Westwood Regional High School (formerly Westwood Regional Jr./Sr. High School) is a four-year comprehensive regional public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Borough of Westwood and the Township of Washington, in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as the lone secondary school of the Westwood Regional School District.Westwood Regional School District 2016 Report Card Narrative , New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed August 7, 2017. "The Westwood Regional School District is the only K-12 regional school district in Bergen County, serving approximately 2,740 students from the Borough of Westwood and the Township of Washington."Community and District Profiles, Westwood Regional School District, May 28, 2004. Accessed June 20, 2016. "The Westwood Regional School District serves the Borough of Westwood (population 10,400) and the Township of Washington (population 9,800). These two communities are located approximately fifteen miles northwest of midtown Manhattan." Beginning in the 2019–20 school year, students in eighth grade who had previously attended the then junior-senior high school began attending the new Westwood Middle School.Snyder, John. "First 8th Graders at 'True' Westwood Middle School in 2020", The Press Group, December 23, 2019. Accessed November 17, 2021. "Superintendent of School Raymond Gonzalez confirmed at the Dec. 19 meeting of the Westwood Regional Board of Education that the Regional Middle School expansion project is on track for the addition of eighth grade in September 2020.... The work will establish a grades 6–8 'true' middle school and a grades 9–12 high school, modernize and centralize middle school offerings, and improve academic and emotional supports."
As of the 2023–24 school year, the school had an enrollment of 839 students and 81.8 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.3:1. There were 79 students (9.4% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 18 (2.1% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.School data for Westwood Regional High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 15, 2024.
Awards and recognition The school was the 106th-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 58th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 92nd in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed August 27, 2012. The magazine ranked the school 56th in 2008 out of 316 schools.Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed February 3, 2011. The school was ranked 81st in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which included 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. Schooldigger.com ranked the school tied for 128th out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (a decrease of 9 positions from the 2010 ranking) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the mathematics (83.8%) and language arts literacy (95.9%) components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).New Jersey High School Rankings: 11th Grade HSPA Language Arts Literacy & HSPA Math 2010-2011, Schooldigger.com. Accessed March 4, 2012.
The school has been named as one of the Best Communities for Music Education by the NAMM Foundation for more than 10 years.
Curriculum A dual enrollment program with Bergen Community College allows students to obtain college credit while fulfilling the high school requirements.Schools and Courses, Bergen Community College. Accessed February 21, 2025. "Bergen Community College offers courses at the following high schools through our dual enrollment program:... Westwood Regional HS"
Students may opt to enroll at the Bergen County Technical Schools and split their time between the high school general education coursework and the vocational coursework.Program of Studies 2024-2025, Westwood Regional High School. Accessed February 21, 2025.
Advanced Placement (AP) courses offered include AP English Language and Composition, AP English Literature and Composition, AP Statistics, AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Computer Science Principles, AP Computer Science A, AP Chemistry, AP Biology, AP Physics 2, AP Physics C: Mechanics AP Environmental Science, AP United States History, AP United States Government & Politics, AP Psychology, AP Spanish, AP French, AP Italian, AP Studio Art, AP Art History.Westwood Regional High School 2025-2026 Course List, Accessed November 8, 2025.
Extracurricular activities Students have opportunities to participate in activities that have included as a student exchange program with France and multiple day field trips (previous trips have been to Spain, France, Hawaii, and US National Parks)
Activities and clubs for students to participate in include:Activities & Clubs Directory, Westwood Regional Jr. / Sr. High School. Accessed July 10, 2023.
Academic Decathlon In 2025, the Westwood Regional High School WACADECA won the NJ State Academic Decathlon competition.
In 2024, the Westwood Regional High School WACADECA (the school's abbreviation for their academic decathlon team) came in 3rd place at the National United States Academic Decathlon for Division II school.
eSports The Westwood Regional High School eSports team came in 2nd place at the National High School Rocket League Championship in 2024. The Cardinals were the Garden State eSports state champions for Rocket League in the spring 2024 champions league.
Garden State Film Festival In 2025, WRHS student Emma Lagatol won the New Jersey Hometown Documentary Short- High School category for her film "Forever a Cardinal'.
Athletics The Westwood Regional High School CardinalsWestwood Regional Jr-Sr High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. compete in the Big North Conference, which is comprised of public and private high schools in Bergen and Passaic counties, and was established following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. Before the NJSIAA's 2009 realignment, the school had previously participated in the Bergen County Scholastic League (BCSL) American Conference, which included public and private high schools located in Bergen and Hudson counties.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 25, 2014. With 628 students in grades 10–12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Group II for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 486 to 758 students in that grade range.NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020. The football team competes in the American Red division of the North Jersey Super Football Conference, which includes 112 schools competing in 20 divisions, making it the nation's biggest football-only high school sports league.Cooper, Darren. "Here's what we know about the new Super Football Conference 2020 schedule", The Record, July 23, 2020. Accessed March 22, 2021. "The Super Football Conference (SFC) is a 112-team group, the largest high school football-only conference in America, and is comprised of teams from five different counties."Cooper, Darren. "NJ football: Super Football Conference revised schedules for 2020 regular season", The Record, July 23, 2020. Accessed March 22, 2021. "The Super Football Conference has 112 teams that will play across 20 divisions." The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Group II North for football for 2024–2026, which included schools with 484 to 683 students.NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2024–2026, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024. Westwood Regional High School athletic teams are called the Cardinals. They wear school colors scarlet, white and black. The school's original colors were scarlet and white, with black added later as an official school color.
Dan Vivino, the school's athletic director, was selected in 2024 as the Jim Grasso Athletic Director of the Year for Bergen County.
The school participates in joint cooperative boys / girls swimming teams with River Dell High School as the host school / lead agency. River Dell also hosts a co-op ice hockey team that includes Emerson Junior-Senior High School and Westwood. These co-op programs operate under agreements scheduled to expire at the end of the 2023–24 school year.NJSIAA Winter Cooperative Sports Programs, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 1, 2020.
Sports offered by the school include: Fall sports: cross country (boys and girls), field hockey, football, soccer (boys and girls), tennis (girls), volleyball (girls) Winter sports: basketball (boys and girls), bowling (boys), indoor track (boys and girls), wrestling Spring sports: baseball, golf, lacrosse (boys and girls), outdoor track (boys and girls), softball, tennis (boys)
The boys' basketball team finished the 1951 season with a 21–1 record after winning the Group II state championship with a 68–48 victory against runner-up Ocean City High School in the tournament final.NJSIAA Boys Basketball Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed September 1, 2022."Westwood And Englewood Capture State Basketball Championships", The Record, March 19, 1951. Accessed December 15, 2020, via Newspapers.com. "Bergen County did itself proud In the N.J.S.I.A.A. basketball tournament at Elizabeth Saturday by walking off with two championships. Westwood wrapped up the Group II title by belting Ocean City 68-48, and Englewood walked off with the Group III crown by mauling Woodrow Wilson of Camden 59-34.... Westwood's varsity had a 21-1 record, while its Jayvees compiled a 16-1 mark."
The boys cross country team won the Group II state title in 1963.NJSIAA Boys Cross Country Group State Group Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed September 1, 2022.
The softball team won the North I state sectional championship in 1974 and 1975.Softball Championship History 1972–2023, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated July 2023. Accessed April 1, 2024.
The field hockey team won the North I Group II state sectional title in 1987 and won the Group II state title that year as co-champion after a 1–1 tie in the finals against Moorestown High School to finish the season with a record of 18-2-1.History of NJSIAA Field Hockey Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed September 1, 2022."Westwood, Moorestown co-champs", The Record, November 23, 1987. Accessed February 28, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Jennifer Finley's goal with six minutes left gave Westwood (18-2-1) a 1-1 tie with Moorestown (19-0-3) in the Group 2 New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association field hockey championships yesterday at Trenton State College. Neither team could score in the two overtime periods, so Westwood and Moorestown were declared co-champions."