Hunterdon Central Regional High School is a comprehensive, four-year public high school, and regional school district that serves students from five municipalities in east central Hunterdon County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Students from Delaware Township, East Amwell Township, Flemington, Raritan Township and Readington Township attend the school. It is the district's only school.
As of the 2024–25 school year, the school had an enrollment of 2,238 students and 217.2 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.3:1. There were 347 students (15.5% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 82 (3.7% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.
The district participates in the Interdistrict Public School Choice Program, which allows non-resident students to attend school in the district at no cost to their parents, with tuition covered by the resident district. Available slots are announced annually by grade.
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District and school history
The Hunterdon Central Regional High School School District was created by referendum on April 4, 1954, and the high school opened in the former Route 69 Elementary School in September 1956. There were a few impetuses that led to the creation of the district. Before 1956, public school students of the school districts of Delaware, East Amwell and Readington Townships were sent to Flemington High School as tuition students, but these districts had no voice on the Flemington-Raritan Board of Education, which administered the school. Additionally, Flemington High's facilities could no longer support the growing student population, nor could its plant support the offering of a more broad-based curriculum that was becoming standard among American high schools in the post-WWII era. A statute passed by the New Jersey Legislature in 1931 permitted two or more municipalities to create regionalized school districts so that all member municipalities had representation and authority as members of a regional board of education, as well as the benefit of being able to pool tax resources and share the cost of running a school district.
When the new HCRHS Board of Education purchased the Route 69 elementary school, its facilities were expanded to accommodate 1,000 students with the passage of a bond act in December 1954. The Board selected Robert Shoff to be the district's first superintendent. When the school opened in 1956 most of the program and faculty from the former Flemington High School was transported to the new school and district.
Throughout the 1960s, HCRHS expanded its curriculum to offer vocational training, work force and college education. The new facilities allowed for a more varied curriculum including an expanded world languages program, agricultural education programs, a music and performing arts program (curricular, co-curricular and extra-curricular) and continuing expansion of the Red Devils athletic program. Additionally, the physical plant was expanded in 1962 and then again in a massive expansion begun in 1969. By 1970 the campus consisted of the 9/10 building, the 11/12 building, a separate Instructional Media Center (library), a fieldhouse and separate fine arts building. Connecting all of these buildings to one another was a covered walkway to shield students from the elements when passing from class to class.
In 1974, radio station WCVH-FM 90.5 began broadcasting from the campus of Hunterdon Central, and it was the first NJ radio station to be part of the National Public Radio network. WCVH still features student programming as well as programs of local interest.
Awards, recognition and rankings
In the 2024 Best U.S. High Schools rankings by U.S. News & World Report, Hunterdon Central Regional High School was ranked 14th among high schools in New Jersey. Excluding magnet and STEM schools, it was ranked second among general public high schools in the state. Additionally, the school was ranked 45th in the New York City Metropolitan Area and was ranked 258th nationally. According to the magazine's scorecard, 52% of students took at least one Advanced Placement (AP) Exam, with 81% passing at least one of those exams.
For the 1997–98 school year, Hunterdon Central Regional High School was recognized with the National Blue Ribbon Award of Excellence from the United States Department of Education, the highest honor that an American school can achieve, is awarded for excellence in instructional delivery and educational environment. In 2002, Hunterdon Central was awarded the Blue Ribbon School award for the second time, one of a limited number of schools across the state to be recognized on two separate occasions.
The school was the first in the State of New Jersey to be designated as a Star School by the New Jersey Department of Education, the highest honor that a New Jersey school can achieve, and has been recognized with this award three times, in 1993–94, 1994–95, and 1997–98.
The school was the 44th-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. The school had been ranked 84th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 85th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed. The magazine ranked the school 62nd in 2008 out of 316 schools. The school was ranked 57th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which included 316 schools across the state. Schooldigger.com ranked the school 81st out of 376 public high schools statewide in its 2010 rankings (an increase of 4 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).
For the 2005–06 school year, the district was recognized with the "Best Practices Award" by the New Jersey Department of Education for its "Books Breaking Barriers: The ESL Literature Circle" World Languages program at Hunterdon Central Regional High School.
School facilities
Hunterdon Central has a 72-acre (290,000 m2) campus that consists of two large classroom buildings (9/10 campus and 11/12 campus), a centrally located library called the Instructional Media Center (IMC), a Music building, a Communications Building and a Field House which can accommodate 2000 people. Its Auditorium can hold 900 people and its Little Theatre can seat 280. Its athletic facilities consist of the Stewart Athletic Complex in addition to other playing fields, and tennis courts, throughout the campus.
Administration
District and school administration members include:
District
Jessica Cangelosi-Hade, superintendent
Heather Spitzer, business administrator and board secretary
Cangelosi-Hade, who was previously the district's assistant superintendent, was appointed in August 2024 in a unanimous vote by the school board to succeed Jeffrey Moore, who became the assistant superintendent in the Mamaroneck Union Free School District in New York. Charles Michael Shaddow served as interim superintendent from March 2024 to August 2024.
The school's principal is Edward Brandt. His core administration team includes four vice principals, one for each grade.
Board of education
The district's board of education, comprised of nine members, sets policy and oversees the fiscal and educational operation of the district through its administration. As a Type II school district, the board's trustees are elected directly by voters to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with three seats up for election each year held (since 2012) as part of the November general election. The board appoints a superintendent to oversee the district's day-to-day operations and a business administrator to supervise the business functions of the district. All Board of Education Members serve as volunteers. Seats on the board of education are allocated based in the population of the five constituent municipalities who participate in the school district, with four members elected from Raritan Township, two from Readington Townships, and one each from Delaware Township, East Amwell Township and the Borough of Flemington; based on the results of the 2020 census, Raritan Township gained one seat and Readington Township lost one.
Staff
The faculty are divided among eight academic departments: English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, World Language, Business/Fine Arts/Music/Design Technology, Health and Physical Education & Family and Consumer Sciences, and Special Services.
Academics and curriculum
Hunterdon Central offers a broad curriculum that consists of the core required courses for graduation as legislated by the State of New Jersey. In addition, it offers students electives in each academic department, including Advanced Placement and honors courses. The Program of Studies provides details on graduation requirements and individual course curriculum for students attending Hunterdon Central.
Extracurricular activities
Extracurricular activities at the high school include baseball, boys' and girls' basketball, boys' and girls' bowling, cheerleading, boys' and girls' cross country, boys' and girls' fencing, field hockey, football, boys' and girls' golf, gymnastics, boys' and girls' lacrosse, ice hockey, boys' and girls' soccer, softball, boys' and girls' swimming, boys' and girls' tennis, boys' and girls' track and winter track, boys' and girls' volleyball, color guard, and wrestling. Other activities offered include dramatics, student government, publications, service organizations, clubs, marching band and orchestra, an Air Force Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps program, a chapter of the Junior Statesmen of America, a chapter of Amnesty International, a chapter of Future Business Leaders of America, choral programs, and a FIRST Robotics Competition Team (Team 3637).
The Marching Band, or Marching Red Devils has won awards in state, regional and all-state competitions.
The school's radio station, 90.5 FM WCVH, features current country music. The call letters stand for "Community Voice of Hunterdon (county)".
Athletics
Hunterdon Central Regional High School Red Devils compete in the Skyland Conference, which is comprised of public and private high schools in Hunterdon, Somerset and Warren counties, and operates under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA). With 2,178 students in grades 10-12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Group IV for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 1,060 to 5,049 students in that grade range. The football team competes in Division 5B 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. The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Group V South for football for 2024–2026, which included schools with 1,333 to 2,324 students.
The NJSIAA recognized the school as Group IV winner of the ShopRite Cup in 2007–08, with first-places finishes in baseball, football, boys lacrosse and girls volleyball; second place in field hockey (tied), boys golf, girls golf and winter track relays and fourth place in gymnastics, plus bonus points for having no disqualifications for the winter and spring seasons. They won again in Group IV in 2010–11, awarded for first-place finishes in softball and boys' golf; second in boys' soccer, football, boys' lacrosse and girls' golf; third in girls' cross country, girls' volleyball (tied) and wrestling (tied), and fourth in boys' fencing, plus bonus points for having no disqualifications for the fall and spring seasons.
The varsity cheerleading team has had success, both within the state of New Jersey and at the national level. The team won first place in their division at the 2012 UCA National High School Championships, while the junior varsity ranked third in their division. The team taken the title of New Jersey Group IV State Champion in 09–10, 02–03, 00–01, and 98-99 and took 2nd Place nationally at UCA National High School Finals in 2003 and 2011. The cheerleading team won the NJCDCA Group IV state championship title in 2017. Both Junior Varsity and Varsity took first place at the 2017 UCA High School Cheerleading National Championship.
The football team won the Central Jersey Group IV state sectional championships in 1979, 1998, 1999 and 2006, and repeated in 2007 in North II Group IV and in 2013 in Central Jersey Group V. The team won the program's first playoff-era title in 1979 with a 27-16 win against Matawan Regional High School in the Central Jersey Group IV playoff finals to finish the season with a 10-1 record. In 1998, the team finished at 12-0 after winning the Central Jersey Group IV state sectional title with a 42–6 victory over Piscataway High School in the tournament final at Giants Stadium. Down 21-14 at the half, the 1999 team roared back to defeat Piscataway by a score of 42-14 in the Central Jersey Group IV final to finish the season at 11-1. The team won the 2006 Central Jersey Group IV championship, beating Howell High School, 42–24, and was ranked #2 in Central New Jersey by the Courier News. The 2007 team won the North II, Group IV sectional title, defeating Piscataway High School 23–13 in a game played at Rutgers Stadium. The team finished the 2013 season with an 8-4 record after winning the Central Jersey Group V state sectional championship at Rutgers University against Manalapan High School by a score of 21–0, which had come unbeaten into the tournament final.
Notable alumni
Hannah Altman (born 1995), photographer, whose artwork explores lineage, memory, ritual and storytelling
Emma Bell (born 1986), actress
Jen Bryant (born 1960, class of 1978), poet, novelist and children's author
Jason Cabinda (born 1996, class of 2014), free agent fullback who most recently played for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League
Lauren Cho (1990–2021, class of 2009), who disappeared and was later found dead in the Yucca Valley of California
Vera Farmiga (born 1973, class of 1991), Academy-Award nominated actress whose films include The Departed and Up in the Air
Danny Federici (1950–2008), musician, player for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band
Kimi Goetz (born 1994, class of 2012), speed skater who represented the United States at the 2022 Winter Olympics
Matt Ioannidis (born 1994), retired defensive end who played for the Washington Redskins / Football Team and Carolina Panthers of the National Football League
Marcia A. Karrow (born 1959, class of 1977), former member of the New Jersey Legislature who represented the 23rd legislative district in the General Assembly from 2006 to 2009 and the State Senate in 2009. She is currently the mayor of Flemington, New Jersey (2023–present)
Tom Keeley (class of 1997), guitarist for the band Thursday
Robyn Kenney (born 1979, class of 1997), field hockey player