Garfield High School is a four-year public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades from Garfield, in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as the lone secondary school of the Garfield Public Schools.
As of the 2024–25 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,258 students and 95.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.2:1. There were 675 students (53.7% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 87 (6.9% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.School data for Garfield High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed January 15, 2026.
History Garfield High School, constructed at an estimated cost of $1.8 million (equivalent to $ million in ), opened in September 1956 with about 1,040 students registered, in excess of the maximum designed enrollment of 1,000. The new school replaced two former elementary schools that had been used on an interim basis to accommodate high school students."Garfield's New High School", Herald News, September 17, 1956. Accessed March 24, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "The city's first school built expressly to be a high school has opened. Previously, Garfield High School students went to Schools 6 and 9, old elementary schools which had been converted and which were at best makeshifts. The new high school was designed for 1,000 pupils. Already it is bulging, as 1,047 students have registered.... The final cost of the high school is not yet known, but it is expected to come to approximately $1,800,000."
Awards, recognition and rankings The school was the 294th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 337 schools statewide in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2016 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools."Davis, Tom. "337 N.J. High Schools Ranked Highest By NJ Monthly", Morristown Patch, September 8, 2016. Accessed December 10, 2016. The school was the 307th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 339 schools statewide in New Jersey Monthly magazine's 2014 rankings of 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 March 27, 2016.
The school had been ranked 321st in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 286th 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 285th in 2008 out of 316 schools.Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed April 1, 2011.
Schooldigger.com ranked the school 292nd out of 376 public high schools statewide in its 2010 rankings (an increase of 19 positions from the 2009 rank) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the language arts literacy and mathematics components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).New Jersey High School Rankings: 11th Grade HSPA Language Arts Literacy & HSPA Math 2009-2010, Schooldigger.com. Accessed January 9, 2012.
In 2012, Schooldigger.com ranked Garfield High School 306th out of 389 New Jersey High Schools in combined HSPA scores in the state, an increase of 10 positions from 2011.New Jersey High School Rankings: 11th Grade HSPA Language Arts Literacy & HSPA Math 2011-2012, Schooldigger.com. Accessed February 4, 2013.
Athletics The Garfield High School BoilermakersGarfield 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, Garfield 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 October 25, 2014. With 810 students in grades 10-12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Group III for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 761 to 1,058 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 North for football for 2024–2026, which included schools with 893 to 1,315 students.NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2024–2026, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.
The school participates as the host school / lead agency for joint boys / girls swimming teams with Hasbrouck Heights High School. 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.
The 1939 football team defeated Miami (Fla.) High School in a game played at the Miami Orange Bowl in front of a crowd of 25,000 by a score of 16–13, capturing the program's first ever national championship.Conrad, J.J. "H.S. football: Garfield to commemorate 1939 national championship", The Record, October 10, 2014. Accessed December 10, 2016. "Garfield went 10-0 and captured a national championship that year, defeating Miami (Fla.) High School, 16-13, in a game coined the 'Infantile Paralysis Bowl' in honor of then President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who suffered from the affliction better known as polio. The Boilermakers — who were invited to play what would be considered today as a 'plus-one' game — were hand-picked to take on the undefeated Florida power riding an 18-game winning streak in the prestigious Orange Bowl before a crowd of what Young estimated to be approximately 25,000."
The boys baseball team won the North I Group IV state sectional championships in both 1962 and 1965.Baseball Championship History: 1959–2024, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated June 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.
The girls volleyball team competed in the Group II state championships, falling to Tenafly High School in 1982 and Fort Lee High School in 1988.NJSIAA Girls Volleyball Group Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
The wrestling team won the North I Group II state sectional championship in 1990.NJSIAA Wrestling Team Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
The girls track team won the Group II indoor state championship in 1991.Girls Winter Track and Field Championship History: 1922-2023, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated November 2023. Accessed February 1, 2024.
The 2015 boys soccer team defeated Dover High School by a score of 4-2 in the tournament final to win the North II Group II state sectional championship, the program's first state title since 1975.Staff. "H.S. boys soccer: Garfield wins North 2, Group 2 state sectional championship", The Record, November 14, 2015. Accessed March 27, 2016. "The Garfield boys soccer team won its first state sectional championship since 1975 by beating host Dover, 4-2, in the North 2, Group 2 championship on Friday at the Dover Middle School." The team defeated Holmdel High School by a 2-1 margin, scoring twice with a little more than two minutes remaining in the game, to win the Group II state title at Kean University and capture the program's first state championship.NJSIAA History of Boys Soccer, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 1, 2022.Olivero, Antonio. "Look back at live analysis: Garfield shocks Holmdel with 2 goals in 27 seconds, wins 1st ever G2 title", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, November 21, 2015. Accessed March 27, 2016.
Administration The school's principal is Dora D'Amico. Her administration team includes three vice principals.Staff Directory, Garfield High School. Accessed January 23, 2026.
Notable alumni
Miles Austin (born 1984), former NFL wide receiverMiles Austin , Cleveland Browns. Accessed October 25, 2014. "A native of Garfield, N.J., Austin was a two-year letterman as a wide receiver and defensive back at Garfield High School."Staff. "Wide Reception: NFLer Miles Austin cherishes his Garfield roots" , Bergen.com, October 10, 2012. Accessed October 25, 2014. Joan Berger (1933–2021, class of 1951), infielder and outfielder who played for the Rockford Peaches in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball LeagueRiley, Lori. "The Road Is Fruitful For Peaches", Hartford Courant, November 18, 1999. Accessed June 25, 2022. "She lives in Lodi, N.J., but she grew up with Knebl in nearby Garfield.... Knebl was sophomore at Garfield High School when she first tried out for the Peaches, the most successful team in the league." Eddie Brigati (born 1945; class of 1963), vocalist, percussionist, lyricist, founding member of the Rascals, and member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as well as the Songwriters Hall of FameLa Gorce, Tammy. "Rascal on the Rebound: Eddie Brigati Back On Stage; Bitter memories aside, Eddie Brigati, singer of the hitmaking '60s group the Rascals, is stoked to be back on stage with his mates, thanks to a boost from Steve Van Zandt.", New Jersey Monthly, February 11, 2013. Accessed May 26, 2016. "If Brigati thinks so too, he's not saying—partly out of humility, partly because he doesn't want to talk about the past. 'It's all documented, you can read about that,' he says in the living room of one of his New Jersey homes—the one he calls his 'music house,' in North Jersey, where he keeps his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame statuettes directly across from his 1963 Garfield High School diploma." Luis Castillo (born 1983), defensive end for the San Diego Chargers in the National Football League (NFL)Luis Castillo player profile , National Football League Players Association. Accessed July 24, 2007. "Hometown: Garfield, N.J....SuperPrep All-America at Garfield High School in Garfield, New Jersey…first-team all-state and all-county as junior and senior by Associated Press and Newark Star-Ledger…three-time first-team all-league choice…team captain and team MVP as senior…also lettered in track and wrestling as state's top heavyweight" Wayne Chrebet (born 1973), wide receiver for the New York Jets in the NFL