys teams would serve as an alternative to likely competing against larger programs in a county tournament."
  21. Member Schools, North Jersey Interscholastic Conference. Accessed August 30, 2020.
  22. League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  23. NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
  24. NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2022–2024, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  25. NJSIAA Fall Cooperative Sports Programs, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 1, 2020.
  26. NJSIAA Spring Cooperative Sports Programs, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 1, 2020.
  27. NJSIAA Football History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 1, 2022.
  28. O'Reilly, Charles. "Becton edges Pompton for state title", The Commercial Leader of Lyndhurst, December 9, 1993. Accessed December 3, 2020. "It took a 16-yard gain on a broken play to seal the victory, but the Becton Regional football team won its first state sectional title Saturday afternoon in Pompton Lakes. The Wildcats posted the first three scores, and then they held on by running out the last 5 minutes 53 seconds to preserve a 21-14 victory over the Cardinals at Hersbfield Park."
  29. James, George. "Government; 'All We Want Is Respect'", The New York Times, December 14, 2003. Accessed September 12, 2020. "Take Monday afternoon, after the Becton Regional High School football team beat Bogota 24-0 to win a state championship at its home field in this borough of 9,000 that is the home of the Meadowlands Sports Complex."
  30. Rosen, Dan. "Fitting end for Becton - State crown caps a perfect season", The Record, December 9, 2003. Accessed July 31, 2007. "They won five of seven titles from second through eighth grade, and three straight BCSL National titles. However, of all their victories, and there were 105 prior to Monday's North 2, Group 1 State final against Bogota at Riggin Field, none carried as much significance as No. 106."
  31. 2003 Football Tournament - North II, Group I, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed June 28, 2007.
  32. Cooper, Darren; Farrell, Sean; and Mattura, Greg. "North Jersey football: Best public school rivalries; Read up on the top rivalries in Bergen and Passaic counties, and vote for the one you think is best in the poll at the bottom of this page", The Record, July 17, 2018. Accessed May 13, 2021. "Becton vs. Wallington... First meeting: 1973; Series history: Becton leads series 15-5."
  33. NJSIAA Wrestling Team Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2021.
  34. All-Bergen Wrestling, Bergen County Coaches Association, April 7, 2010. Accessed September 13, 2012. "Aside from these accomplishments, Becton/Wallington has also been crowned the Garfield Tournament Team Champions and more impressively, the Group 1 and 2 Bergen County Team of the Year."
  35. Leonard, Tim. "Becton earns title - Reliever Tyrrell seals win over Weehawken in final", The Record, June 1, 2002. Accessed July 31, 2007. "DeSimone did just that on Friday, as No. 2-seed Becton was the last team standing in a back-and-forth 7-6 victory over No. 1-seeded Weehawken to win the State sectional title."
  36. 2002 Baseball - North I, Group I, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed June 28, 2007.
  37. Rosen, Dan. "Winning it for Ryan - Becton dedicates title to recovering teammate", The Record, June 3, 2003. Accessed July 31, 2007. "Tyrrell finished off Becton's 2-1 victory over Waldwick by getting Tristan Collesano to fly out to James Ross in center field. The Wildcats won their second straight sectional title, and will play in the State Group 1 semifinal against Cedar Grove today (4 o'clock at William Paterson University)."
  38. 2003 Baseball Tournament - North I, Group I, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed July 31, 2007.
  39. 2004 Baseball - North II, Group I, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed June 28, 2007.
  40. History of NJSIAA Boys Bowling Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed August 1, 2022.
  41. Schutta, Gregory. "Judge Rules Against Wheelchair Racer", The Record, June 30, 1994. Accessed June 29, 2007. "A disabled athlete's quest to race his wheelchair against able-bodied runners for the Becton track team hit a roadblock Wednesday when the Carlstadt-East Rutherford Regional Board of Education's appeal of a State order barring him from the team was rejected by an administrative law judge."
  42. Faculty and Staff Directory, Henry P. Becton Regional High School. Accessed April 3, 2022.
  43. Sargeant, Keith. "Mystery solved: Penn State hires E.J. Barthel as recruiting coordinator", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, March 29, 2017. Accessed September 13, 2017. "An East Rutherford native who starred at Becton Regional High, Barthel transferred to UMass for his final two years of eligibility after playing at Rutgers from 2003-05."
  44. Aberback, Brian. "Carlstadt guitarist Marc Rizzo talks about his gigs with Soulfly", The Record, December 6, 2010. Accessed February 10, 2011. "In his high school yearbook, Carlstadt native Marc Rizzo listed his future plans as 'Playing guitar every day for the rest of my life'. Rizzo, a 1995 graduate of Becton Regional High School in East Rutherford and current Sussex County resident, made good on his ambition."

Further reading
  • Sobko, Katie (March 7, 2020). "Maywood students to begin attending Becton Regional High School this fall". northjersey.com.
  • Katzban, Nicholas (July 26, 2019). "Becton High School chosen to absorb Maywood students". northjersey.com.
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