Cedar Grove High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from the Cedar Grove, in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as the lone secondary school of the Cedar Grove Schools. "Committed to Excellence" is the school's motto. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1968;Cedar Grove High School, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed February 1, 2022. The school's accreditation status was extended for seven years in Fall 2018.MSA-CESS Fall 2018 Accreditation Actions, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools, Fall 2018. Accessed April 25, 2021.
As of the 2024–25 school year, the school had an enrollment of 421 students and 43.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 9.8:1. There were 25 students (5.9% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 2 (0.5% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.School data for Cedar Grove High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed January 15, 2026.
History After the district ended a high school program in 1917, students were sent to Bloomfield High School and later were sent to Passaic Valley Regional High School. A new Cedar Grove Memorial High School program was temporarily housed at Memorial School and opened in September 1961 with 331 students in grades 9 and 10."Memorial High School Opened; Cedar Grove's First High School Starts Initial Sessions With 331 Enrollment", Verona-Cedar Grove Times, September 14, 1961. Accessed March 9, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "School history was made In Cedar Grove last week with the opening of the township's first high school, to be known officially as Cedar Grove Memorial High School. An official registration of 331 boys and girls started the first year of the new educational institution last Wednesday, and by Friday had settled Into the daily routine despite the lack of some non-delivered classroom equipment and furniture.... The high school is at present functioning in the existing facilities of the former Memorial School, built as an elementary school a decade ago, while directly adjoining it, construction is proceeding on the addition which will make it a full four year high school in the Fall of 1962." The new Cedar Grove Memorial High School building, constructed at a cost of $1.5 million (equivalent to $ million in ) opened in September 1962."Schools Open For the Fall", Verona-Cedar Grove Times, September 6, 1962. Accessed March 9, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "George F. Wildman, principal of Memorial High School, which opened its second year of operation and its first in the new building, told Mr. Parks he was very pleased with the quiet and businesslike atmosphere and the manner in which the high school's 500 plus students settled into the new million and a half dollar plant. Memorial this year has three grades ninth, tenth and eleventh instead of the two with which it opened last year, and will be expanded to a full four year high school in the Fall of 1963." The first graduating class coming at the conclusion of the 1963–64 school year. As part of an effort to avoid mix-ups with other schools named Memorial High School, the name of the high school was changed to Cedar Grove High School at the start of the 1988–89 school year."Schools", Verona-Cedar Grove Times, June 26, 2008. Accessed February 22, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Later, Cedar Grove sent high school students to schools in other towns: Verona, Bloomfield, and Passaic Valley High School in Little Falls.... The Memorial School, which served grades 5 through 8, was opened in January 1951.... The Memorial School gradually became the high school when the elementary grades were transferred to the neighborhood schools. First, the ninth and 10th graders moved into the school in 1961. Grade 11 was included in 1962, and grade 12 was included in 1963.... Memorial High School was dedicated at 3 p.m. on Nov. 11, 1962.... The Class of 1964 was the first to graduate from Memorial High School, having completed their freshman year at Bloomfield South Junior High School.... In the fall 1988, Memorial High School changed its name to Cedar Grove High School to eliminate the confusion with the many other Memorial High Schools in the state."
Awards, recognition and rankings The school was the 103rd-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 74th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 103rd in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed December 1, 2012. The magazine ranked the school 70th in 2008 out of 316 schools.Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed April 8, 2011. The school was ranked 55th 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 171st out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (a decrease of 79 positions from the 2010 ranking) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the mathematics (78.9%) and language arts literacy (95.2%) 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 6, 2012.
Extracurricular activities
Choir/Band The Cedar Grove High School choirs (Select Choir and Concert Choir) and band are led and conducted by Jennifer Jessen-Foose. Choir members audition for prestigious choirs such as the NJ Region I Chorus or NJ All State Choir (NJMEA), or National American Honor Choir (NAfME) and many succeed in being accepted. The choir annually competes in choral competitions. The choir and band annually perform in various locations such as Europe. Annually, the Choir and Band hold 3 or 4 concerts: Winter, Spring, Musical (in Concert). The Cedar Grove High School's choirs and band have won many awards in previous years. The Cedar Grove High School's choir and band are committed to excellence.
Orchestra The Cedar Grove High School Orchestra was formed in 1968. The current Conductor is Robert Savino. The orchestra continues to compete in competitions and play concerts yearly.
There were several years when the orchestra had no director and was completely student directed. This was done by a small group of students which consisted of 3 violins, one cello, one piano, and one bass. They were asked to perform throughout the community in the late 1990s and continued to pursue music despite the school's inability to provide them with an adequate instructor.
Athletics The Cedar Grove High School PanthersCedar Grove High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. compete in the Super Essex Conference which is comprised of public and private high schools covering Essex County and operates under the jurisdiction of 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. Prior to the NJSIAA's 2010 realignment, the school had competed in the Colonial Hills Conference, which included schools in Essex, Morris and Somerset counties in central North Jersey.Home Page, Colonial Hills Conference, backed up by the Internet Archive, as of November 19, 2010. Accessed December 15, 2014. With 374 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 football team competes in the National White 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 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.
The school participates in a joint ice hockey team with Passaic Valley Regional High School as the host school / lead agency. The co-op program operates 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.
The boys track team won the Group II spring / outdoor track state championship in 1969 and the Group I title in 1970.NJSIAA Spring Track Summary of Group Titles Boys, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed September 1, 2021.
The 1974 baseball team finished the season with a record of 17-5-2 after winning the Group I state championship by defeating Gloucester City High School by a score of 5–4 in the final of the tournament.Baseball Championship History: 1959–2024, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated June 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.Sakowitz, Carol. "Cedar Grove backs Vicaro to Group 1 title", Herald News, June 10, 1974. Accessed March 6, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "It was the type of game, not the outcome, which surprised Cedar Grove High School baseball coach Jack Lynch.... But win they did, although for a while it appeared as if Cedar Grove was going to give Gloucester City the game and the state Group 1 crown instead of win it, 5-4.... Cedar Grove (17-5-2) turned in three classic double plays and Vicaro, who struggled from the third inning on, succeeded in winning his 10th game of the year, 26th of his high school career." In 2003, the baseball team took the North II, Group I state title with a 10–7 win over New Providence High School in the tournament's final game.2003 Baseball Tournament - North II, Group I, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 4, 2007.