Type Public high school Principal Dr. Phillip Williamson Grades 9-12 Founded 1857 Lowest grade Ninth grade | Established 1857 Faculty 115.0 FTEs Phone +1 908-731-4393 Color Royal blue | |
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Vice principals Migulina Landisi
Johan Manuel Rojas Address 950 Park Ave, Plainfield, NJ 07060, USA District Plainfield Public School District Athletics conference Union County Interscholastic Athletic Conference | ||
Plainfield High School is a comprehensive community four-year public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Plainfield, in Union County, New Jersey, United States. The school is part of the Plainfield Public School District, one of New Jersey's 31 former Abbott districts. Plainfield High School was established in 1857, making it the second-oldest high school in New Jersey. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Secondary Schools since 1928.
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As of the 2014-15 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,573 students and 115.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.7:1. There were 1,142 students (72.6% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 92 (5.8% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.
Awards, recognition and rankings
The school was the 318th-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 280th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 307th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed. The magazine ranked the school 293rd in 2008 out of 316 schools. The school was ranked 307th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state.
Athletics
The Plainfield High School Cardinals 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). With 1,472 students in grades 10-12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2015-16 school year as North II, Group IV for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 1,114 to 4,800 students in that grade range. Before the 2010 realignment, the school had competed in the Watchung Conference, a high school sports association that consists of public high schools covering Essex County, Hudson County and Union County.
Plainfield's football rivalry with Westfield High School dates back to 1900, making it one of the oldest active public high school football rivalry in the state.
The boys' track team won the Group IV state indoor relay championship in 1980 and 1981 (as co-champion with Trenton Central High School); the girls' track team won the title in 1981, 1985, 1986 and 1991..
The boys' basketball team won the Group IV state championship in 1976 (defeating Neptune High School in the tournament final), 1983 (vs. Trenton Central High School), 2011 (vs. Burlington Township High School) and 2012 (vs. Neptune HS). The squad advanced to the NJISAA Tournament of Champions final in 2011 and 2012, both times losing to national private school powerhouse St. Anthony High School. Hall of Fame coach Bob Hurley called Plainfield, "the best basketball community in New Jersey." The team won the 2004 North II, Group IV state sectional championship, defeating Elizabeth High School 47-42 in the final.
Administration
Core members of the school's administration are: