Kearny High School (New Jersey)

Kearny High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades from Kearny in Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, and operating as the lone secondary school of the Kearny School District.

As of the 2024–25 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,825 students and 142.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.8:1. There were 1,118 students (61.3% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 167 (9.2% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.School data for Kearny High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed January 15, 2026.

History Kearny's first high school was established in 1894. Construction began on the present school facility began in 1921 and Kearny High School opened for the fall semester in September 1923.History of Public Schools in Kearny , USGenNet. Accessed April 7, 2022. "In 1894, the first High School in Kearny was built at the corner of Halstead Street and Kearny Avenue. When the present High School on Devon Street was built in 1923, this High School was re-named Public School No. 4, or the Clara Barton School." The school's stadium was completed in 1925. In 1940, an addition costing $400,000 was added. In 1974, another addition was added that cost $5 million, providing a new Music and Art Department, new gymnasium, locker rooms, classrooms and parking. The school is divided into two different buildings that are connected to each other.

The Kearny Museum includes a full collection of Kearny High School yearbooks.Kearny Museum , Kearny Public Library. Accessed July 5, 2011. "A staff of volunteers organizes the local displays, which includes a collection of photographs, articles of clothing, war memorabilia, and a collection of Kearny High School yearbooks."

Awards, recognition and rankings The school was the 244th-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 224th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 230th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed August 22, 2012. The magazine ranked the school 235th in 2008 out of 316 schools.Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed March 28, 2011. The school was ranked 200th 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 246th out of 367 public high schools statewide in its 2009-10 rankings which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the language arts literacy and mathematics components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).New Jersey High School Rankings: 11th Grade HSPA Language Arts Literacy & HSPA Math 2009-2010, Schooldigger.com. Accessed December 29, 2011.

Extracurricular activities

Athletics The Kearny High School KardinalsKearny High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. compete in the Hudson County Interscholastic Athletic Association, which is comprised of public and private high schools in Hudson County, operating 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. Prior to the 2010 reorganization, the school had competed in the Watchung Conference, which consisted of high schools in Essex, Hudson and Union counties in northern New Jersey., Watchung Conference, backed up by the Internet Archive as of February 7, 2011. Accessed December 16, 2014. With 1,293 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 Liberty 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 Group V North for football for 2024–2026, which included schools with 1,317 to 5,409 students.NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2024–2026, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.

The school participates as the host school / lead agency in a joint ice hockey team with North Arlington High School and Secaucus 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 boys' cross country team won the overall state championship in 1936, 1937, 1938 (public school) and 1940, and won the Group IV title in 1947 and 1983.NJSIAA Boys Cross Country State Group Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 1, 2022. In 1978, Joe Weber, won the All-Groups Cross Country State Meet of Champions and was selected as an All-American.NJSIAA Boys Cross-Country Meet Of Champions Winners (1972–2018), New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. In 2004 and 2005 Joe Weber Jr. won the Hudson County Cross Country Championship. With the win in 2004, Joe and Joe Jr. became the second father/son duo in state history to win the same county championship, with Joe Sr. having won in 1977."Legends Of The Fall: A look at every boys M of C winner and where they are now", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, November 20, 2015, updated August 24, 2019. Accessed December 10, 2019. "Weber, 8th as a junior, didn't win a major race all season, but shocked everyone except himself and his coach (Jim Cifelli) when he crossed first in the first M of C 5-K ever run at Holmdel Park in 15:49.5.... Weber's son, Joe Jr., won the Hudson County XC title for Kearny in 2004 and '05, making the Weber duo possibly the only father-son combination in state history to both win county XC titles."

The boys' track team won the public school indoor track championship in 1927-1929, 1932 and 1936.Boys Winter Track and Field Championship History: 1922-2023, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated November 2023. Accessed February 1, 2024. The boys track team won the Group IV spring / outdoor track state championship in 1927.NJSIAA Boys Spring Track Summary of Group Titles, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.

The boys' soccer team has won NJSIAA Group IV state championship in 1947, 1948, 1950, 1951, 1954–1956, 1958, 1975 (as co-champions with Steinert High School), 1981 (vs. Hamilton High School West), 1982 (co-champions with Freehold Township High School), 1984 (vs. East Brunswick High School), 1987 (vs. Cherry Hill High School East), 1999 (vs. East Brunswick), 2002 (vs. Shawnee High School), 2004 (co-champion with Rancocas Valley Regional High School) and 2017 (vs. Princeton High School) and 2021 (vs. Freehold Township High School). The NJSIAA ranks the team's 10 state championships as tied for fifth-most among public high schools in the playoff era.NJSIAA History of Boys Soccer, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 1, 2022. NJ.com ranks the team third in the state, with a total of 18 titles that includes championships awarded to the school by the NJSIAA in 1947, 1948, 1950, 1951 and 1954.Greco, Richard; and Deakyne, Brian. "Which N.J. boys soccer programs have the most state titles?", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, October 24, 2019, updated June 14, 2020. Accessed December 31, 2020. "3-Kearny Number of titles: 17; Championships: 1947, 1948, 1950, 1951, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1975, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1987, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2017; Final appearances: 17 (titles were awarded by NJSIAA in 1947, 1948, 1950, 1951 and 1954)" The 1984 team finished the season with a 24-0 record, making it the state's only unbeaten team, after winning the Group IV title with a 2-1 victory against East Brunswick in the championship game at Rutgers University."Kearny wins soccer title", Herald News, November 24, 1984. Accessed January 13, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Kearny 2, East Brunswick 1: Tom Mara knocked in a rebound off a John Murray shot at, the 13:00 mark of the fourth quarter to lift Kearny to the Group 4 state soccer title Friday at Rutgers University in Piscataway. With the victory, Kearny (24-0) remained the only unbeaten and untied team in New Jersey." In 2002, the boys' soccer team earned the North I, Group IV sectional title, edging Clifton High School 3-2 in the tournament final.2002 Boys' Soccer - North I, Group IV. New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Accessed July 16, 2007. The 2017 team finished the season with a 21-0-3 record after winning the program's 12th Group IV title with a 3-1 victory against Princeton in the championship game.Alden, Bill. "PHS Boys’ Soccer Falls to Kearny in Group 4 Final, Running Out of Time as Late Rally Comes Up Short", Town Topics, November 22, 2017. Accessed December 31, 2020. "When the Princeton High boys’ soccer team fell behind powerhouse Kearny High 2-0 late in the second half last Sunday in the state Group 4 championship game at Kean University, it could have thrown in the towel.... The Kardinals counterattacked and sealed the game by tallying on a breakaway with six seconds left to put the finishing touch on a 3-1 victory. Beamer tipped his hat to second-ranked Kearny, which has now won 12 Group 4 state titles and ended the season with a 19-0-5 record." The 2021 team that finished the season with a 22-1-1 record after winning the program's 13th Group IV title with a 6-2 victory against Freehold Township in the championship game at Kean University.

In 1948, the Kearny High School varsity football team was awarded the New Jersey high school state championship."Kearny High School Football Team: 1948", Kearny High School Alumni. Accessed January 1, 2013.