Gill St. Bernard's School is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational, college preparatory day school located along the Somerset-Morris county line between the Gladstone section of Peapack-Gladstone and Chester Township, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.School History, Gill St. Bernard's School. Accessed July 9, 2023. "Today there are three divisions—a Lower, a Middle and an Upper School—located on 208 acres, which span the Somerset-Morris County line between the Borough of Peapack-Gladstone and Chester Township." Established in 1900, Gill St. Bernard's is the result of the merger of two Somerset Hills institutions: St. Bernard's School for boys in Gladstone and The Gill School for girls. The school serves students in primary (3- to 4-year-olds) through twelfth grade. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1979 and is accredited until January 2028.Gill Saint Bernard's School, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary Secondary Schools. Accessed December 27, 2022.
Gill St. Bernard's School is a member of and accredited by the National Association of Independent Schools and the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools.Gill St. Bernard's School, New Jersey Association of Independent Schools. Accessed January 13, 2017. In 2014, Gill St. Bernard's was ranked the number four private high school in New Jersey by national ranking service Niche.Napoliello, Alex. "Study ranks top 10 private schools in New Jersey", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, November 5, 2014. Accessed November 12, 2014.
As of the 2023–24 school year, the school had an enrollment of 561 students (plus 17 in PreK) and 78.8 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 7.1:1.School data for Gill St Bernard's School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed September 1, 2025.
Campus The campus has three divisions: the lower school (Cox Building), middle school (Conover Building), and upper school. The upper school contains the Chapin Science Complex, the Hockenbury Building (Student Center, Library, and Humanities Classes), Founders Hall (Art, Lunch, and Language, and Dining Hall) and Matthews Theater (music, drama, performing arts etc.)
History
St. Bernard's School was founded in 1900 by the Rev. Thomas A. Conover. In the early days, academic classes alternated with work in the carpentry shop, print shop or on the farm. Regular attendance at religious services was required.School History, Gill St. Bernard's School. Accessed March 26, 2022. In 1956, boarding at St. Bernard's School was discontinued.
The Gill School was established by Miss Elizabeth Gill in 1934 as the Wychwood School. In 1940 Miss Gill's School moved to Stronghold, the former Dryden estate on Bernardsville mountain.Napoliello, Nick. "The history behind Marc Ecko's $18M Bernardsville estate (PHOTOS)", NJ Advance Media for Nj.com, April 6, 2015. Accessed September 29, 2025. "Before Ecko purchased the 30,000-square-foot brownstone castle, known to many in town as 'Stronghold,' it was a campus for the Gill St. Bernard's School. And before that, the family of Prudential Insurance founder and former U.S. Senator John Dryden owned it for 40 years."
In 1972, St. Bernard's School merged with Miss Gill's School to become Gill St. Bernard's School. At this time the religious affiliation of St. Bernard's was discontinued. The new school hosted grades K–8 on the old Gill campus in Bernardsville and grades 9–12 on the St. Bernard's campus in Gladstone."Gill-St. Bernard's School", Bernardsville News, February 10, 1972. Accessed March 26, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "What bids fair to being a new first-rate, indeed, private educational institution in the Somerset Hills area, providing an innovative and challenging curriculum and with the stronger private financial backing implicit in its unification, has come about with the announcement of merger between Gill School and St. Bernard's. The new, non-sectarian, co-ed school will have its high school campus at St. Bernard's in Gladstone, while the K-8 grades will be at Gill School at the top of the Bernardsville mountain. The merger will go into effect on July 1." The two divisions consolidated in 1997 on the Gladstone campus. Sid Rowell became Headmaster in 2001 and served until July 2025, when he was succeeded by Delvin Dinkins."GSB Announces New Head of School Elect, Dr. Delvin Dinkins", Gill St. Bernard's School, October 10, 2024. Accessed September 29, 2025. "The Gill St. Bernard’s (GSB) Board of Trustees is delighted to announce that they have unanimously elected Dr. Delvin M. Dinkins as the next Head of School. Dr. Dinkins will begin his role on July 1, 2025, and will be GSB’s 6th Head of School post-merger.... Dr. Dinkins will succeed longtime Head of School Sid Rowell, who has served the school for 24 years."
Today, there are three divisions—Lower, Middle and Upper—located on which span the Somerset-Morris County line between the Borough of Peapack-Gladstone and Chester Township.
The school acquired Hi-Hills Day Camp in 2002, which had previously operated on the campus since the late 1960s. A new athletic center opened in fall 2004 that includes three full-sized basketball courts, administrative offices, and Brueckner Hall.Athletic Center , Gill St. Bernard's School. Accessed September 10, 2013. The Hockenbury Academic Center, a academic building, opened in March 2009 and includes Upper School classrooms, student center, conference room and a school store.Hockenbury Academic Center , Gill St. Bernard's School. Accessed September 10, 2013. An addition to Founders Hall was completed in 2012 that included additional dining space and art studios. A new turf field was constructed in summer 2013. The school also features five playing fields, a track, seven, tennis courts, an outdoor swimming pool and a low ropes course.
Extracurricular activities
The Gill St. Bernard's KnightsSt. Bernard's School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. compete in the Skyland Conference which is comprised of public and private high schools in Hunterdon, Somerset and Warren counties 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 277 students in grades 10–12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Non-Public B for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 37 to 366 students in that grade range (equivalent to Group I for public schools).NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
Athletic facilities include a field house, athletic center, seven all-weather tennis courts, outdoor track, two full size basketball courts, sport court, lacrosse wall, as well as soccer and sports fields. Programs include fencing, basketball, cross country, volleyball, baseball, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, track and field, swimming and tennis.
Gill St. Bernard's offers 24 different opportunities for interscholastic sports, including 12 competitive athletic programs for boys and 13 for girls in the Upper School.Gill St. Bernard's School: Primary through 12th Grade in Gladstone, NJ, youtube.com. Accessed September 10, 2013 In the three years through 2013, every varsity team qualified for the NJSIAA post-season, and many advanced to sectional semifinals and finals. GSB teams have won 35 conference championships since the beginning of the 2006–2007 school year., Gill St. Bernard's School. Accessed September 10, 2013. Since 2007, five GSB varsity teams have been ranked in the "Top 20" in New Jersey,, Gill St. Bernard's School. Accessed September 10, 2013. a state with more than 450 public and non-public schools.New Jersey Public Schools Fact Sheet, www.state.nj.us. Accessed September 10, 2013. The girls' basketball,Girls Basketball, High School Sports Girls Basketball - 2009-10 NJSIAA Tournament - Non-Public, North B nj.com. Accessed September 10, 2013.Girls Basketball, High School Sports Girls Basketball - 2010-11 NJSIAA Tournament - Non-Public, North B nj.com. Accessed September 10, 2013.Girls Basketball, High School Sports Girls Basketball - 2012 NJSIAA Tournament - Non-Public, South B nj.com. Accessed September 10, 2013. boys' tennis,Boys Tennis, High School Sports Boys Tennis - 2012 NJSIAA Tournament - Non-Public, South B, NJ.com. Accessed September 10, 2013.Boys Tennis, High School Sports Boys Tennis - 2013 NJSIAA Tournament – Non-Public, South B, NJ.com. Accessed September 10, 2013. boys' soccer,Boys Soccer, High School Sports Boys Soccer - 2009 NJSIAA Tournament - North, Non-public B nj.com. Accessed September 10, 2013.Boys Soccer, High School Sports Boys Soccer - 2012 NJSIAA Tournament - Non-Public, South B, NJ.com. Accessed September 10, 2013. boys' basketball,Boys Basketball, High School Sports Boys Basketball - 2012 NJSIAA Tournament - Non-Public, South B nj.com. Accessed September 10, 2013. and girls' tennisGirls Tennis, High School Sports Girls Tennis - 2012 NJSIAA Tournament - Non-Public, South B, NJ.com. Accessed September 10, 2013. teams have won Non-Public B North Sectional Championships. The girls' basketball team won the Somerset County championship in the 2008–2009, 2011–2012 and 2012–2013 school years, and was the smallest school in Somerset County to ever win a county championship in a team sport. Several coaches have been named Coach of the Year by various media outlets.Somerset County girls basketball season in review, 2011-12, nj.com. Accessed September 10, 2013.Girls cross-country: Somerset County season in review, 2011, nj.com. Accessed September 10, 2013.
The school was awarded the ninth annual ShopRite Cup in the Non-Public B Division in 2012 as the most outstanding school.Ninth Annual ShopRite Cup, 2011-2012 Final Standings, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. In 2013, Gill St. Bernard's School was runner-up.Tenth Annual ShopRite Cup, 2012-2013 Final Standings, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
The 2007 girls tennis team won the Non-Public Group B state championship, defeating Newark Academy in the semifinals and knocking off runner-up Moorestown Friends School 5-0 in the final match of the playoffs.Girls Tennis Championship History: 1971–2023, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated November 2023. Accessed September 1, 2024.Wright, Kevin. "New Providence, Gill claim 1st state championship", Courier News, October 18, 2007. Accessed March 11, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Gill St. Bernard's was not about to let the moment slip away. After a program-making win against Newark Academy in the Non-Public North B semifinal a week ago, it would have been easy for the Knights to suffer a bit of a letdown. Instead, the Knights came out focused and determined, rolling over Moorestown Friends 5-0 to claim the Non Public B title for the first time in school history."
In each of the three years from 2006 to 2008, Doug Smith won the individual Non-Public Group B cross-country running championship, making him the sixth runner in state history to earn three individual state titles.NJSIAA Boys Cross Country State Group Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.