Morris Knolls High School (MKHS) is a four-year comprehensive public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades from Denville Township and most of Rockaway Township in Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as one of the two secondary schools of the Morris Hills Regional High School District.Program of Studies 2017-2018 - About Our School District, Morris Hills Regional District. Accessed January 2, 2017. "Morris Hills High School receives students from Wharton, the southernmost portion of Rockaway Township, which includes Rockaway Road to East Blackwell Street, north across Route #46, including Rockaway Gardens, both sides of Swede Mine Road to the boundary, Sunnyhill Road, the upper portion of Daniel Street to the intersection of Robert Street, and the White Meadow Lake portion of Rockaway Township; Rockaway Borough north of Route #46 as well as within the area of Rockaway Road, the Trailer Park behind the Boro Plaza (west of the railroad track) south of Route #46. Morris Knolls High School receives students from Denville, all of Rockaway Township with the exception of White Meadow Lake and the area described above in the southern part of Rockaway Township, Rockaway Borough south of Route #46 with the exception of the area of Rockaway Road and the Trailer Park behind the Boro Plaza (west of the railroad track) south of Route #46." The school is located in Denville but has a Rockaway mailing address. The other high school in the district is Morris Hills High School.
As of the 2024–25 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,450 students and 132.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.0:1. There were 173 students (11.9% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 45 (3.1% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.School data for Morris Knolls High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed January 15, 2026.
As a part of the Morris Hills Regional School District's (MHRD) magnet program, Morris Knolls was approved as an International Baccalaureate (IB) world schoolMorris Knolls High School, International Baccalaureate. Accessed January 2, 2017. since 2009. IB certificate exams pass rate is 84% based on information published in 2026. The IB Diploma Program at Morris Knolls (MKIB) serves more than 80 students.
As of 2018, Morris Knolls is host to The Academy of Performing Arts, a magnet school for Morris County Vocational School District and the Morris County School of Technology (MCVTS). The Academy of Performing Arts provides three academies which consist of theater, vocal, and dance.Nixon, Ferlanda. "Ribbon-Cutting at the Academy for the Performing Arts at Morris Knolls High School", TAP into Denville, September 18, 2018. Accessed January 23, 2021. "Teachers, administrators, students and parents gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Morris Knolls High School on Sept. 14 to unveil a state-of-the-art dance studio at the nascent Academy for the Performing Arts (APA). APA is a new partnership between Morris Knolls High School and the Morris County School of Technology that offers students comprehensive academics combined with career and technical education classes in dance, vocal music and theater."
Awards and recognition The school was the 64th-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 79th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 79th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed August 26, 2012. The magazine ranked the school 88th in 2008 out of 316 schools.Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed February 1, 2011. The school was also ranked 71st 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. Schooldigger.com ranked the school tied for 120th out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (a decrease of 34 positions from the 2010 ranking) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the mathematics (86.4%) and language arts literacy (94.2%) components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).School Overview; Click on "Rankings" for 2003-11 HSPA results, Schooldigger.com. Accessed March 12, 2012.
For the 1996-97 school year, Morris Knolls High School was named a "Star School" by the New Jersey Department of Education, the highest honor awarded by the state.New Jersey Department of Education Star School Award recipient detail 1996-97 school year, Morris Knolls High School, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed May 29, 2006.
Athletics
The Morris Knolls High School Golden EaglesMorris Knolls High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. participate in the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference, which is comprised of public and private high schools in Morris, Sussex and Warren counties, and was established following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).Home Page, Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference. Accessed August 27, 2020. "The Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference prides itself on being one of New Jersey's premier high school conferences and is comprised of 39 high schools located in Northwest New Jersey."League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. Prior to the NJSIAA's 2010 realignment, the school had competed in the Iron Hills Conference. Home Page, Iron Hills Conference, backed up by the Internet Archive, as of April 24, 2006. Accessed November 20, 2014. With 1,100 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 football team competes in the Freedom Blue 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 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 boys' cross-country team won the 1966 North Jersey 2 Group II state championship. Tim Steele won the individual North Jersey 2 Group II state championship in 1967. BOYS CROSS COUNTRY Championship History: 1946-2025, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated April 2026. Accessed July 27, 2026.
The school participates as the host school and lead agency in a joint ice hockey team with Morris Hills High School. The co-op program operates 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 baseball team has won the Morris County Tournament three times, tied for the fourth-most in tournament history, winning in 1973, 1988 and 1989."The history of the Morris County Baseball Tournament (Throwback Photos)", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, May 11, 2019, updated August 24, 2019. Accessed November 17, 2020.
The field hockey team won the North II Group IV state sectional title in 1976 and 1997, the North I Group IV title in 1999, 2000 and 2008, and won the Group IV state championship in 1997.History of NJSIAA Field Hockey Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023. The 1997 team finished the season with a 16-4-5 record after finishing the season by winning the Group IV title with a 1-0 overtime victory against Cherokee High School in the championship game."Titles tell tales; Colvin revives Knolls", Daily Record, December 9, 1997. Accessed January 2, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "With Colvin, a second-year coach, providing encouragement, Morris Knolls (16-4-5) did play on turf again. The Golden Eagles captured the Group IV championship by shocking the state's top team, Cherokee, 2-1 in overtime at the College of New Jersey."
The softball team won the Group IV state championship in 1980 (defeating Edison High School in the tournament final) and 2010 (vs. Eastern Regional High School).Softball Championship History 1972–2023, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated July 2023. Accessed April 1, 2024. The 1980 team won the Group IV state title with a 5-4 victory against Edison in the championship game at Mercer County Park."Morris Knolls wins", Courier-Post, June 18, 1980. Accessed March 14, 2021. "Winning pitcher Kathy Johnson helped her own cause, driving in one run and scoring another in a three-run sixth as Morris Knolls captured the state Group 4 softball championship with a 5-4 win over Edison at Mercer County Park here yesterday."