Elizabeth High School - Frank J. Cicarell Academy (commonly known as Elizabeth High School), is a four-year public high school located in Elizabeth, in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades as part of the Elizabeth Public Schools. In 2009, the school and its more than 5,000 students was split into six separate houses, each operating as an independent school with its own principal and subject of focus, including one which has retained the Elizabeth High School name.Kwoh, Leslie. "Elizabeth High School to split into six different schools in September", The Star-Ledger, January 15, 2009. Accessed June 22, 2011. "Elizabeth High School's 5,300 students will be divided into six schools in September to alleviate overcrowding in the biggest school in New Jersey." The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1978.Elizabeth High School, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed December 1, 2019.
As of the 2024–25 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,268 students and 70.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 18.1:1. There were 799 students (63.0% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 175 (13.8% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.School data for Elizabeth High School - Frank J Cicarell Academy, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed January 15, 2026.
Starting in the 2016–17 school year, both upper and lower academies of Elizabeth High School merged into the newly built Frank J. Cicarell Academy, which is located next to the Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy. A couple of years later, the Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy annex for freshman students merged into the Frank J. Cicarell Academy. The building currently holds Jefferson Freshman as well as Cicarell, sophomores, juniors and senior students. The Frank J Cicarell Students, have their own new annex that just opened up only for Cicarell Freshman.
Awards, recognition and rankings In 2015, Elizabeth High School was one of 15 schools in New Jersey, and one of nine public schools, recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School in the exemplary high performing category by the United States Department of Education.2015 National Blue Ribbon Schools All Public and Private, National Blue Ribbon Schools Program. Accessed November 14, 2016.Mueller, Mark. "Which N.J. schools were named National Blue Ribbon schools?", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, September 29, 2015. Accessed November 14, 2016. "Fifteen New Jersey schools have been recognized by the federal government as National Blue Ribbon Schools, a designation that celebrates excellence in academics or progress in closing the achievement gap among groups of students.... Each of the 15 New Jersey schools was chosen for the 'exemplary high performing' category, which weighs state or national tests, high school graduation rates and the performance of subgroups of students, such as those who are economically disadvantaged."
In its 2013 report on "America's Best High Schools", The Daily Beast ranked the school 320th in the nation among participating public high schools and 25th among schools in New Jersey.Streib, Lauren. "America's Best High Schools", The Daily Beast, May 6, 2013. Accessed May 8, 2013. The school was ranked 217th in the nation and 18th in New Jersey on the list of "America's Best High Schools 2012" prepared by The Daily Beast / Newsweek, with rankings based primarily on graduation rate, matriculation rate for college and number of Advanced Placement / International Baccalaureate courses taken per student, with lesser factors based on average scores on the SAT / ACT, average AP/IB scores and the number of AP/IB courses available to students.Staff. "America's Best High Schools 2012", The Daily Beast / Newsweek, May 20, 2012. Accessed May 23, 2012.
The school was the 119th-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 148th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 294th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed based on school statistics prior to the split.Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed September 11, 2012. The school had been ranked 302nd in 2008 out of 316 schools.Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed June 22, 2011. The school was ranked 287th 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.
Following the split, Schooldigger.com ranked the school 21st out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (a decrease of 8 positions from the 2010 ranking) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the mathematics (97.5%) and language arts literacy (100.0%) components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA)., Schooldigger.com. Accessed February 23, 2012.
History The all-girls Battin High School and all-boys Thomas Jefferson High School were both closed at the end of the 1976–77 school year, after the Elizabeth High School complex was completed and all of the district's students, male and female, were accommodated at the new four-building facility, ending the city's status as "the only community in the state with separate public high schools for boys and girls". The $29.3 million project included renovations to Thomas Jefferson High School, which was integrated into the new complex. The Battin High School building, together with the four existing junior high schools, was repurposed as a middle school for grades six through eight.Horowitz, Ben. "Elizabeth Awaits Coed High School", The New York Times, July 10, 1977. Accessed December 4, 2011. "ELIZABETH'S 48-year role as the only community in the state with separate public high schools for boys and girls will end in September with the opening of a new four-building complex at the corner of South Pearl and South Streets." The building was the former location of "Breidt Brewing Company", which was established in 1882 and operated until Prohibition."North Jersey Beer" by Chris Morris
With over 5,279 students, Elizabeth High School had been the largest high school in the nation in terms of student population.Golson, Jennifer. , The Star-Ledger, June 25, 2006, copied at the Elizabeth Public Schools website, backed up by the Internet Archive as of February 5, 2009. Accessed September 11, 2012. Prior to 2010, Elizabeth High School occupied eight campuses, also known as houses: The William F. Halsey house, the John E. Dwyer house, the Thomas Jefferson house, the Thomas Edison house, the Sam E. Aboff house, the Alexander Hamilton academy, the Upper academy, and the Lower academy. In 2009, the Elizabeth Board of Education passed the "Transformation Plan", which split-up the houses that made up Elizabeth High School and made each house its own high school. The Upper and Lower academies became the new Elizabeth High School.
Almost half of each graduating class had failed to pass the standard High School Proficiency Assessment and complete required course credits, so they are funneled through a so-called Alternative High School Assessment test. "N.J. high school seniors struggle with alternative graduation test" , NewJerseyNewsroom.com, March 28, 2011. Accessed December 15, 2011. About one in four students who entered the high school dropped out."Elizabeth High School to split" The Star-Ledger, January 15, 2009. Accessed December 15, 2011.
Houses Elizabeth High School comprised the following nine houses (or campuses) until 2009, plus an administration building, and an indoor sports center:
Peter B. Gold Administration Building Thomas Dunn Sports Center William F. Halsey House John Dwyer House Thomas Jefferson House Thomas A. Edison Vocational and Technical Academy Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy Frank J. Cicarell Academy J Christian Bollwage Academy of Finance
Main Complex
Halsey House, Dwyer House, the Peter B. Gold Administration Building and Thomas Dunn Sports Center share one large building, forming the Main Complex of Elizabeth High School, most commonly known as "The Main". The Main Complex holds more students, teachers, and administrators than the other houses/campuses in the city. The Main Complex was known as the heart of Elizabeth High School.
The Main Complex is where all the Elizabeth High School extracurricular activities and sports teams are found. The building functions as a hub central as other students from the other Elizabeth High School houses come here during the after school hours. The Main Complex also holds Elizabeth High School's swimming pool where the swim team practices and meets are held. The Main Complex campus is also famous in the student body for holding a unique courtyard, being the only campus in Elizabeth High School to have one accessible to its students.
Thomas Jefferson House
Located across the street from City Hall and war monuments, Thomas Jefferson House was the school's oldest house. Built in 1928 as an all-boys high school and named for the author of the Declaration of Independence and third president of the United States, Jefferson was now a house of Elizabeth High School and the center for the district's visual and performing arts programs. This house was just a short walk away from The Main Complex campus.
Jefferson specializes teaching its students in visual arts, such as drawing, painting, and creative crafts; as well as performing arts such as dance, acting, and singing. And also extra subjects, including creative writing.
Thomas A. Edison Academy For Career & Technical Education Thomas A. Edison Academy For Career & Technical Education was originally built as Thomas Edison High School in 1935, and the last graduating class of the high school was in 1987. Named for the great inventor who worked on many of his major contributions to the scientific and commercial world right here in New Jersey. The Thomas A. Edison Academy For Career & Technical Education was the center for vocational and technical education in the city.
Williams Field, which holds the school's football field and outdoor track and field, is adjacent to the Thomas A. Edison Academy.
J Christian Bollwage Academy of Finance The Sam E. Aboff Alternative House was the Elizabeth High School's smallest house in terms of both population and area. It was home to troublesome students and students who are excessively absent and/or tardy. It was located less than 100 yards from the Main Complex.
In 2009, each Elizabeth High School "House" was reformed into its own high school academy. The Sam E. Aboff House became the Halsey Academy of Finance (AOF), a branch of The Admiral William F. Halsey Jr. Leadership Academy. AOF is the location of the Halsey Business Leadership Strand. The Halsey Academy of Finance can house a total of 200 students and all four grade levels of Business Leadership students.