Long Branch High School is a comprehensive, four-year community public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades in the city of Long Branch, in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as part of the Long Branch Public Schools. LBPS, one of 31 special-needs Abbott districts in the state,SDA School Districts, New Jersey Schools Development Authority. Accessed February 12, 2025. serves the city of Long Branch. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1928.Long Branch High School, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed April 28, 2020.
As of the 2024–25 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,500 students and 124.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.1:1. There were 1,005 students (67.0% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 125 (8.3% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.School data for Long Branch High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed January 15, 2026.
History The city's first secondary school was called Chattle High School, named for Thomas G. Chattle, who served as the school district's superintendent from 1857 to 1889. Constructed at a cost of $78,000 (equivalent to $ million in ), the school opened to students in October 1899 and the four-story building remained in use as a junior high school after a newer facility was completed, until it was destroyed after a fire in 1966. The current high school building was completed in 1927 and built for $683,000 (equivalent to $ million in ).Kelly, Greg. "Long Branch Schools Through the Years", Monmouth Beach Life, February 1, 2023. Accessed March 8, 2023. "The ultimate historical account of Long Branch — the 1940 bio-book Entertaining a Nation — gives 'praise to the city’s three fighting superintendents' for guaranteeing the city’s educational heritage. They being: Thomas G. Chattle (1834-1889), Christopher Gregory and Charles T. Stone (1874-1942). Thomas Chattle: 'Father of LB Education.' With 'dedication and courage,' Dr. Chattle led the city’s school system from 1857 to 1889, Gregory was boss from 1889 to 1921 and Stone was the super from 1921 to 1936.... Chattle High School, 1919. The $78,000, four-story brick building opened in October 1899.... Chattle High School, early 1900s. Opened in 1899 and closed in 1966.... LBHS, 1937. The building was dedicated in October 1927. Final construction cost was about $700,000."Entertaining a Nation; The Career of Long Branch, p. 165. Accessed March 8, 2023. "It had been the dream of the crusaders in the 1870's to erect a building exclusively devoted to secondary schooling. Not until 1899 was this realized by the opening of a building on Morris Avenue, which cost $78,000. For Long Branch the event meant far more than a new school building, for the high school was to be called the Chattle High School, after the man to whom the entire city felt indebted almost for its proficiency in reading and writing.... The cornerstone was laid for the impressive $683,000 building of red brick and simplified white classic decorations. It was opened in 1927, offering general, commercial and college preparatory courses." Constructed at a cost of $72 million under the auspices of the New Jersey Schools Development Authority, a new school covering of space with 75 classrooms and a 2,000-seat gym opened in September 2007 with a capacity for 1,200 students.Williams, Carol Gorga. "Long Branch unveils new school", Asbury Park Press, September 21, 2007. Accessed March 8, 2023, via Newspapers.com. "The new $72 million high school was introduced to city residents and officials Thursday, capping a years-long building program funded by $200 million in state aid to build elementary schools, a new middle school and the new home for the Green Wave.... A new athletic complex at the school features a new gym that can fit 2,000 spectators.... The new high school is 283,000 square feet and has 75 state-of-the-art classrooms.... The project's official funding agency is the renamed New Jersey Schools Development Authority, which provided money to house 1,200 students in grades 9 through 12 at the Indiana Avenue site."
The high school was the original home of Monmouth University, then known as Monmouth Junior College, from 1933 to 1956 until Monmouth moved to Shadow Lawn in West Long Branch.Monmouth’s Timeline, Monmouth University. Accessed March 8, 2023. "In 1933, Monmouth officially opens as a junior college, offering classes at the Long Branch Senior High school under Dean Edward G. Schlaefer.... After acquiring the property deed from Dr. Eugene H. Lehman for $350,000, Monmouth relocates to the Shadow Lawn estate in 1956."
Students from Monmouth Beach, Oceanport, Sea Bright, and West Long Branch left the high school in September 1962 with the opening of Shore Regional High School, alleviating overcrowding that had forced the school to conduct double sessions."Single Sessions at Long Branch", Red Bank Register, September 5, 1962. Accessed April 2, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "An estimated 1,560 students are scheduled to enroll at Long Branch High School Friday when the school returns to its first single session program in more than five years. The student population figure will be about 500 less than last year when the school was operating on double sessions schedule. The enrollment reduction is due to the planned opening of Shore Regional High School this September, which will house the ninth, 10th and 11th grade students from Monmouth Beach, Oceanport, Sea Bright and West Long Branch who have attended Long Branch High School on a tuition basis."
Awards, recognition and rankings The school was the 228th-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 167th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 206th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed December 2, 2012. The magazine ranked the school 246th in 2008 out of 316 schools.Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed April 4, 2011. The school was ranked 290th 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 Long Branch High School Green WaveLong Branch High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. compete in Division A North of the Shore Conference, an athletic conference comprised of public and private high schools in Monmouth County and Ocean County along the Jersey Shore.Shore Conference Realignment for 2018-2019 and 2019-2020, Shore Conference. Accessed November 15, 2020.Member Schools, Shore Conference. Accessed November 15, 2020. The conference 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 May September 1, 2020. With 1,146 students in grades 10–12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Group IV for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 1,060 to 5,049 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 IV South for football for 2024–2026, which included schools with 890 to 1,298 students.NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2024–2026, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.
The boys' track team won the Group III spring / outdoor track state championship in 1933–1938, 1949, and 1967. The six-year streak of consecutive titles in the 1930s is tied for the fourth-longest streak in the state.NJSIAA Spring Track Summary of Group Titles Boys, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed September 1, 2021.
The boys' bowling team won the overall state championship in 1958, edging Bloomfield High School by 20 pins to take the NJSIAA's first state tournament in the sport.History of NJSIAA Boys Bowling Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed August 1, 2022.
The boys' track team won the Group III indoor track state championship in 1967, 1975 (as co-champion), and 1982.Boys Winter Track and Field Championship History: 1922-2023, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated November 2023. Accessed February 1, 2024.
The boys' basketball team won the Group III championship in 1970 (versus Orange High School in the final game of the playoff tournament), 1977 (versus Ridgefield Park High School), 1980 (versus Weequahic High School), and 1998 (versus Parsippany High School), and won the Group II title in 1997 (versus Dwight Morrow High School).NJSIAA Boys Basketball Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020. The team finished the 1970 season with a 26-0 record and won the Group III title, the program's first, with a 90-74 win against Orange High School in the tournament final.Elfand, Sam. "Woodrow Wilson or Branchers - Who's No. 1?", Asbury Park Press, March 23, 1970. Accessed November 26, 2020. "This year the challenger has to be Long Branch, 26-0 and the Group III champion by virtue of an easy 90-74 romp over Orange Friday night." The 1977 team finished the season with a 30-0 record after winning the Group III title with an 81-62 victory at the Jadwin Gymnasium against Ridgefield Park in the championship game."Bradley's 35 + Long Branch's 30 - Group 3 Title", New York Daily News, March 20, 1977. Accessed January 3, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Behind a career best 35-point effort by Alex Bradley, Long Branch strengthened its claim as the No. 1 team in the state by rolling past Ridgefield Park, 81-62, for the state Group 3 championship and a perfect season at Princeton's Jadwin Gym. 'Alex is by far the best player I've ever coached,' said Long Branch coach Gerry Matthews after his troops had convincingly sealed the lid on a perfect 30-0 season." The 1980 team finished the season with a 26-3 with a 35-31 win against Weequahic in the Group III playoff finals.Graham, Tony. "Patient Long Branch captures state crown", Asbury Park Press, March 22, 1980. Accessed January 15, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "As the Long Branch High School basketball team filed out of the Thomas Dunn Sports Center last night, Mrs. Louise Young planted a kiss on the cheek of Green Wave coach Gerry Matthews.... 'It's raining but it is a nice night,' said Matthews after Mrs. Young's son, Ronald, scored 14 points and nailed two jump shots down the stretch, and Ken Brown added two clutch free throws with eight seconds to play leading the Green Wave to a gripping 35-31 victory over Weequahic in the 1980 NJSIAA Group III championship game at Elizabeth High School.... The Green Wave had won the title in 1977 with a 30-0 team led by Alex Bradley and Joel Dobrin and lost in the finals last year to Malcolm X. Shabazz of Newark, 63-54."
The girls' spring track team was the Group III state champion in 1980.NJSIAA Girls Spring Track Summary of Group Titles, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.