Highland Park High School (HPHS) is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from the borough of Highland Park, in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, as the lone secondary school of the Highland Park Public Schools system.
The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1940.Highland Park High School, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed February 7, 2020.
As of the 2024–25 school year, the school had an enrollment of 493 students and 42.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.7:1. There were 172 students (34.9% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 28 (5.7% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.School data for Highland Park High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed January 15, 2026.
History The original school building was designed by architect Alexander Merchant. Opened in September 1926, the school was named Franklin Junior High School, serving students through tenth grade and constructed at a cost of $360,000 (equivalent to $ million in ). After appeals from residents, grades 11 and 12 were added and the building was renamed "Highland Park High School" in 1937, before which students from Highland Park completed their secondary school education at either New Brunswick High School or Metuchen High School.Kolva, Jeanne; Pisciotta, Joanne. Highland Park: Borough of Homes, p. 119. Accessed April 4, 2022. Arcadia Publishing, 2005. . "As larger numbers of Highland Park's high school age students traveled out of town to Metuchen or New Brunswick to continue their education as tuition students, demand for a local junior high school began.... The total expenditure was closer to $362,000. Opened in September 1926 for Highland Park's seventh through ninth graders with Alger Maynard as principal, a formal dedication ceremony took place later on October 14 that included placing a cannon donated by American Legion Post 88 on the new school's front yard. The name Franklin Junior High School was chosen one month after dedication day. From 1927 to 1935, the school served children only up to the tenth grade.... The 1936-1937 school year found eleventh graders in the hallways, and the twelfth grade was added the following year. On May 11, 1937, Franklin Junior High was officially renamed 'Highland Park High School.'"
Later additions to the facility include the Science and Math wing in 1958; the English wing in 1968; the library and arts wing in the 1980s; and the cafeteria and a connected middle school (grades 6, 7, and 8) in 1996. Student population peaked in the 1960s, with a population in the 900s.
Awards, recognition and rankings The school was the 74th-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 67th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 37th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed September 7, 2012. The magazine ranked the school 50th in 2008 out of 316 schools.Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed January 14, 2012. The school was ranked 31st 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 184th out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (an increase of 54 positions from the 2010 ranking) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the two components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA), mathematics (79.0%) and language arts literacy (93.3%).School Overview; Click on "Rankings" for 2003-11 HSPA results, Schooldigger.com. Accessed March 8, 2012.
In 2018, Highland Park High School received the Gold Ranking by U.S. News & World Report, ranked 17th-best high school in New Jersey and 397th in the nation.Highland Park High School Home Page2018 Rankings for Highland Park High School, U.S. News & World Report
Also in 2018, the school won the ShopRite Cup for the best Group I sports program in New Jersey.
In 2008, two students were National Merit Finalists, twelve were National Merit Commended Scholars, and eleven were Bloustein Distinguished Scholars.Highland Park High School Home Page
In 2005, a team of three HPHS students were recognized as First Place National Finalists in the 13th Annual Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision Awards science competition for their innovative design of a satellite-based earthquake and tsunami detection/prediction system.
Extracurricular activities Extracurricular programs at HPHS include multiple instrumental music programs, drama club and tech crew, SAGA (the Sexuality and Gender Alliance), The Highland Fling (school newspaper), a Model United Nations and Model Congress Program, which participates at the Rutgers University Model UN and Congress conferences, as well as Philadelphia Model Congress, Dead Center (literary magazine), and the Albadome (yearbook). The school also has a DECA chapter, which competes in New Jersey's Blue Division. The HPHS academic teams compete in many all-state competitions such as Science League, Math League, and the News 12-sponsored NJ Challenge. These teams excel, having won top-10 plaques in past years.
WVHP-FM Beginning in 1971, the high school had a ten-watt FM radio station, WVHP, the voice of Highland Park, that broadcast from 6AM to 8AM and 5PM to 10:30PM Monday through Friday.
Athletics Highland Park High School OwlsHighland Park High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. compete in the Greater Middlesex Conference, which is comprised of public and private high schools in the Middlesex County area and operates under the supervision 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. With 348 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 Division 1B of the Big Central Football Conference, which includes 60 public and private high schools in Hunterdon, Middlesex, Somerset, Union and Warren counties, which are broken down into 10 divisions by size and location.Kinney, Mike. "Big Central revises 2020 football schedule for its shortened inaugural season", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, August 12, 2020. Accessed April 18, 2021. "The newly formed Big Central Football Conference has released a revised 2020 schedule for its inaugural season.... the BCFC is comprised of schools from Middlesex, Union, Somerset, Hunterdon and Warren counties." The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Group I South for football for 2024–2026, which included schools with 185 to 482 students.NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2024–2026, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024. The school's mascot is the Owl. The colors of HPHS and its various sports teams are maroon and white.
HPHS is known for its long-time success in track and field and baseball, with more recent successes in boys' and girls' soccer and boys' and girls' tennis. There is also the girls' and boys' basketball teams and the cheer leading and dance teams that performs at football and basketball games. The school also has cross country, girls volleyball, wrestling and softball teams. HPHS is also home to an Ultimate team, the Enforcers, although the team is not affiliated with the school's varsity sports program.
The boys' basketball team won the Group I state championship in 1948, defeating Weehawken High School by a score of 57-53 in the tournament's championship game.NJSIAA Boys Basketball Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed April 1, 2022."Orange Snags Group 4 Title; Defeats Atlantic City; Weehawken Beaten", The Record, March 22, 1948. Accessed January 28, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Mel Ballou paced Highland Park to a 57-53 win over Weehawken in the Group Two final."
The boys' track team won the spring / outdoor track title in Group II in 1958, 1959 and 1960.NJSIAA Boys Spring Track Summary of Group Titles, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
The baseball team won the Central Jersey Group II state sectional championship in 1959, 1962, 1966, 1969 and 1970.Baseball Championship History: 1959–2024, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated June 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.
The boys' indoor track team won the Group II championship in 1962, 1963, 1971 (co-champion with Lincoln High School), 1980 (co-champion with Roselle Park High School) and 1984.Boys Winter Track and Field Championship History: 1922-2023, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated November 2023. Accessed February 1, 2024. The girls team won the Group II title in 1981 and 2018.Girls Winter Track and Field Championship History: 1922-2023, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated November 2023. Accessed February 1, 2024.
The boys' track team won the Group I/II state indoor relay championship in 1966 (co-champion with Clearview Regional High School), and won the Group I title in 1980, 1981 and 1984.History of the NJSIAA Indoor Relay Championships , New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 1, 2020.
L.J. Smith, of the Baltimore Ravens, was a star of both the HPHS football and basketball teams in the 1990s. The football team won the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group I state sectional championship in 1974 (awarded by NJSIAA), 1977, 1978, 1986, 1989 and 1990.NJSIAA Football History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 1, 2022. The 1977 Highland Park football team won the Central Jersey Group I state title with a 35-12 win against Dunellen High School in the championship game.Puccio, John. "Owls rout Dunellen", The Home News, December 4, 1977. Accessed March 15, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "With its 35-12 victory over Dunellen yesterday, Highland Park turned what was supposed to be a close, hard-fought game into a rout and won the NJSIAA Group I championship."
The field hockey team won the Central Jersey Group I state sectional title in 1977.Field Hockey Championship History 1971-2025, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated November 2025. Accessed December 1, 2025.
The girls' track team won the winter track Group I state title in 1978, 1980 and 2017.NJSIAA Spring Track Summary of Group Titles Girls, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed September 1, 2021.