Raritan High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades from Hazlet Township in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as the lone secondary school of the Hazlet Township Public Schools. The school was named after the former community name, "Raritan Township," and opened in September 1962 with an enrollment of 778 students, which would increase to more than 2,300 students by 1979.
As of the 2023–24 school year, the school had an enrollment of 817 students and 68.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.0:1. There were 100 students (12.2% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 48 (5.9% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.School data for Raritan High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 15, 2024.
Raritan High School is accredited by the New Jersey Department of Education and has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 2013.Raritan High School, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed May 9, 2022. The school offers students a comprehensive program of education ranging from an academically-oriented, college-preparatory curriculum to courses in the vocational and career-oriented fields.
History Raritan High School was constructed at a cost of $1.5 million (equivalent to $ million in ) with an opening date of September 1962. Prior to the school's opening, students had attended Keyport High School as part of a sending/receiving relationship."Grads Loyal to Raritan", Red Bank Register, October 5, 1961. Accessed May 9, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "The first class to graduate from Raritan High School will be loyal to Raritan rather than Keyport where they have spent most of their high school time. All Raritan students now attend Keyport High School. But the new $1,500,000 Raritan High School will be opened next year, and will have its first graduating class in June of 1963."
In May 2010, the Hazlet Township Board of Education embarked on a trial of "Going green to save green" by agreeing to enter into a power purchase agreement with a third-party vendor. Under this agreement, solar panels are to be erected on awnings over the student parking lot at Raritan High School and on the rooftop of Hazlet Middle School. The $7.5 million project will be funded by the vendor to cover the costs of construction and maintenance in their entirety and in return the Hazlet school district has contractually agreed to purchase the electricity at a below market cost. The district expects to save $1.7 million in energy costs over a 15-year period."Hazlet Township School District Goes Green to Save Green" . Accessed January 17, 2010.
Awards, recognition and rankings The school was the 166th-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 175th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 166th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed August 29, 2012. The magazine ranked the school 164th in 2008 out of 316 schools.Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed March 21, 2011. The school was ranked 153rd 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 137th out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (a decrease of 19 positions from the 2010 ranking) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the mathematics (83.5%) and language arts literacy (95.3%) components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).New Jersey High School Rankings: 11th Grade HSPA Language Arts Literacy & HSPA Math 2010-2011, Schooldigger.com. Accessed March 5, 2012.
Athletics The Raritan High School RocketsRaritan High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. compete in Division A Central of the Shore Conference, an athletic conference comprised of public and private high schools in Monmouth and Ocean counties along the Jersey Shore.Shore Conference Realignment for 2018-2019 and 2019-2020, Shore Conference. Accessed November 15, 2020.Member Schools, Shore Conference. Accessed November 15, 2020. The league operates under the jurisdiction 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 698 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 486 to 758 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 II South for football for 2024–2026, which included schools with 514 to 685 students.NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2024–2026, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.
The school participates with Colts Neck High School in a joint ice hockey team in which Freehold High School is the host school / lead agency. 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 boys' cross country team won the Group II state championship in 1964, and the Group III title in 1969 and 1970.NJSIAA Boys Cross Country State Group Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
The boys' bowling team won the overall state championship in 1971.History of NJSIAA Boys Bowling Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed August 1, 2022.
The girls' outdoor track and field team won the Group IV state championship in 1977.NJSIAA Girls Spring Track Summary of Group Titles, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
The girls' cross country running team won the Group IV state championship in 1981 and the Group III title in 1982.NJSIAA Girls Cross Country State Group Champions , New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
The boys' soccer team finished the 1982 season with a 21–1 record after winning the Group III state championship by defeating runner-up Indian Hills High School by a score of 2–1 in the tournament final. The team was also led by standout forward, Bill Gross. The senior helped Raritan accomplish their goals throughout the 1982 season, tallying 23 goals and 15 assists.NJSIAA History of Boys Soccer, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.LoGiudice, Daniel. "NJ boys soccer: 30 greatest Jersey Shore teams ever", Asbury Park Press, June 16, 2020. Accessed December 8, 2020. "1982 Raritan (21-1).... In his final season coaching at Raritan, Bart Boyle ended his career with a bang by leading the Rockets to the Group III title and earning Shore Conference Coach of the Year honors. Raritan snapped Wall's five-year reign as Central Group III champions, ending the Wall dynasty and serving the Crimson Knights their first loss of the season, before beating Indian Hills 2-1 in the group final."https://www.app.com/story/sports/high-school/soccer/2020/06/16/nj-boys-soccer-30-greatest-jersey-shore-teams-ever/5334589002/
The baseball team finished the 2003 season with a 24–5 record after winning the Group II state title against Hanover Park High School by a score of 9–7 in the championship game, after scoring eight runs in the sixth inning to overcome a 2–1 deficit.Baseball Championship History: 1959–2024, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.Rappleyea, Warren. "Rockets win their first state championship", CentralJersey.com, June 18, 2013. Accessed October 26, 2020. "The ability to score runs by the truckload, and six players having 20 or more RBIs and eight hitting .300 or better, propelled the Raritan High School baseball team to the NJSIAA Group II championship. Trailing 2-1 in the top of the sixth against Hanover Park in the title game, Raritan sent 14 batters to the plate and exploded for eight runs to take a seemingly commanding lead.... Hanover Park closed to within 9-7 before Walsh closed the book on Raritan’s first group championship."Graham, Tony. "8 is Enough for First Title; Eight-run sixth rallies Raritan", Asbury Park Press, June 11, 2013. Accessed December 9, 2020, via Newspapers.com. "'This is history, this is a testament to all our players, from the seniors to the freshmen,' said Mautone after Bilowus squeezed the final out of Raritan's first NJSIAA Group II championship, a wild 9-7 victory at Toms River East's Raider Ravine. It was a testament to the never-say-die ability of the Rockets (24-5) who, trailing 2-1, erupted for eight runs in the top of the sixth inning against Cunningham (7-2), the towering 6-foot-5 senior right-hander of the Hornets (28-4), who has signed with Seton Hall University."
The boys' basketball team won the Group III state championship in 2004, defeating Manasquan High School by a score of 71–60 in the tournament final.NJSIAA Boys Basketball Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed September 1, 2022."Rockets fly high in Group III; Raritan advances to TOC", Asbury Park Press, March 15, 2004. Accessed December 8, 2020, via Newspapers.com. "Raritan's boys basketball team looks like it might be a combination of both. Star point guard Marques Johnson had the well-oiled Rockets machine running at full blast from the opening whistle yesterday as Raritan never trailed in an impressive 71-60 win over Manasquan that gave the Rockets (25-5) their first Group III championship in school history."