Paramus Catholic High School is a co-educational Roman Catholic high school located in Paramus in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The school, founded in 1965,We are Paramus Catholic , Paramus Catholic High School. Accessed May 7, 2012. "Founded in 1965 under Archbishop Thomas A. Boland, and Superintendent of Schools, Monsignor Joseph P. Tuite, Paramus Catholic operated as a co-institutional school until 1995." under Archbishop Thomas A. Boland, and Superintendent of Schools, Monsignor Joseph P. Tuite, Paramus Catholic operated as a co-institutional school until 1995. Paramus Catholic was staffed by the Brothers of Christian Schools under the leadership of Bro. James P. Kelly, FSC, Principal, and Paramus Catholic Girls' High School by the Sisters of Charity of Convent Station, New Jersey, under the leadership of Sr. Helen Demetria, SC, Principal. There was a sharing of the plant and facility, however, the two schools operated as separate academic institutions. Paramus Catholic was the last secondary school established by the Archdiocese of Newark in Bergen County. The two schools were unified into one by the Archdiocese of Newark beginning in the 1995–1996 school year. When the school was unified to one academic institution, the Christian Brothers withdrew from involvement, and the Sisters of Charity took over leadership, until their withdrawal from the school in the early 2000s. Paramus Catholic High School is one of several high schools in the Archdiocese of Newark.Bergen County Catholic High Schools , Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. Accessed November 12, 2016. It has the largest enrollment of any Roman Catholic high school in the state of New Jersey.
Paramus Catholic is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1996 and is accredited through July 2027.Paramus Catholic High School, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed December 28, 2022. Only one student is accepted for every four applicants.
As of the 2017–18 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,353 students and 103.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.1:1. The school's student body was 33.1% (448) White, 22.9% (310) Hispanic, 18.8% (254) Black, 14.8% (200) Asian and 6.9% (93) two or more races.School data for Paramus Catholic High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed September 1, 2020.
Extracurricular activities and athletics The Paramus Catholic High School PaladinsParamus Catholic High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. compete in the Big North Conference, which is comprised of public and private high schools in Bergen and Passaic counties, and was established following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association.League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. Prior to the 2010 realignment, the school participated in the North Bergen Interscholastic Athletic League (NBIAL).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 August 14, 2017. With 914 students in grades 10–12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Non-Public A for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 381 to 1,454 students in that grade range (equivalent to Group III for public schools).NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020. The football team competes in the United Red 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 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. In addition to football, cheer and girls basketball, they are also a consistent power in ice hockey, girls swimming, and boys basketball. Their biggest rivals include Bergen Catholic High School, Immaculate Heart Academy, St. Joseph Regional High School, Academy of the Holy Angels and Don Bosco Preparatory High School.
The school is known for its cheerleading squad and dance team. They both have won many national and state titles such as the 2002 State cheer champions, 2003 EDA National dance champions, 2004 Spirit Championship champions, 2005 NDA junior varsity pom national champions, 2006 Spirit Sports National champions, 2007 State Parochial cheer champions, 2007 EDA National dance champions and 2008 EDA National Dance Champions-Varsity Jazz/JV Jazz and Pom and Prop. 2009 EDA National Dance Team Champions- JV Jazz and Pom and Prop. 2010 EDA National Dance Team Champions- Varsity Hip Hop and Variety and JV Jazz and Pom.Home page, Paramus Catholic High School Cheer and Dance. Accessed September 9, 2012.
The boys cross country running team won the Non-Public Group A state championship in 1972 and 1975.NJSIAA Boys Cross Country State Group Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
The boys' track team won the Non-Public indoor relay state championship in 1977.History of the NJSIAA Indoor Relay Championships , New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
The girls basketball team won the Group III state championship in 1978 (vs. Edgewood Regional High School) and in 1979 (vs. Ocean City High School), won the Non-Public A title in 1984 (vs. Notre Dame High School), 1985 (vs. Bishop George Ahr High School) and 1986 (vs. Paul VI), and was the Non-Public B champion in 2013 (vs. Morris Catholic High School). The program's five state titles are tied for tenth-most in the state.Girls Basketball Championship History: 1919–2024, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated March 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024. Led by Anne Donovan, the 1978 team finished the season with a 27–2 record after winning the Group III state title with a 60–58 win against Edgewood in the championship game.Schwartz, Paul. "Paramus Catholic wins; Takes Group 3 title", The Record, March 19, 1978. Accessed January 30, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "The ball hung on the rim, and with it rested Paramus Catholic's chances for its first State girls basketball title. Then Carol Shemansky's last-second try came off the rim as the buzzer sounded, and the Paladins had their long-sought Group 3 title 60-58 over previously unbeaten Edgewood in overtime yesterday." The 1984 team went 28–0 after defeating Notre Dame in the tournament final by a score of 72–44 to win the Parochial A state title."Paramus Catholic rips Notre Dame to win title", Courier-Post, March 12, 1984. Accessed February 18, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Paramus Catholic High School, the top-ranked girls' basketball team in the state, raced to an 18-8 first quarter lead en route to a 72-44 win over Notre Dame last night in the Parochial A state championship game.... Dana Pellegrino added 12 for Paramus, which finished the season with a perfect 28-0 record." The team won the 2001 Parochial North A title with a 49–42 win over Immaculata High School.2001 - Parochial North A , New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed July 10, 2007.
The girls soccer team won the Non-Public state championship in 1982, defeating Notre Dame High School in the tournament final.NJSIAA History of Girls Soccer, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
The girls volleyball team won the Group IV state championship in 1983 (vs. Hackensack High School), 1998 (vs. Hackensack), 1990 (vs. Lakeland Regional High School), 1991 (vs. Memorial High School of West New York), 1992 (vs. Memorial - West New York), 1993 (vs. Immaculate Heart Academy), 1995 (vs. Ridgewood High School), and won the Group III title in 1998 (vs. Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest) and 1999 (vs. Ramapo High School); the team's 10 group titles are tied for fifth-most in the state.NJSIAA Girls Volleyball Group Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023. The 1983 team finished the season with a 30–1 record after winning the Group IV state championship in two games (15-11 and 15–9) against Hackensack in the final match of the tournament."Park Ridge, Secaucus, OT, Paladins win titles", The Record, November 20, 1983. Accessed December 31, 2020, via Newspapers.com. "In Group 4, Paramus Catholic won its second straight State title by defeating Hackensack, 15-11, 15-9. It was the third time this season the Paladins (30-1) have defeated the Comets (22-3)." The team finished the 1990 season with a 28–0 record after winning the Group IV title in two games (15-1, 15–6) against Lakeland Regional in the finals.DeMarrais, Kevin G. "Late goal foils Mahwah in quest for State crown", The Record, November 18, 1990. Accessed January 23, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Paramus Catholic, Northern Valley at Old Tappan, and Lyndhurst, each a loser in last year's State volleyball Section 1 finals, got second chances Saturday and won one-sided matches at Fair Lawn to win group championships. Unbeaten Paramus Catholic needed just 34 minutes to defeat Lakeland, 15-1, 15-6, for the New Jersey Interscholastic Athletic Association Group 4 title; Old Tappan stopped Pascack Valley, 15-3, 15-13, for the Group 3 crown; and Lyndhurst rolled over Rutherford, 15-4, 15-3, for the Group 2 championship.... Paramus Catholic (28-0) broke open its first game with 12 consecutive points."
The softball team won the Non-Public A state title in 1987, defeating runner-up Paul VI High School in the final game of the tournament.Softball Championship History 1972–2023, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated July 2023. Accessed April 1, 2024. The team won the Parochial North A state sectional championship in 2001 with a string of shutout victories, topping Mount Saint Dominic Academy 2–0 in the first round, Immaculate Heart Academy 2–0 in the semifinals and Pope John XXIII Regional High School 2–0 in the tournament final.2001 NJSIAA Softball - Parochial North A , New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed July 10, 2007.