Type Public high school Faculty 186.0 FTEs Enrollment 2,335 (as of 2014-15) Lowest grade Ninth grade | Principal Corey Lowery Grades 9-12 Phone +1 908-851-6500 Colors White, Maroon | |
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Vice principals Althea BossardKimberly OstyShawn PaternoTerrell Rutty Address 2350 N 3rd St, Union, NJ 07083, USA District Union Public School District Athletics conference Union County Interscholastic Athletic Conference | ||
Union High School is a comprehensive community public high school located in Union Township in Union County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades as the lone secondary school of the Union Public School District. In the late 1960s, a new high school was built, expanding on the existing Burnet Junior High School structure. Subsequent to completion of the new Union High School, the former high school building became Burnet Junior High and later, Burnet Middle School. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Secondary Schools since 1953.
Contents
- Awards recognition and rankings
- Union High School Performing Arts Company
- Musicals
- Marching Band
- Athletics
- Administration
- Notable alumni
- References
As of the 2014-15 school year, the school had an enrollment of 2,335 students and 186.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.6:1. There were 692 students (29.6% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 237 (10.1% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.
The high school building has been expanded to accommodate expand programs that include UHSPAC (Union High School Performing Arts Company), The C.A.S.T (Communication Arts Science and Technology) Program, A.J.R.O.T.C (Army Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps) program and the school's football team, the "Fighting Farmers."
In the early 1990s, the school was named an All-American school, along with all other schools in the Union Township School District.
The school itself was featured in Howard Stern's "autobiographical" movie, Private Parts, where it served as a stand in for Stern's actual high school, Roosevelt High School in Roosevelt, New York on Long Island.
Awards, recognition and rankings
The school was the 201st-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 250th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 243rd in 2010 out of 322 schools listed. The magazine ranked the school 229th in 2008 out of 316 schools. The school was ranked 210th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state.
Union High School Performing Arts Company
The Union High School Performing Arts Company (UHSPAC) includes a theatre department, an instrumental music program, and various choral music groups.
Musicals
Union High School's theatre department, under the direction of James Mosser, produces two major theatrical productions annually and has been recognized numerous times by the Paper Mill Playhouse in their annual Rising Star Awards. In 2010, the UHSPAC's production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat received the Rising Star Award for Best Overall Production, Best Director, Best Music Direction and Best Chorus; winning more awards than any other school in the state. UHSPAC's 2013 production of Cats (musical) was nominated for 14 Rising Star Awards and won five, the second-most of any school in the state, including awards for Outstanding Chorus, Outstanding Choreography/Musical Staging, and Outstanding Orchestra. Also,in 2015, the UHSPAC production of "Sophisticated Ladies" was nominated for 16 Rising Star Awrds, winning nine of them, the most in the 20-year history of the Rising Star Awards. Of those nine included: Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical, Outstanding Performance in a Featured Role, Outstanding Musical Direction. The UHSPAC came home with more awards than any other school in the state.
Marching Band
The Union High School Marching Band, under the direction of Laura Muller, consists of wind, percussion, and color guard members. The band performs at all school football games and competes in many United States Scholastic Band Association (USSBA) competitions located in the New Jersey area. At the 2012 Yamaha Cup, with their show entitled, "Rosie", the marching band won 1st place in Group 4A competition with a score of 85.888 and receiving the awards for Best Music, Best Visual, and Best Overall Effect, competing against 13 other marching bands in that division. In 2014 with their show entitled, "Soaring", the marching band won 1st place in the USBANDS Group 3A New Jersey state championship at Rutgers University with a score of 84.400 and receiving the award for Best Overall Effect, beating out 18 other New Jersey bands competing within Group 3A. Also in 2014, the band won 1st place at the USBands Group 3A National Championships in Allentown, Pennsylvania at J. Birney Crum Stadium. They achieved a score of 91.213, taking home the awards for Best Guard, Best Music, and Best Visual and they defeated 15 other bands in the 3A division.
Athletics
The Union High School Farmers 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 1,680 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. Prior to the NJSIAA's 2010 realignment, the school had participated in the Watchung Conference, a high school sports association which consisted of public high schools covering Essex County, Hudson County and Union County.
The boy's cross country team won the overall Public B title in 1931 and the overall state championship in 1943.
The boys' tennis team won the overall state championship in 1959 (vs. Teaneck High School) and 1960 (vs. Ridgewood High School).
The boys' bowling team won the overall state championship in 1966, 1968 and 1986.
The baseball team won the Group IV state championship in 1972 (vs. Ewing High School), 1974 (vs. Sayreville High School) and 2002 (vs. Jackson Memorial High School).
The football team won the North II Group IV state sectional championships in 1978, 1979, 1982, 1984–87 and 1991-93.
The softball team won the Group IV state championship in 1989 vs. Middletown North High School.
The boys' basketball team won the Group IV state championship in 1997, defeating Atlantic City High School in the tournament final.
On May 2, 2008, Union High School's Armed Drill Team took first place at The Nationals in the challenger level.
Administration
Core members of the school's administration are: