Jonathan Dayton High School

Jonathan Dayton High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades in Springfield Township, in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The school is part of the Springfield Public Schools and is named after Jonathan Dayton, a signer of the United States Constitution. The school is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools.[4]

Jonathan Dayton High School
Address
139 Mountain Avenue

Springfield Township
,
Union County
,
New Jersey
07081

United States
Coordinates40.707172°N 74.314747°W / 40.707172; -74.314747
Information
TypePublic high school
Established1937 (as regional school); 1997 (as part of Springfield district)
NCES School ID341563000213[1]
PrincipalNorman Francis Jr.
Faculty49.2 FTEs[1]
Grades9-12
Enrollment610 (as of 2021–22)[1]
Student to teacher ratio12.4:1[1]
CampusOpen
Color(s)  Royal blue and
  Orange[2]
Athletics conferenceUnion County Interscholastic Athletic Conference (general)
Big Central Football Conference (football)
Team nameBulldogs[2][3]
AccreditationMiddle States Association of Colleges and Schools[4]
PublicationJargon (literary magazine)
NewspaperThe Dawg Print[5]
Websitewww.springfieldschools.com/1/home

As of the 2021–22 school year, the school had an enrollment of 610 students and 49.2 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.4:1. There were 60 students (9.8% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 20 (3.3% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.[1]

History

Springfield Township became one of the six constituent municipalities of the Union County Regional High School District when it was established, joining Berkeley Heights, Clark, Garwood, Kenilworth and Mountainside. Voters approved the construction of the district's first high school in Springfield at a referendum held November 1, 1935, just eleven days after a successful referendum to create the district.[6] The school opened to students in September 1937 as the first school in the district. The original building contained 27 classrooms, three science labs, three shops, a library, a cafeteria, a gymnasium, an auditorium, and offices.

The school has been expanded several times in subsequent years. A former Civilian Conservation Corps administration building was moved to the site from Meisel Avenue in March 1942 to serve as a classroom for the vocational program in agriculture.[7] The agriculture program continued until 1970, when it was discontinued due to the decline in farming within the district.[8] A 21-room addition was completed in September 1953 at a cost of $1.32 million after being approved by voters in a November 1951 referendum.[9][10] The addition contained 20 classrooms, three science labs, two shops, two music rooms, a gymnasium, and offices; renovations were completed to portions of the original building at the same time. On May 4, 1971, voters approved a $4.7 million bond referendum to expand and renovate each school in the district.[11] At Dayton, the addition of three science labs, two classrooms, two music rooms, an auxiliary gymnasium, and an instructional media center, and various renovations and expansions were completed by September 1973.[12][13] An athletic complex was completed on the school's front lawn in September 2013.[14]

Amid conflict between the constituent municipalities about financing a district described as "the highest-spending regional high school in the state" and anger from residents impacted by the closure of David Brearley High School, a referendum was held in May 1996 in which voters approved a proposal to breakup the regional district. With the district's dissolution at the end of the 1996-97 school year Jonathan Dayton High School was turned over to the Springfield Public Schools, which became a K-12 district.[15][16]

Awards, recognition and rankings

In the 2011 "Ranking America's High Schools" issue by The Washington Post, the school was ranked 60th in New Jersey and 1,732nd nationwide.[17] The school was the 991st-ranked public high school in the United States out of over 26,000 schools in the country, 29th in the state of New Jersey, in Newsweek magazine's "America's Top High Schools 2010" edition.[18]

The school was the 113th-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.[19] The school had been ranked 26th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 40th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.[20] The magazine ranked the school 32nd in 2008 out of 316 schools.[21] The school was ranked 44th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which included 316 schools across the state.[22] Schooldigger.com ranked the school tied for 76th out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (an increase of 109 positions from the 2010 ranking) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the mathematics (89.5%) and language arts literacy (96.4%) components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).[23]

In its 2013 report on "America's Best High Schools", The Daily Beast ranked the school 716th in the nation among participating public high schools and 55th among schools in New Jersey.[24]

Curriculum

Jonathan Dayton offers Advanced Placement (AP) classes in the humanities (AP English Language and Composition, AP Art History, AP Studio Art, AP Music Theory, AP United States History, AP European History, and AP Psychology), sciences (AP Chemistry, AP Physics, and AP Biology), and (AP Calculus BC and AP Statistics) and AP Computer Science. All students have laptops.

Extracurricular activities

Clubs
  • Junior State of America (JSA)
  • Student Council
  • Italian Club
  • French Club
  • Spanish Club
  • Alternatives Club
  • Ski/Snowboard Club
  • Math League
  • Science League
  • Medical Careers Club
  • Newspaper (The Dawg Print)
  • Literary Magazine (Jargon)
  • Yearbook
  • Spring Musical
  • Fall Drama
  • Marching Band
  • Glee Club (A Capella)
  • Mock Trial Team
  • Quiz Bowl
  • Bulldog Banger Student Section
  • Mixed Choir
  • Art Club
  • Peer Leadership
  • Peer Mediation
  • Prom Committee
  • REBEL
  • Volunteer Club
  • Environmental Club
  • Student-Principal Advisory Committee (SPAC)
  • Book Club
  • National Honor Society (NHS)

Publications

Jonathan Dayton is home to three publications, The Dawg Print, Jargon, and the yearbook. The former is the school's newspaper, which is released tri-yearly. Jargon is Jonathan Dayton's Literary Magazine, which displays the school's body of creative writing. Jargon's content can be submitted through the school's creative writing classes, or of the writer's own accord.

Athletics

The Jonathan Dayton High School Bulldogs[2] compete in the Union County Interscholastic Athletic Conference, following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).[25] With 451 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.[26] Prior to the NJSIAA's 2010 realignment, the school had participated in the Mountain Valley Conference, which included schools in Essex County and Union County.[27] The football team competes in Division 1B of the Big Central Football Conference, which includes 60 public and private high schools in Hunterdon, Middlesex, Somerset, Union and Warren counties, which are broken down into 10 divisions by size and location.[28] The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Group II South for football for 2022–2024, which included schools with 480 to 674 students.[29]

Sports offered at Jonathan Dayton High School include:[3]

  • Fall Sports: Football (Varsity, JV & Freshman), Soccer (Boys', Varsity & JV), Soccer (Girls', Varsity & JV), Cross Country (Boys & Girls, Varsity), Volleyball (Varsity & JV), Gymnastics (Varsity), Cheerleading (Varsity) and Tennis (Girls' Varsity & JV).
  • Winter Sports: Bowling (Co-ed JV, Varsity) Basketball (Boys' Varsity, JV & Freshman), Basketball (Girls' Varsity & JV), Indoor Track (Boys' & Girls' Varsity), Swimming (Co-ed, Varsity), Ice Hockey (co-op with David Brearley High School), Cheerleading (Varsity & JV) and Wrestling (co-op with David Brearley High School).
  • Spring Sports: - Baseball (Varsity & JV), Softball (Varsity & JV), Spring Track (Boys' & Girls, Varsity & JV), Tennis (Boys' Varsity & JV) and Golf (Co-ed Varsity)

The school participates as the host school / lead agency in joint cooperative gymnastics, ice hockey and co-ed swimming teams with David Brearley High School; the co-op ice hockey team also includes Union High School. Brearley is the host school for a joint wrestling team. These co-op programs operate under agreements scheduled to expire at the end of the 2023–24 school year.[30][31]

The boys basketball team won the Group III state championship in 1950, defeating Union Hill High School in the tournament final.[32][33]

The boys' track team won the Group I/II indoor relay state championships in 1971; the girls' track team won the Group II title in 1984.[34]

The boys tennis team won the Group I state championship in 2001 (defeating Haddon Township High School in the tournament's final match), 2007 (vs. Pennsville Memorial High School), 2008 (vs. Point Pleasant Beach High School) and 2009 (vs. New Milford High School).[35] The boys tennis team won the North II Group I state sectional championship in four consecutive years 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and the Mountain Valley Conference in 2008 and 2009. The boys tennis team has won the Group I state championship in three consecutive years 2007, 2008, 2009 and four times overall including a state championship in 2001.[36] The 2001 team won the Group I title with a 3–2 win against Haddon Township in the tournament finals at Mercer County Park.[37] The 2008 team won the North II, Group I state sectional championship with a 3–2 win in the tournament final over Ridgefield Memorial High School.[38] The boys tennis team won the 2007 North II, Group I state sectional championship with a 4–1 win against Ridgefield Memorial High School.[39] The team moved on to win the 2007 NJSIAA Group I state championship, defeating Pennsville Memorial High School 4–1 in the final matches.[40] The ice hockey team won the Monsignor Kelly Cup in 2003.[41]

The wrestling team, operated in combination with David Brearley High School, won the 2006 and 2007 Central Jersey Group I state sectional title defeating Roselle Park High School 39–20 in 2006 and 46–10 in 2007.[42] In 2008 the wrestling team won the North II Group II sectional title defeating South Plainfield High School by a score of 34–23 at South Plainfield High School. The team was a finalist in the Group I state championship before losing to Paulsboro High School at the Ritacco Center in Toms River in 2007 and a Group II state finalist in 2008, losing to Long Branch High School by a score of 30–27.[43][44]

The boys' soccer team was Group I co-champion in 2009 with Palmyra High School.[45]

The girls spring track team was the Group I state champion in 2009.[46]

Demographics

As of the 2006 - 2007 school year:

Males: 47%
Females: 53%

Total Teachers = 46
Teacher - Student Ratio = 1:12 (NJ Average = 1:14)

Ethnicity Dayton NJ Average
American Indian 1% n/a
Asian 7% 7%
Hispanic 12% 20%
Black 16% 19%
White 64% 54%

Administration

Core members of the school's administration are:[47]

  • Dr. Norman Francis Jr., Principal
  • Jonathan Telesca, Assistant Principal

Notable alumni

References
  1. School data for Jonathan Dayton High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 1, 2022.
  2. Jonathan Dayton High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  3. JDHS Athletic Department, Jonathan Dayton High School. Accessed October 29, 2015.
  4. Jonathan Dayton High School, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed February 6, 2022.
  5. Clubs, Activities and Organizations, Jonathan Dayton High School. Accessed April 7, 2022.
  6. "Regional High School Given Vote Approval". Plainfield Courier-News. November 2, 1935 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "High School Boys Completed Tremendous Job of Moving Shed" (PDF). Springfield Sun. March 13, 1942. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  8. "Chickens fly high school coop". Courier News. July 23, 1970 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Voters Okeh Two School Proposals". Plainfield Courier-News. November 14, 1951 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Regional School Enrollment Rises". Plainfield Courier-News. September 23, 1953 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. Gold, Abner (May 6, 1971). "Regional expansion proposal wins at the polls" (PDF). Springfield Leader. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  12. "New Dayton Facilities" (PDF). Springfield Leader. April 15, 1971. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  13. "Additions to schools to be done". Courier News. August 9, 1973. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  14. Mustac, Frank (September 20, 2013). "Springfield ribbon-cutting for new turf field at Dayton High School is tonight, Sept. 20". NJ.com. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  15. Hanley, Robert. "Schools Weigh Impact Of District Breakup", The New York Times, May 16, 1996. Accessed April 28, 2021. "They are Springfield, with Dayton High; Berkeley Heights, with Governor Livingston High; Clark, with Arthur Johnson High, and Kenilworth, with Brearley High, which closed three years ago but will reopen after Commissioner Klagholz sets a date for the formal dissolution. Many expect it will be June 30, 1997. The district's two towns without high school buildings -- Garwood and Mountainside -- will remain kindergarten-to-eighth-grade districts and ship out their high school students. Mountainside's will go to Livingston High in Berkeley Heights."
  16. Paglia, Bernice. "Stakes high in vote on deregionalization", Courier News, May 13, 1996. Accessed April 28, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "In 1992 the Union County Regional High School District 1 board voted to close one of its four high schools, a move aimed at saving $4 million. That move may come full circle on Tuesday, when voters from six municipalities will decide whether to dissolve the district itself, which state Education Commissioner Leo Klagholz has called 'the highest-spending regional high school in the state.'"
  17. Mathews, Jay. "The High School Challenge 2011: Jonathan Dayton High School", The Washington Post. Accessed September 10, 2011.
  18. "America's Top High Schools 2010: # 991 Dayton Springfield, NJ", Newsweek, June 13, 2010. Accessed June 11, 2011.
  19. Staff. "Top Schools Alphabetical List 2014", New Jersey Monthly, September 2, 2014. Accessed September 5, 2014.
  20. Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed August 23, 2012.
  21. Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed March 16, 2011.
  22. "Top New Jersey High Schools 2008: By Rank", New Jersey Monthly, September 2008; posted August 7, 2008. Accessed August 19, 2008.
  23. New Jersey High School Rankings: 11th Grade HSPA Language Arts Literacy & HSPA Math 2010-2011, Schooldigger.com. Accessed February 27, 2012.
  24. Streib, Lauren. "America's Best High Schools" Archived May 8, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, The Daily Beast, May 6, 2013. Accessed May 9, 2013.
  25. League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  26. NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
  27. Home Page, Mountain Valley Conference, backed up by the Internet Archive as of February 2, 2011. Accessed November 26, 2014.
  28. Kinney, Mike. "Big Central revises 2020 football schedule for its shortened inaugural season", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, August 12, 2020. Accessed April 18, 2021. "The newly formed Big Central Football Conference has released a revised 2020 schedule for its inaugural season.... the BCFC is comprised of schools from Middlesex, Union, Somerset, Hunterdon and Warren counties."
  29. NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2022–2024, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  30. NJSIAA Fall Cooperative Sports Programs, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 1, 2020.
  31. NJSIAA Winter Cooperative Sports Programs, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 1, 2020.
  32. NJSIAA Boys Basketball Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
  33. Christie, Sherlon. "Boys: Asbury Park ends 23-year state championship drought", Asbury Park Press, March 13, 2011. "Asbury Park hasn’t won a state title since 1987 when the school was in Group II and defeated Orange and Dayton hasn’t won a state title since 1950, then as Springfield Regional, when it defeated Union Hill. Prior to Sunday night’s game, Dayton hasn’t played in a state final since 1955 when the Bulldogs (22-6) lost to Cliffside Park for the Group III title and Asbury Park (25-5) played in the 2009 Group I state final and lost to University 65-54."
  34. History of the NJSIAA Indoor Relay Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 20, 2020.
  35. holmdel, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  36. Chando, Matt. "Eagles fall to defending state champs", Today's Sunbeam, May 22, 2009. Accessed September 10, 2011. "Dayton (13-4) captured its third consecutive state Group I title and fourth overall by defeating Point Pleasant Boro/New Milford in the final."
  37. McCann, Sean. "Haddon Twp. loses Group 1 title match", Courier-Post, Mau 25, 2021. Accessed January 13, 2021, via Newspapers.com, ".The Haddon Township High School boys' tennis team, ranked No. 11 in the Courier-Post Top 20 Poll, had the advantage in heart and emotion against North I sectional champion Jonathon Dayton, but Dayton finished with the advantage on the court and beat the Hawks 3-2 for the state Group 1 title Thursday at Mercer County Park."
  38. 2008 Boys Team Tennis - North II, Group I, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 26, 2014.
  39. New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. "2007 Boys Tennis - North II, Group I". Retrieved June 6, 2007.
  40. 2007 Boys Tennis - Public Group Finals, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 27, 2007.
  41. NJSIAA Ice Hockey State Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
  42. 2007 Team Wrestling Tournament - Central, Group I, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed July 24, 2007.
  43. 2007 Team Wrestling Tournament - Group I Championship, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed July 24, 2007.
  44. NJSIAA Wrestling Team Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2021.
  45. NJSIAA History of Boys Soccer, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 1, 2022.
  46. NJSIAA Girls Spring Track Summary of Group Titles, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  47. Faculty and Staff, Jonathan Dayton High School. Accessed February 6, 2022.
  48. "Jonathan Dayton High School Regionalogue". Archive.org. Internet Archive. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  49. Monaco, Lou. "Dreams Do Come True: Springfield's Anthony Cioffi to Sign with Oakland Raiders", TAP into Springfield, April 30, 2017. Accessed November 11, 2017. "The dream has come true for the Springfield kid.... Anthony Cioffi, the 5-foot-11, 205-pound four-year defensive back out of Rutgers and Jonathan Dayton High School alum, signed as a priority undrafted free agent with the Oakland Raiders."
  50. Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey, Volume 200, Part 2, p. 216. J.A. Fitzgerald. "John P. Gallagher, Rep., Middletown.... Mr. Gallagher was born in Kenilworth on Feb. 2 1932. He is a graduate of Jonathan Dayton Regional High School, Springfield."
  51. Curt Merz, The Pro Football Archives. Accessed May 10, 2013.
  52. Curt Merz, NJSports.com. Accessed February 6, 2022. "Curtis Carl Merz was born April 17, 1938 in Newark and grew up in Springfield. Curt was a massive talent who earned all-state honors in football, basketball and track for Jonathan Dayton High School."
  53. "Parade honors Reyna", Mountainside Echo, February 15, 1990. Accessed January 18, 2023. "Claudio Reyna of Springfield, a former student at Jonathan Dayton Regional High, was one of three players from New Jersey to be named to the 12th annual Parade Magazine All-America High School Soccer Team."
  54. Ross, Jeffrey. I Only Roast the Ones I Love: How to Bust Balls Without Burning Bridges, p. 66. Simon & Schuster, 2010. ISBN 1439102791. "However, it wasn't until I reached Jonathan Dayton Regional High School in Springfield that I discovered the great power of the put-down."
  55. Joe Schaffernoth, Baseball-Reference.com. Accessed May 10, 2013.
  56. Chollet, Laurence. "A shining bit between the stars", The Record, July 16, 1992. Accessed January 18, 2023, via Newspapers.com. "All that attention has elevated Schram, a 23-year-old from Mountainside in Union County, into what could be called a league of her own.... The sports part came pretty easily, as Schram has played competitive tennis since she was 10, starred at Jonathan Dayton High School in Springfield, and eventually won a tennis scholarship to the University of Maryland."
  57. "Brigadier General Roger C. Smith", United States Air Force. Accessed February 5, 2018. "General Smith was born in 1937, in Orange, N.J., and graduated from Jonathan Dayton Regional High School, Springfield, N.J., in 1955."
  58. Goodstein, Laurie; Kershaw, Sarah; and Lewis, Neil A. "Army Chaplain in Detention Sought to Teach About Islam", The New York Times, September 25, 2003. Accessed May 10, 2013. "Rick Iacono, Captain Yee's wrestling coach, said he had recruited Captain Yee, who weighed only 100 pounds in high school, and that he had quickly made an impression as someone who could deeply focus on what he was doing. Captain Yee kept in close touch with Mr. Iacono and would return sometimes to the high school, Jonathan Dayton High School, to speak to students about wrestling."
  59. Fonda, Daren. "Were They Aiding The Enemy?", Time, September 28, 2003. Accessed May 10, 2013. "One of five children born to devout Chinese Lutherans, Jimmy, as he was known at Jonathan Dayton High School in Springfield, N.J., was a champion wrestler, an ace student and 'a low-maintenance guy,' according to his coach."
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