Saddle Brook High School is a six-year comprehensive community public high school that serves students in seventh through twelfth grades from Saddle Brook, in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as the lone secondary school of the Saddle Brook Public Schools.
As of the 2024–25 school year, the school had an enrollment of 806 students and 62.9 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.8:1. There were 214 students (26.6% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 35 (4.3% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.School data for Saddle Brook Middle/High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed January 15, 2026.
History in December 1955, voters approved by a better than 6-1 margin a referendum allocating $1.15 million (equivalent to $ million in ) for the construction of a high school on a site that had been contributed by the township; voters had rejected an earlier proposal that would have spent $1.8 million for a junior-senior high school project."Saddle Brook Approves High School, 887 to 132; Cost for New Building Set at $1,150,000; Town Committee to Donate 13-Acre Site", Herald News, December 14, 1955. Accessed April 30, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "This township with the sparkling now name voted itself a new $1,150,000 high school yesterday. head-on Margin 7 to 1 The lop-sided margin was almost seven to one 887 in favor, 132 opposed.... A junior-senior high school that would have ultimately cost at least $1,800,000 was squashed by 100 votes in a referendum held last spring."
Students in ninth through twelfth grades had attended Lodi High School until the new Saddle Brook High School opened in September 1958. At its opening, the building served 650 students in grades 7-10, with those in eleventh and twelfth grades continuing in Lodi until their graduation."Saddle Brook to Open New H. S.", Herald News, September 12, 1958. Accessed January 5, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "The new Saddle Brook High School on Mayhill Street will open for sessions at 8 o'clock on Wednesday. Enrollment in the building is expected to total 650. Seventh-and eighth grade pupils of Cambridge School will use some of the classrooms, as will the new ninth graders and the 10th graders who are being transferred here from the Lodi High School. The 11th and 12th graders will remain in the Lodi High School until they graduate there."
With the opening of the Long Memorial Elementary School in Spring 1960, 7th and 8th grade students from Cambridge School no longer used space in the high school building. The high school was expanded in the mid 1960s and by the 1970s there were approximately 1,200 students in grades 9 through 12. Due to changes in demographics, the school became a High School/Middle School in the early 1990s serving grades 7 through 12. At that time Washington Elementary School was closed and reused for other purposes and the other three elementary schools in Saddle Brook—Franklin, Helen I. Smith and Long Memorial—changed from a K-8 format to K-6.
Awards, recognition and rankings The school was the 205th-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.Staff. "Top Schools Alphabetical List 2014", New Jersey Monthly, September 2, 2014. Accessed September 5, 2014. The school had been ranked 153rd in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 170th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed September 11, 2012. The magazine ranked the school 142nd in 2008 out of 316 schools.Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed March 18, 2011. The school was ranked 191st in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state."Top New Jersey High Schools 2008: By Rank", New Jersey Monthly, September 2008, posted August 7, 2008. Accessed August 19, 2008.
Athletics The Saddle Brook High School FalconsSaddle Brook High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. participate in the North Jersey Interscholastic Conference, which is comprised of small-enrollment schools in Bergen, Hudson, Morris and Passaic counties, and was created following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).Mattura, Greg. "Small-school NJIC may debut its own league championship", The Record, January 9, 2017. Accessed August 30, 2020. "The small-school North Jersey Interscholastic Conference may debut its own boys basketball tournament this season, one season after introducing its girls hoops championship. The NJIC is comprised of schools from Bergen, Passaic and Hudson counties and the event offered to the 36 boys teams would serve as an alternative to likely competing against larger programs in a county tournament."Member Schools, North Jersey Interscholastic Conference. Accessed August 30, 2020.League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. Prior to realignment that took effect in the fall of 2010, Saddle Brook was a member of the smaller Bergen-Passaic Scholastic League (BPSL).New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association League Memberships – 2009-2010, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, backed up by the Internet Archive as of July 24, 2011. Accessed November 23, 2014. With 397 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.NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020. The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Group I North for football for 2024–2026, which included schools with 254 to 474 students.NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2024–2026, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.
Interscholastic sports teams offered at Saddle Brook include football, boys soccer, girls soccer, cross country boys and girls, boys basketball, girls basketball, wrestling, winter track boys and girls, spring track boys and girls, baseball, softball and girls tennis.
The boys' track team won the Group I / II indoor relay title in 1973 (as co-champion with Metuchen High School), won the Group II title in 1976, and won the Group I title in 1987 and 1991; the girls' track team won the Group I championship in 1983 and 1992.History of the NJSIAA Indoor Relay Championships , New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 1, 2020.
The boys team has won winter / indoor track titles in Group II in both 1975 and 1976, and in Group I in 1991, 2004 (as co-champion) and 2005.Boys Winter Track and Field Championship History: 1922-2023, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated November 2023. Accessed February 1, 2024.
The girls' cross country team won the Group II state championship in 1976 and 1978.NJSIAA Girls Cross Country State Group Champions , New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
The boys' wrestling team won the North I Group II state sectional championship in 1981.Boys Wrestling Championship History: 1934–2025, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated February 2026. Accessed March 1, 2026.
The softball team won the North I, Group I state sectional championships in 1998 and 2000, 2002,2002 Softball Tournament - North I, Group I, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed June 24, 2007. 2005, 2009 and won again in 2013 with a 5-0 victory over New Milford High School in the tournament finals.Baumuller, J. C. "Saddle Brook beats New Milford in the North 1, Group 1 softball final", Twin-Boro News, June 2, 2013. Accessed December 15, 2013. "Saddle Brook players congratulate junior pitcher Danielle Archibold, right, after their 5-0 win over New Milford in the North 1, Group 1 sectional final." The softball team has had 18 consecutive 20-game win seasons. The team won the BPSL Carpenter Division title in 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2009 and in 2008 made it to the final in the county tournament as the only group I school left in the tournament.
The boys track team won the Group I spring / outdoor track state championship in 2005.NJSIAA Boys Spring Track Summary of Group Titles, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023. Saddle Brook's track and field team, led by Coach Howard Schuman, won the 2005 indoor and outdoor Group I NJSIAA state track championships.2005 NJSIAA/Star Ledger Gr I Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, February 20, 2005. Accessed August 15, 2012.2005 NJSIAA/The Star-Ledger BOYS and GIRLS State Group Track and Field Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, June 4, 2005. Accessed August 15, 2012.
Administration The school's principal is Donald J. Meisch Jr. His administration team includes the vice principal.Principal, Saddle Brook High School. Accessed October 2, 2026.
Notable alumni
Steve Beauharnais (born 1990), defensive linebacker for the New England Patriots who transferred out of the high school before his senior year.Vrentas, jenny. "NFL Draft: Rutgers' Steve Beauharnais ready to jump from under-the-radar prospect to NFL", The Star-Ledger, April 21, 2013. Accessed April 28, 2013. "Beauharnais had already earned a scholarship to Rutgers while playing for Saddle Brook High School, so Karcich was surprised to learn the teen planned to enroll in the private school in Montvale for his senior year.... Beauharnais was part of St. Joseph's Non-Public Group III state title that season." Jim Capobianco (born 1969), film director, animator and screenwriterLeitgeb, Charles. "Class is 'state of the art'; High school course draws rave reviews", Herald News, February 7, 1986. Accessed November 13, 2023, via Newspapers.com. "Three of Stausss prize students from the high school Dawn Sedlmeir, Tom Bolognini and James Capobianco have. received awards and prizes for their works.... While Saddle Brook High School may look like, just another educational facility full of classrooms, there is more to the school than meets the eye." A. Lee Dellon (born 1944), plastic surgeon known for his work in treating peripheral nerve injury."Dellon to Study at Johns Hopkins", The Record, July 5, 1962. Accessed June 14, 2020, via Newspapers.com. "Arnold Lee Dellon, who was awarded a $500 scholarship from the V.F.W. last month, will begin medical studies at Johns Hopkins University this fall. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Dellon of 804 Saddle River Road. Dellon was graduated from Saddle Brook High School in the top 5 per cent of his class." Mohammed Dewji (born 1975, class of 1994), Tanzanian businessman and former politician.Layline, Tafline. "Meet America's Youngest Billionaire", Ozy Media, November 16, 2017. Accessed September 26, 2019. "In 1994, Dewji graduated from Saddle Brook High School in New Jersey and, eschewing a career in golf, studied international business and finance at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C." Ralph Giacomarro (born 1961), former American football punter who played in the NFL for the Atlanta Falcons and Denver Broncos.Ralph Giacomarro Stats, Pro-Football-Reference.com. Accessed September 26, 2019. "Born: January 17, 1961 (Age: 58-252d) in Passaic, NJ... High School: Saddle Brook (NJ)"