Colts Neck High School

Colts Neck High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in Colts Neck Township, in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades and operating as one of the six secondary schools of the Freehold Regional High School District.[6] The school is located at the corner of County Route 537 and Five Points Road. The school serves students from all of Colts Neck Township and from portions of both Howell Township and Marlboro Township.[7] The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 2008.[4]

Colts Neck High School
Front of school as seen from CR 537
Address
59 Five Points Road

Colts Neck Township
,
Monmouth County
,
New Jersey
07722

United States
Coordinates40.275134°N 74.210314°W / 40.275134; -74.210314
Information
TypePublic high school
Motto"Let the Tradition Begin"
Established1998
School districtFreehold Regional High School District
NCES School ID340561000237[1]
PrincipalDr. Brian P. Donahue
Faculty92.2 FTEs[1]
Grades9-12
Enrollment1,347 (as of 2021–22)[1]
Student to teacher ratio14.6:1[1]
Color(s)  Green
  Navy blue and
  Silver[2]
Athletics conferenceShore Conference[3]
Team nameCougars[2]
AccreditationMiddle States Association of Colleges and Schools[4]
NewspaperThe Paw Print[5]
Websitewww.frhsd.com/Domain/8

As of the 2021–22 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,347 students and 92.2 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 14.6:1. There were 114 students (8.5% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 39 (2.9% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.[1]

The school's mascot is the cougar,[2] which was chosen collectively by the student body in a competition. The school's motto is "Let The Tradition Begin."

History

The earliest proposal for a high school in Colts Neck dates back to a May 1978, referendum that would have included a high school building in the township at a cost of $17 million (equivalent to $76.3 million in 2022), which was approved by Colts Neck voters but was overwhelmingly rejected by voters in the seven other constituent municipalities.[8] In 1983, there was active consideration of having Colts Neck withdraw from the regional high school system, while the district considered renaming Marlboro High School, which was attended by Colts Neck students, as Marlboro-Colts Neck High School.[9]

A 67-acre (27 ha) site was identified in 1986 as part of a project that would create a new Colts Neck High School that would cost an estimated $30 million (equivalent to $80.1 million in 2022) and could accommodate 1,300 students and would also expand other district facilities at a total cost of $36 million.[10][11] In September 1986, voters approved the referendum by a 58%-42% margin, with Colts Neck residents providing much of the margin for passage.[12] By 1988, the costs of construction of the new high school had soared by millions of dollars, exceeding the amount available from the referendum to cover the costs, leading to further delays.[13] In February 1993, a judge ruled that the district had to move forward with construction of the new high school and could not put forth a referendum to undo the 1986 vote.[14] In July 1994, the New Jersey Supreme Court refused to hear the case.[15]

Construction began in August 1996, with expectations to have the building open in September 1998 to handle 750 incoming students, with an eventual capacity for 1,300.[16]

The school opened in September 1998 as the sixth high school in the system, with 380 students in ninth and tenth grades.[17]

Awards, recognition and rankings

The school was the 68th-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.[18] The school had been ranked 103rd in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 80th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.[19] The magazine ranked the school 109th in the magazine's September 2008 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state.[20]

Schooldigger.com ranked the school tied for 72nd out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (an increase of 61 positions from the 2010 ranking) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the mathematics (89.4%) and language arts literacy (96.7%) components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).[21]

Athletics

The Colts Neck High School Cougars[2] compete in Division B North of the Shore Conference, an athletic conference comprised of public and private high schools in Monmouth and Ocean counties along the Jersey Shore.[3][22] The league operates under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).[23] With 1,027 students in grades 10–12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Group III for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 761 to 1,058 students in that grade range.[24] The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Group IV South for football for 2022–2024, which included schools with 893 to 1,296 students.[25] Since the school opened in 2001, it has won numerous state, sectional, county, conference, and division titles.

The school participates with Raritan High School in a joint ice hockey team in which Freehold High School is the host school / lead agency. The co-op program operates under agreements scheduled to expire at the end of the 2023–24 school year.[26]

Girls' soccer

In 2015, the girls' soccer team finished the season with a record of 24–0–1, winning the first Shore Conference title and the first state title for girls' soccer, defeating nationally top ranked Northern Highlands Regional High School by a score of 1–0 in the tournament final to win the Group III state championship.[27][28]

Girls' basketball

The girls' basketball program set a single season record for wins in 2009 and won the Group IV state championship, defeating Columbia High School by a score of 58–52 in the tournament final.[29][30] The team finished the season with a 29–4 record after losing in the finals of the Tournament of Champions by a score of 56–44 to St. John Vianney High School, which won their sixth Tournament of Champions title.[31] In 2008 they won the Shore Conference Tournament with a 55–47 win over Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School in triple overtime, the first public high school to win the conference title since 1989.[32]

Girls bowling

The girls bowling team won the Group II state championship in 2019.[33][34]

Girls field hockey

The 2017 field hockey team won the North II Group III state sectional championship with a 2–0 victory against Freehold High School.[35][36]

Cross country / track & field

The cross country running and track program (in particular distance running) has been one of the school's most successful teams. The girls' cross country team has been nationally ranked three times, during the 2005, 2006 and 2007 seasons. The team also qualified for Nike Team Nationals in 2006 and finished 4th with Ashley Higginson (1st place), Briana Jackucewicz, Allison Donaghy, Kristen O'Dowd, Erin Donaghy, Allie Flott, Morgan Clark, and Allison Linnell (Linnell attended MAST.)[37] This 2006 girls' team had wins at the 2006 Shore Conference, Monmouth County, Central Jersey Group IV, NJ Group IV, and NJ Meet of Champions.[38] The cross country program also has produced three Foot Locker finalists (Briana Jackucewicz, Craig Forys, and Ashley Higginson).[39]

The girls won state group cross country team titles in Group I in 2000, in Group III in 2005 and 2016–2018, and in Group IV in 2006.[40]

The boys won the state Group III title in 2016.[41]

The indoor and outdoor track and field program has also been extremely successful having won six national titles, the boys indoor distance medley relay 2005, girls indoor 4 x 1-mile (1.61 km) Relay 2006 & 2007, boys indoor 2 mile (Craig Forys) 2007, girls indoor and outdoor 2 mile (Ashley Higginson) 2007. The track program also has produced numerous state champions and has held numerous state records, the most notable being the boys' 4 x 800 relay set in 2005 with a time of 7:39.54.[42] Craig Forys set the New Jersey State 3000 meters and two-mile (3.2 km) records and Ashley Higginson set the New Jersey State 2 mile, 5000 meter and 2000 meter steeplechase records.[43] The boys have won state group team titles in indoor track in Group III in 2016 and 2017.[44]

The girls spring / outdoor track team won the Group III state championship in 2021.[45]

Boys' basketball

In the 2015–16 season, the boys' basketball team captured its first state title, defeating crosstown rival Freehold Township High School by a score of 45–44 in the Central Jersey Group IV tournament final.[46]

Boys' soccer

The team won the Group I championship in 2000, defeating runner-up Whippany Park High School by a score of 4–2 in the tournament final.[47][48]

Softball

The softball team won the Group III state championship in 2021, defeating Cranford High School in the tournament final.[49]

Administration

The school's principal is Dr. Brian P. Donahue. His core administration team includes two assistant principals.[50]

Other high schools in the district

Attendance at each of the district's high schools is based on where the student lives in relation to the district's high schools. While many students attend the school in their hometown, others attend a school located outside their own municipality.[7] In order to balance enrollment, district lines are redrawn for the six schools to address issues with overcrowding and spending in regards to transportation. The other five schools in the district (with 2021–22 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[51]) with their attendance zones for incoming students are:[52][53][54]

Notable alumni

References
  1. School data for Colts Neck High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 1, 2022.
  2. Colts Neck High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  3. Shore Conference Realignment for 2018-2019 and 2019-2020, Shore Conference. Accessed November 15, 2020.
  4. Colts Neck High School, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed February 9, 2022.
  5. Home Page, The Paw Print. Accessed October 4, 2018.
  6. Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, Freehold Regional High School District, June 30, 2018. Accessed January 15, 2020. "Geographically, the District is comprised of the Townships of Colts Neck, Freehold, Howell, Manalapan and Marlboro and the Boroughs of Englishtown, Farmingdale and Freehold. Established in 1953, the District's total area is 198 square miles."
  7. FRHSD Attendance Boundaries; Which High School Will My Child Attend?, Freehold Regional High School District. Accessed February 23, 2022. "The following is a list of streets, by municipality, that are assigned to a Freehold Regional District high school outside of their hometown."
  8. Kahn, Joan. "Stung by Criticism", The Daily Register, May 19, 1978. Accessed April 27, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Stung by the overwhelming rejection this week of a referendum which would have given Colts Neck a high school within its boundaries, the Board of Education last night decided to set up an 11-member Citizens Advisory Committee to recommend plans for the district's high school students. Colts Neck is one of eight members of the Freehold Regional High School district, whose $24 million building program, including the construction of a $17 million new high school here, went down to a 6 to 1 defeat, with only Colts Neck voters giving the proposal a narrow edge of approval among the district members."
  9. "School name change nixed", Daily Register, June 2, 1983. Accessed April 27, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "The local Board of Education last night sided with opponents of a proposal to change the name of Marlboro High School to Marlboro-Colts Neck High School, which is before the Freehold Regional Board of Education.... Still another argument is the uncertainty of the regional district's future in general, and specifically the future of Colts Neck students at what is now Marlboro High School. Colts Neck has sought to build its own high school as part of a proposal to dissolve the regional district."
  10. "Colts Neck high school site chosen", Asbury Park Press, January 31, 1986. Accessed April 27, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "A site for construction of a high school in the township was announced by the Township Committee last night.... Upon the recommendation of H. Victor Crespy, superintendent of the Freehold Regional High School district, the committee will look into the purchase of about 70 acres of the 130-acre site. Crespy was instrumental in finding a site, Caponegro said. A $33 million project, which would include construction of a new high school in Colts Neck, as well as additions to three other high schools in the regional district, is being considered. A referendum on the project is expected to be held later this year."
  11. "Regional high school building plan nears vote", Asbury Park Press, August 13, 1986. Accessed April 27, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "With the state granting approval earlier this week to drawings for the new building, Colts Neck Township is another step closer to getting a high school In May, the Freehold Regional Board of Education approved the schematic drawings for the school, which will provide classroom facilities for 1,300 students.... The proposal calls for the high school to be built on a 67-acre site at the southeast corner of the intersection of Route 537 and Five Points Road. Construction of the school could begin by late summer or the fall of 1987 if residents approve the referendum. The school could open 24 to 36 months after that."
  12. Johnson, Mary Gay. "To be built in Colts Neck; New high school gets voter OK", The Register, October 1, 1986. Accessed April 27, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "A strong voter turnout in Marlboro and Colts Neck townships provided enough momentum last night for passage of the $36.4 million Freehold Regional High School District referendum by a margin of more than 800 votes. With the approved referendum, residents in the district will get a new high school slated for Colts Neck, along with millions worth of repairs and renovations at four other area high schools."
  13. Arnold, Laurence. "Colts Neck high school fight hits roadblock", The Register, December 4, 1988. Accessed April 27, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Now, that fight may end up in court. At issue is how the school board deals with a budget shortfall between the voter-approved $36 million and what is now thought to be a price tag rising several million dollars above that. The boards decision to go ahead with four renovation projects on area high schools but to postpone the largest project the construction of Colts Neck High School has prompted threats of legal action by outraged township officials."
  14. Skerritt, Andrew J. "Building of school ordered by judge", Asbury Park Press, February 19, 1993. Accessed April 27, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Colts Neck Township may finally get its high school. Superior Court Judge Patrick J. McGann Jr. has ordered the Freehold Regional High School District to begin building the much-delayed school in Colts Neck. And the district cannot hold a referendum asking voters to reverse their decision to issue bonds to finance the school's construction. McGann said in a ruling obtained yesterday."
  15. Bradfield, Ellen. "Mandate to build school is upheld; By refusing to hear an appeal, the state Supreme Court lets stand a lower court ruling ordering construction of a Colts Neck Township high school.", Asbury Park Press, July 21, 1994. Accessed April 27, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "The state's highest court has upheld the position that the Freehold Regional High School District must comply with a 1986 referendum to build a new high school here. On Wednesday, the state Supreme Court issued its denial of the regional board's petition to hear an appeal of a 1993 decision by state Superior Court Judge Patrick J. McGann Jr. ordering the regional board to proceed immediately with plans to construct the school. A further petition to the Appellate Division was denied earlier this year."
  16. Sergeant, Jacqueline. "Work begins on school building; A groundbreaking for Colts Neck High School has been scheduled for September even though work has started.", Asbury Park Press, August 9, 1996. Accessed April 27, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "The groundbreaking ceremony hasn't happened yet, but construction is already under way on the sixth school in the Freehold Regional School District An official groundbreaking for the new high school, which had been scheduled for early summer, will now be held in September, said Fred Young, the district's deputy superintendent in charge of curriculum and instruction.... The 73,000-square-foot field at Route 537 and Five Points Road has been buzzing with workers on tractors, clearing and leveling the field, Young said.... The target opening date of September 1998 is still intact. The high school initially will house 750 students. But the building is being designed to accommodate 1,300 in the long run."
  17. Ryan, Harriet. "A clean slate in every classroom; New Colts Neck High School ready for a year fall of firsts", Asbury Park Press, August 31, 1988. Accessed April 27, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Today is the last day Colts Neck High School will be perfect. By tomorrow afternoon, back-to-school shoes will have scuffed some of the shine off the floors.... The Freehold Regional High School District's sixth high school is a state-of-the art building that will draw 380 freshmen and sophomores this year from throughout the district and be staffed by 30 teachers handpicked from hundreds of applicants."
  18. Staff. "Top Schools Alphabetical List 2014", New Jersey Monthly, September 2, 2014. Accessed September 5, 2014.
  19. Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed September 23, 2012.
  20. "Top New Jersey High Schools 2010: By Rank", New Jersey Monthly, September 2010, Accessed September 1, 2010.
  21. New Jersey High School Rankings: 11th Grade HSPA Language Arts Literacy & HSPA Math 2010-2011, Schooldigger.com. Accessed February 27, 2012.
  22. Member Schools, Shore Conference. Accessed November 15, 2020.
  23. League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  24. NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
  25. NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2022–2024, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  26. NJSIAA Winter Cooperative Sports Programs, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 1, 2020.
  27. NJSIAA History of Girls Soccer, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 1, 2022.
  28. Christie, Sherlon. "Girls Soccer: Colts Neck stuns Northern Highlands, No. 1 team in USA", Asbury Park Press, December 10, 2015. Accessed December 14, 2016. "The Colts Neck girls soccer team completed the most improbable season in the history of New Jersey girls soccer.... Beat the No. 1 high school girls soccer team in the USA while winning your school's first NJSIAA Group III state title and complete an undefeated season in the process. Well, that's immortality."
  29. NJSIAA Girls Basketball Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
  30. Williams, Tony. "CHS Girls Fall to Colts Neck A 58-52 loss in Toms River ends the season for the Cougars.", South Orange, NJ Patch, March 16, 2009. Accessed November 16, 2020. "The Columbia girl's basketball season came to a bitter end, Sunday, after a close 58-52 loss to Colts Neck, in the NJSIAA Group IV State Championship. Spearheaded by 23 points apiece from Lauren Clarke and the West Virginia-bound Brooke Hampton, the Colts Neck Cougars (27-3) used mini second-half spurts and clutch free throw shooting down the stretch to knock off the Columbia Cougars (22-5)."
  31. Stephenson, Colin. "St. John Vianney defeats Colt's Neck, 56-44, to win Girls' Tournament of Champions for the sixth time", The Star-Ledger, March 23, 2009. Accessed June 27, 2011.
  32. Morris, Tim; and McKenzie, Doug. "Colts Neck captures first Shore Conference crown", News Transcript, February 27, 2008. Accessed December 30, 2020. "In a memorial semifinal that matched two teams that were too stubborn to give in and too proud to lose, the Cougars won a triple-overtime marathon, 55-47, over Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School.... 'We felt that the fast play was in our favor,' said Truhan, whose team became the first public school to win the SCT since Neptune in 1989."
  33. History of NJSIAA Girls Bowling Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
  34. Tartaglia, Greg. "A 'great' day lifts Toms River North to second straight NJSIAA girls bowling crown", Asbury Park Press, February 11, 2019. Accessed December 30, 2020. "The Shore Conference swept every trophy, with the runner-up Patriots (2,678) winning Group 3. They, Group 2 Colts Neck (2,500) and Group 1 St. John Vianney (2,207) all earned their first state titles."
  35. History of NJSIAA Field Hockey Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  36. Pierce, Les. "Colts Neck Field Hockey Captures First Ever State Title", Colts Neck Journal, January 12, 2018. Accessed December 30, 2020. "Colts Neck captured the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 NJSIAA State Sectional championship via a 2-0 win over crosstown rival Freehold Borough. The Colonials arrived on the field as the defending champions, but the Cougars seemed unimpressed and took control of the play early on."
  37. Northeast Region Week 11 rankings, dated November 3, 2006.
  38. Newman, Josh. "Joe Lykes, Colts Neck, girls' cross country" Archived March 26, 2012, at archive.today, Asbury Park Press, December 9, 2006. Accessed June 27, 2011. "Colts Neck picked up wins at the Monmouth County, Shore Conference, Central Jersey Group IV and Group IV championship and the Meet of Champions."
  39. Bloom, Marc. "High School Running; Great Expectations Come in Threes", The New York Times, November 20, 2005. Accessed January 16, 2020.
  40. NJSIAA Girls Cross Country State Group Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 1, 2022.
  41. NJSIAA Boys Cross Country State Group Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 1, 2022.
  42. Boys' high school top performers: 2005 rankings, USA Today, accessed March 17, 2007
  43. Morris, Tim. "Cougars' Forys smashes three state records in single race" Archived August 30, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, News Transcript, May 9, 2007. Accessed August 3, 2008.
  44. NJSIAA Indoor Group Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
  45. NJSIAA Girls Spring Track Summary of Group Titles, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  46. Christie, Sherlon. "Boys Hoops: Colts Neck's Brendan Clarke hits shot of a lifetime", Asbury Park Press, March 7, 2016. Accessed October 22, 2019. "Clarke’s shot of a lifetime gave No. 2 seed Colts Neck a 45–44 victory over No. 4 seed Freehold Township in the NJSIAA Central Group IV final on Monday night, earning Colts Neck’s first sectional title for the boys basketball program."
  47. NJSIAA History of Boys Soccer, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 1, 2022.
  48. Holt, Bryan. "A Group of Champions", Asbury Park Press, November 30, 2000. Accessed November 16, 2020. "In just its second season of existence, the Colts Neck boys soccer team made a magical run through the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association playoffs, concluding the season with the Group I state title.... The Cougars captured the Group I title Nov. 18 with a 4-2 come-from-behind victory over Whippany Park at Kean University."
  49. NJSIAA Softball Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  50. Administration, Colts Neck High School. Accessed May 29, 2023.
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  52. Our Schools, Freehold Regional High School District. Accessed February 23, 2022.
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  55. Freehold High School, Freehold Regional High School District. Accessed February 23, 2022.
  56. Howell High School, Freehold Regional High School District. Accessed February 23, 2022.
  57. Howell High School, Freehold Regional High School District. Accessed February 23, 2022.
  58. Manalapan High School, Freehold Regional High School District. Accessed January 15, 2020.
  59. Manalapan High School 2015 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 23, 2022. "Manalapan High School is a fully accredited comprehensive high school serving a community of nearly 39,000 residents living primarily in the Township of Manalapan and the Borough of Englishtown."
  60. Marlboro High School, Freehold Regional High School District. Accessed February 23, 2022.
  61. Jake Areman, Monmouth Hawks men's soccer. Accessed August 31, 2022. "Hometown: Freehold, NJ; High School: Colts Neck"
  62. Curtis, Charles. "Marlins' Anthony DeSclafani, N.J native and Colts Neck HS grad, makes MLB debut", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, May 15, 2014, updated March 29, 2019. Accessed January 16, 2020. "Anthony DeSclafani, who grew up in Howell, N.J. and graduated from Colts Neck High School, had a little bit of pressure on him: He was the pitcher called up Wednesday to replace Marlins ace Jose Fernandez, who was done for the season and had Tommy John surgery on the horizon."
  63. "Former Colts Neck star Ashley Higginson, one of the top steeplechasers in the nation, spoke to Hillsborough cross-country team", The Star-Ledger, September 5, 2014, updated August 25, 2019. Accessed January 16, 2020. "This past Tuesday, NJ distance running legend Ashley Higginson, who starred at Colts Neck High and Princeton University, spoke to the girls cross-country team at Hillsborough about her journey."
  64. "The Next Big Thing In America’s Woman Soccer League — Ugandan Born Otandeka Laki,17", Uganda Diaspora News, August 7, 2013. Accessed February 23, 2022. "Otandeka Laki, 17, started her career in elementary school playing for recreational teams in Marlboro Township.... A member of an elite soccer club Match Fit United, Oti a senior at Colts Neck High High School in New Jersey is currently the leading goal scorer in her league and someone with a future in the American Women’s Soccer league."
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