St. Mary High School is a four-year Roman Catholic high school located in Rutherford, in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark.Bergen County Secondary Schools, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. Accessed February 11, 2022. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 2004.Saint Mary High School, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed February 11, 2022.
The school was established in September 1929, with instruction provided through the Sisters of St. Dominic of Caldwell, New Jersey. The school's new building opened in September 1932 with 200 students"Parish Opens Its New H.S.; 1,000 Attend Ceremony at St. Mary's", The Record, September 9, 1932. Accessed April 2, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "The recently constructed St. Mary's High School building at Ames Avenue and Chestnut Street, Rutherford, was formally opened yesterday when more than 1,000 persons visited the new building. Opening enrollment was placed at more than 200 students." and was formally dedicated in ceremonies held on November 5, 1932.About Us, St. Mary High School. Accessed November 7, 2017.
As of the 2023–24 school year, the school had an enrollment of 229 students and 18 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.7:1.School data for St Mary High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed September 1, 2025.
Athletics The St. Mary High School GaelsSaint Mary's 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 the NJSIAA's realignment that took effect in the fall of 2010, St. Mary was a member of the Bergen County Scholastic League (BCSL).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 October 7, 2014. With 148 students in grades 10–12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Non-Public B for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 37 to 366 students in that grade range (equivalent to Group II for public schools).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 Non-Public Group B (equivalent to Group I/II for public schools) for football for 2024–2026, which included schools with 140 to 686 students.NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2024–2026, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.
The boys basketball team won the Non-Public Group A state championship in 1935 (against runner-up St. Peter's Preparatory School in the playoff final) and 1937 (vs. St. Mary's High School of Perth Amboy).Boys Basketball Championship History 1919–2024, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated March 2024. Accessed March 26, 2024. Down by five points in the last minute of play, the 1935 team won the Group II (since recategorized as Non-Public A) state title with a 32–31 win against St. Peter's in overtime.McMahon, Art. "St. Mary's Triumphs in Group 2 Prep Ranks Provides Big Thrill; Bergenites Behind by Five Points with One Minute to Go, Win from St. Peter's in Overtime, 32-31 – Bill Shea Is Star; Bogota, Pennington, Hamilton Champions", Herald News, March 18, 1935. Accessed February 19, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "The real punch of the tourney was supplied by Voile Dupes' little St. Mary's High School, of Rutherford, which blasted its way to the Group 2 prep championship by downing St. Peter's, of New Brunswick, 32-31, in a sizzling overtime tilt.... St. Peter's was leading, 27–22, with only one minute to go when the Saints cut loose.... It seemed like a remote hope, though, with only a few seconds to go, But Shea took a pass on the side and flipped in a one-handed shot with just one second left, to send the tilt into overtime."
The baseball team won the Non-Public Group B North state championship in 1962 and 1968, won the Non-Public C title in 1976 (vs. St. Peter the Apostle High School of New Brunswick) and 1977 (defeating St. Joseph High School of Hammonton in the tournament finals), and won the Non-Public A title in 1998 (vs. Sacred Heart High School) and 2019 (vs. Gloucester Catholic High School).Baseball Championship History: 1959–2024, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024. The 1998 team finished the season with a 22–5 record after winning the Group B title with a 7–6 victory against Sacred Heart in the championship game.Ballard, Mike. "Sacred Heart on small end in title game", Courier-Post, June 7, 1998. Accessed January 13, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "The Sacred Heart High School baseball team rode a magic carpet into the Group B state championship game Saturday.... St. Mary scored four times in a fifth-inning rally, where the first five batters couldn't get the ball out of the infield. The Gaels padded their lead on a two-run sixth-inning homer by winning pitcher Lou Wieben and survived Sacred Heart's seventh-inning rally to defeat the Lions 7-6 for the Group B title. It was the first state baseball title for St. Mary (22-5) since back-to-back Group C crowns in 1976-77."
The football team won the Non-Public B North state sectional title in 1976 and 1980, and the Non-Public Group I title in 2006.NJSIAA Football History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023. The 1976 team finished the season 10-0 after winning the Parochial B North sectional title with a 49–14 win in the championship game against a Pope John XXIII Regional High School team that had won 24 consecutive games and hadn't lost in 43 games, the state's longest streak at the time."Schoolboy Halfback Breaks New Jersey Scoring Record", The New York Times, December 5, 1976. Accessed December 26, 2020. "St. Mary's of Rutherford (10‐0) captured the North Jersey Parochial B championship by stunning Pope John of Sparta, 49‐14, in Rutherford, halting the state's longest unbeaten streak at 43 games, including a tie and a forfeit victory.... Pope John had won 24 in a row." The 1980 team won the Parochial B North state title with a 6–0 victory against Pope John XXIII after scoring a touchdown in double overtime to finish the season with an 8-0-1 record.Zimmerer, Bob. "McGuire carries St. Mary's to Title", The Record, November 23, 1980. Accessed February 1, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "St. Mary's running back Joe McGuire has been the leading scorer for the Gaels throughout the 1980 season, scoring 15 touchdowns. None, however, was as important as No. 15, which carried the Gaels to a 6-0, double-overtime victory over Pope John and to the Parochial B North State football title yesterday. While the character in the winning touchdown was familiar, the play was not. The Gaels (8-0-1) used a play that head coach Bill Stonis termed 'special.'" The team won the 2006 Non-Public Group I sectional title with a 20–13 win in the championship game against Paterson Catholic High School, a team that hadn't lost all season coming into the game.Doviak, Cory K. "St. Mary's get a win, Sheridan gets his state title", North Jersey Sports, November 18, 2006. Accessed October 30, 2020. "In a year that saw Sheridan suffer a near catastrophic injury in a pool accident last summer than lose his sister to an illness just over one month later, St. Mary's sent their coach off the field with a Gatorade bath, a huge smile on his face and with hugs all around after a 20-13 upset of Paterson Catholic, the defending champion and previously unbeaten top seed, in the Non-Public Group 1 state final at William Paterson University."
The softball team won the Non-Public B state championship in 1998 to finish the season with a 31–2 record after defeating St. Joseph High School by a score of 3–2 in the tournament final in extra innings.Softball Championship History 1972–2023, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated July 2023. Accessed April 1, 2024.Falzarano, Brian. "Stellar Career Ends the Way It Began; Gaels' Dickinson a Hit From 1st Pitch to Last", Herald News, June 8, 1998. Accessed January 6, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Lauren Dickinson slid into home plate, a cloud of dust clearing as her teammates mobbed her, the Parochial B state final against St. Joseph of Hammonton tied at 2 with two outs in the bottom of the seventh.... Euphoria followed, hugs and high-fives and tears all over the field at Toms River East High School after the Gaels' 3–2, eight-inning win was finalized.""The Record's Final Polls: Softball", The Record. June 9, 1998. Accessed January 6, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "St. Mary's (31–2) The Gaels fell short in 1997 but won the Parochial B State crown Saturday with a 3–2, eight-inning victory over St. Joseph (Hammonton)."