Wikipedia

Lenape Valley Regional High School

This article is about Lenape Valley Regional High School. For Lenape High School, see Lenape High School.

Lenape Valley Regional High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school and school district in serving students in ninth through twelfth grades from two municipalities in Sussex County and one in Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The communities served by the high school are Byram Township and Stanhope Borough in Sussex County and Netcong Borough in Morris County. The school is located in Stanhope.[5][6][7] It is the lone school of the Lenape Valley Regional High School District.[8][9][10]

Lenape Valley Regional High School
Address
28 Stanhope Sparta Road
Stanhope
, Sussex County, New Jersey, 07874
United States
Coordinates40°55′15″N 74°41′55″W / 40.9207°N 74.6985°W / 40.9207; -74.6985
District information
Grades9-12
SuperintendentMichael Rossi
Business administratorGregory Brennan (interim)
Schools1
Students and staff
Enrollment673 (as of 2023–24)[1]
Faculty59.5 FTEs[1]
Student–teacher ratio11.3:1[1]
Other information
District Factor GroupGH
Websitewww.lvhs.org
Ind. Per pupil District
spending		 Rank
(*)		 9-12
average		 %± vs.
average
1ATotal Spending$19,56914$18,8913.6%
1Budgetary Cost14,6171615,592−6.3%
2Classroom Instruction7,896118,807−10.3%
6Support Services2,492292,2948.6%
8Administrative Cost1,756321,59210.3%
10Operations & Maintenance1,56791,954−19.8%
13Extracurricular Activities884258731.3%
16Median Teacher Salary66,6432171,726
Data from NJDoE 2014 Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending.[2]
*Of 9-12 districts with any number of students. Lowest spending=1; Highest=47
Lenape Valley Regional High School
Location
Map
Information
TypePublic
Established1974
NCES School ID340850005378[1]
PrincipalDoug Reynolds
Vice principalEric Schuman
Faculty59.5 FTEs[1]
Enrollment673 (as of 2023–24)[1]
Student to teacher ratio11.3:1[1]
Color(s)  Red
  White
  Blue[3]
Athletics conferenceNorthwest Jersey Athletic Conference (general)
North Jersey Super Football Conference (football)
Team namePatriots[3]
NewspaperPatriot Press[4]
YearbookRenaissance

As of the 2023–24 school year, the school had an enrollment of 673 students and 59.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.3:1. There were 56 students (8.3% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 34 (5.1% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.[1]

The district had been classified by the New Jersey Department of Education as being in District Factor Group "GH", the third-highest of eight groupings. District Factor Groups organize districts statewide to allow comparison by common socioeconomic characteristics of the local districts. From lowest socioeconomic status to highest, the categories are A, B, CD, DE, FG, GH, I and J.[11]

Lenape Valley had been the only high school in Sussex County with a planetarium.[12] In February 2016, the board of education voted to eliminate the planetarium and use the space for science labs.[13]

History

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Netcong High School closed in 1974 and Lenape Valley began serving students from Netcong and those from Byram Township and Stanhope. Byram Township had sent their students to Sparta High School, but was told they had to leave due to increasing enrollment at Sparta.[14][15][16][17][18]

The school opened in September 1974 with an enrollment of 737 students.[19]

On May 28, 2019, the school suffered minor damage from an EF-1 tornado that touched down in trees behind the school.[20]

Awards, recognition and rankings

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The school was the 180th-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.[21] The school had been ranked 120th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 108th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.[22] The magazine ranked the school 105th out of 316 schools statewide in its September 2008 cover story. The school was ranked 139th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state.[23]

Schooldigger.com ranked the school tied for 145th out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (an increase of 2 positions from the 2010 ranking) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the mathematics (82.9%) and language arts literacy (95.1%) components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).[24]

In the 2013-14 school year, Lenape Valley Regional High School ranked seventh in SAT scores in Sussex County out of nine other public high schools.[25]

Extracurricular activities

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Lenape Valley Regional High School offers a selection of sports, including football, soccer, cross country, tennis, wrestling, field hockey, swimming, basketball, and cheerleading.[26] It also has a weight room available. The school also offers business activities, creative writing-based courses and music courses, including choirs and bands.[27]

Athletics

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The Lenape Valley Regional High School Patriots[3] participate in the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference, which is comprised of public and private high schools from 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).[28][29] Until the NJSIAA's 2009 realignment, the school had participated in the Sussex County Interscholastic League, which included public and private high schools located in Sussex County and northern Morris County.[30] With 534 students in grades 10-12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Group II for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 486 to 758 students in that grade range.[31] The football team competes in the American White 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.[32][33] The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Group I North for football for 2024–2026, which included schools with 254 to 474 students.[34]

The school participates as the host school / lead agency for joint cooperative boys / girls swimming teams with Newton High School, while Newton is the host school for a co-op ice hockey program. These co-op programs operate under agreements scheduled to expire at the end of the 2023–24 school year.[35]

The football team won the North I Group II state sectional championships in 1977, 1981, 1989–1991, 1993 and 1999.[36] The team won its first playoff-era title in 1977 with a 6-2 win against Tenafly High School in the North I Group II sectional championship game.[37] The 1981 team finished the season with a 7-2 record after a winning the North I Group II with a 7-6 win against Tenafly in the playoff finals.[38] The 1989 team finished the season with an 11-0 record after a 28-0 win against River Dell High School in the North I Group II state sectional championship game.[39] The 1990 team won the North I Group II sectional title with an 18-17 win against Lodi High School in the tournament final.[40] In front of 3,500 fans, the 1991 team finished the season with an 11-0 record after defeating Lodi in overtime by a score of 28-27 on a missed extra point in the North I Group II championship game.[41] The Patriots made it to the 2004 NJSIAA Group II Section I state championship at Giants Stadium, falling in double overtime to Lakeland Regional High School Lancers by a score of 17-14.[42] Head coach Don Smolyn came into the 2020 season having won seven state championships in 14 playoff appearances and an overall career record of 342-137-13 in his 45 years leading the team, making him the state's winningest active coach.[43]

The field hockey team won the North I Group II state sectional championship in 1978 and 1990.[44]

The wrestling team won the North I Group II state sectional championship in 1985 and 2015, the North I Group III titles in 1998 and 1999, won the North II Group I title in 2009 and the North II Group II title in 2016[45] The Patriots wrestling team in the 2005–06 season was 21-7, ranked 16th in New Jersey, and won District 2. In the 2005–06 wrestling season, DJ Russo was the state runner-up and national champion for the 215 weight class; he ended his season with only one loss. The Patriots wrestling team repeated with a district championship in the 2006–07 season, and finished the year with a 16-11 record. The Patriots wrestling team in the 2008–09 season finished 18-5, ranked 15th in the state, and won the North II Group I state sectional title, the program's first since 1999, after defeating Elmwood Park Memorial High School 40-23.[46] The team had won sectional titles in 1985 in North I Group II and in both 1998 and 1999 in North I Group III.[47]

The softball team won the Group II state championship in 1990 (defeating Colonia High School in the finals) and 1991 (vs. Pennsville Memorial High School).[48] The 1990 team finished the season 20-6 after winning the Group II title with a 1-0 defeat of a Colonia team that had come into the championship game undefeated.[49]

Special education

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The school staff includes 17 special education teachers. The school offers support to the visually, hearing and physically impaired, through special classes and extra-curricular help.[50] The school also provides assistance with speech therapy and development.[citation needed]

Notable alumni

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Administration

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Core members of the district's and school's administration are:[55][56][57]

  • Michael Rossi, superintendent
  • Gregory Brennan, interim business administrator and board secretary
  • Doug Reynolds, principal

Board of education

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The district's board of education, comprised of nine members, sets policy and oversees the fiscal and educational operation of the district through its administration. As a Type II school district, the board's trustees are elected directly by voters to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with three seats up for election each year held (since 2012) as part of the November general election. The board appoints a superintendent to oversee the district's day-to-day operations and a business administrator to supervise the business functions of the district.[58][59] Seats on the high school district's nine-member board of education are allocated based on the populations of the constituent municipalities, with five seats assigned to Byram Township and two seats each to Netcong and Stanhope.[60][61]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h School data for Lenape Valley Regional High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 15, 2024.
  2. ^ Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending April 2013, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 15, 2013.
  3. ^ a b c Lenape Valley Regional High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  4. ^ Patriot Press, Lenape Valley Regional High School. Accessed March 22, 2022.
  5. ^ Lenape Valley Regional Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Lenape Valley Regional High School. Accessed May 11, 2020. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades nine through twelve in the Lenape Valley Regional High School District. Composition: The Lenape Valley Regional High School District is comprised of pupils from Netcong, Stanhope and Byram and the high school is located in Stanhope in the County of Sussex."
  6. ^ Lenape Valley Regional High School 2013 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed June 7, 2016. "Lenape Valley Regional High School is a comprehensive academic high school serving approximately 825 students in grade 9-12 from Byram Township and Stanhope Borough in Sussex County and from Netcong Borough in Morris County."
  7. ^ About Our School, Lenape Valley Regional High School. Accessed May 29, 2016. "Lenape Valley Regional High School is a four-year regional public high school and school district in New Jersey serving approximately 850 students from two municipalities in Sussex County and one in Morris County. The communities served by the high school are Byram Township and Stanhope Borough in Sussex and Netcong Borough in Morris County. The school is located in Stanhope, New Jersey."
  8. ^ Public School Directory 2023-2024, Sussex County, New Jersey. Accessed March 1, 2024.
  9. ^ School Performance Reports for the Lenape Valley Regional High School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 3, 2024.
  10. ^ New Jersey School Directory for the Lenape Valley Regional High School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.
  11. ^ District Factor Groups (DFG) for School Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 20, 2024.
  12. ^ Stewart, Amy. "Lenape looks towards the stars and aims for beyond" Archived March 5, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, The Township Journal, April 4, 2008. Accessed January 25, 2011.
  13. ^ Danzis, David. "Lenape Valley H.S. closing planetarium for lab space", New Jersey Herald, February 18, 2016. Accessed April 10, 2023. "The Lenape Valley Regional High School Board of Education is going forward with plans to repurpose the school's planetarium."
  14. ^ Gansberg, Martin. "Netcong Links Its Problems to I‐80", The New York Times, September 29, 1974. Accessed December 14, 2016. "And taxes have taken a big jump because of the need for joining with adjacent Stanhope in operating a regional high school, Lenape Valley, which opened last week.... The reason for the increase is because Netcong had to join with Stanhope, which is in Sussex County, to construct the regional high school."
  15. ^ Staff. "New Jersey Sports Lenape Start Fast", The New York Times, October 26, 1974. Accessed December 14, 2016. "Snyder is the 36‐year‐old head football coach at new Lenape Valley Regional High School, which opened its doors last month to students who formerly attended Sparta High and defunct Netcong High."
  16. ^ Carlson, Joe. "Christmas star is subject of planetarium show", New Jersey Herald, November 15, 2013. Accessed December 14, 2016. "The 53-seat planetarium, the only one in Sussex County, has been teaching students about the universe since Netcong, Byram and Stanhope combined to form Lenape Valley Regional High School in 1974."
  17. ^ "2009 Calendar, Netcong Borough. Accessed December 15, 2016.
  18. ^ Aun, Fred J. "First Superintendent of Lenape to Retire", The Star-Ledger, "The impetus for the creation of Lenape Valley was provided by Sparta...Byram was sending students to Sparta, and it was told by Sparta that they had to leave...Sparta was growing and could no longer take Byram Township students."
  19. ^ "Rural Sussex Enrollment Jumps", The News, September 10, 1974. Accessed March 22, 2022. "The new Lenape Valley Regional High School opens Monday with a projected 737 students upping the increase to 1,599 pupils since last fall, according to Willard D. Newton, acting county superintendent of schools."
  20. ^ "Rare Tornado Confirmed in New Jersey", The Weather Channel, May 29, 2019. Accessed April 10, 2023. "The National Weather Service confirmed Wednesday that a tornado touched down in Stanhope, New Jersey, Tuesday night. The storm brought down trees and power lines in the Sussex County town, and Lenape Valley Regional High School was closed Wednesday due to sustained damage, WFMZ-TV reported."
  21. ^ Staff. "Top Schools Alphabetical List 2014", New Jersey Monthly, September 2, 2014. Accessed September 5, 2014.
  22. ^ Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed September 3, 2012.
  23. ^ "Top New Jersey High Schools 2008: By Rank", New Jersey Monthly, September 2008, posted August 7, 2008. Accessed August 19, 2008.
  24. ^ New Jersey High School Rankings: 11th Grade HSPA Language Arts Literacy & HSPA Math 2010–11[permanent dead link‍], Schooldigger.com. Accessed March 5, 2012.
  25. ^ Lenape Valley Regional High School 2013-14 School Performance Report, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 14, 2015.
  26. ^ Athletics Archived March 23, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Lenape Valley Regional High School. Accessed August 7, 2014.
  27. ^ Lenape Valley Clubs and Activities Archived March 23, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Lenape Valley Regional High School. Accessed August 7, 2014.
  28. ^ 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."
  29. ^ League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  30. ^ Home page, Sussex County Interscholastic League, backed up by the Internet Archive as of May 9, 2009. Accessed December 16, 2014.
  31. ^ NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
  32. ^ 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."
  33. ^ 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."
  34. ^ NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2024–2026, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.
  35. ^ NJSIAA Winter Cooperative Sports Programs, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 1, 2020.
  36. ^ NJSIAA Football History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 1, 2022.
  37. ^ Schwartz, Paul. "Tenafly loses in Group 2", The Record, December 4, 1977. Accessed December 13, 2020, via Newspapers.com. "Lenape Valley coach Don Smolyn asked for just two things from his team before it played Tenafly yesterday. 'Don't let them [the Tigers] have the ball very much, and, when they get it, don't let them get outside,' said Smolyn. His Patriots followed instructions to the letter, limiting Tenafly to just 16 minutes of possession and eight running plays outside the tackles in beating the Tigers, 6-2, for the North Jersey Section 1 Group 2 title."
  38. ^ Miller, Mark. "Lenape Valley Wins Sectional Crown", Daily Record, November 22, 1981. Accessed December 24, 2020. "Lenape Valley coach Don Smolyn called it a 'bit of trickery.' Tenafly coach Joe Spilewski called it 'unsportsmanlike.' And though it never affected the scoring in the Patriot's 7-6 sectional final victory, it was the play that will be remembered the longest.... Trick plays aside, Lenape, now 7-2, won the football game by dominating throughout."
  39. ^ Seidman, Howard R. "Lenape Valley masters outgunned River Dell", Daily Record, December 3, 1989. Accessed January 14, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "He told the group that his goal was to have them play on a state championship team before they graduated from Lenape Valley Regional High School. Smolyn, coach of the Patriots, watched a man bring a huge trophy into his locker room yesterday, to confirm his team's 28-0 drubbing of River Dell to win the North Jersey Section 1, Group II championship.... With that in mind, Lenape Valley clung to a phrase that Smolyn had repeated throughout the team's 11-0 season."
  40. ^ Mayer, John. "Two mistakes costly to Lodi", The Record, December 2, 1990. Accessed December 1, 2020, via Newspapers.com. "Holding a 2-2-2 record six games into the season, Steve Baisley says he and many of his Lenape Valley teammates had nearly written off a chance at defending their Group 2 State sectional football crown.... But the Patriots came up with 12 fourth-quarter points to defeat Lodi, 18-17 in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Group 2, North 1 final."
  41. ^ Schwartz, Paul. "Lodi suffers painful defeat in OT", The Record, December 8, 1991. Accessed January 30, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "In an oddly anticlimactic finish, Lenape Valley edged Lodi for the second consecutive year in the Group 2 championship game, 28-27, in overtime when DeSimone, who moments earlier had led his team 79 yards to a tying touchdown, saw his extra point slide wide."
  42. ^ Passaic County Freeholders Honor Lakeland Regional High School Champs, press release dated April 26, 2005.
  43. ^ Koob, Andrew. "N.J. football′s winningest active head coaches in 2020", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, September 27, 2020, updated October 1, 2020. Accessed December 6, 2020. "1-Don Smolyn, Lenape Valley Record: 342-137-13... Years as head coach: 45 seasons; all with Lenape Valley... During his tenure, he’s led the Patriots to seven sectional title and 14 sectional final appearances, including its latest last season."
  44. ^ History of NJSIAA Field Hockey Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  45. ^ NJSIAA Wrestling Team Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2021.
  46. ^ Staff. "Valiant effort by Elmwood Park", The Record, February 14, 2009. Accessed September 3, 2012. "Normally, the bus ride home after a loss tends to be somber, but Elmwood Park's wrestlers were upbeat despite falling to Lenape Valley, 40-23, in the North 2, Group 1 final Friday night."
  47. ^ NJSIAA State Sectional Champions Archived August 28, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, New Jersey Wrestling. Accessed September 3, 2012.
  48. ^ Softball Championship History 1972–2023, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated July 2023. Accessed April 1, 2024.
  49. ^ Breeman, Dan. "Lenape pitches Lenape to title, 1-0; Patriots Group II softball champs", Daily Record, June 3, 1990. Accessed January 27, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Led by the outstanding pitching of freshman Karen Lewandowski, the Lenape Valley Patriots completed their storybook season yesterday with a thrilling 1-0 victory over previously unbeaten Colonia in the Group II state final"
  50. ^ Special Services Archived March 23, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Lenape Valley Regional High School. Accessed August 7, 2014.
  51. ^ Tredinnick, Andrew. "Alexia Lacatena signing with Kentucky is latest stop in softball journey", New Jersey Herald, November 17, 2020. Accessed July 21, 2021. "Alexia Lacatena has always challenged herself against the best competition since she began playing softball. Whether it was seeking out club teams across the metropolitan area or playing women more than 10 years older than her, the Lenape Valley senior has sought to become the best all-around player she could be."
  52. ^ Miss New Jersey 2002 Archived March 20, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Miss America. Accessed January 25, 2016.
  53. ^ Long, Ernie. "ESU Product Manny Oudin Is A Seasoned Player And Coach Who Has Finally Landed A Home Team.", The Morning Call, April 30, 1999. Accessed December 5, 2017. "After graduating from Lenape Valley High School in New Jersey, Oudin went on to have a stellar career at East Stroudsburg University."
  54. ^ Havsy, Jane. "Soaring with the Angels" Archived January 2, 2013, at archive.today, Daily Record, August 29, 2003. Accessed November 4, 2007. "'I said, cool,' recalled Riggs, a graduate of Lenape Valley High School and County College of Morris."
  55. ^ 2021-2022 Student Handbook, Lenape Valley Regional High School District. Accessed November 17, 2022.
  56. ^ Faculty Directory - Administration, Lenape Valley Regional High School District. Accessed November 17, 2022.
  57. ^ New Jersey School Directory for Sussex County, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.
  58. ^ New Jersey Boards of Education by District Election Types - 2018 School Election, New Jersey Department of Education, updated February 16, 2018. Accessed January 26, 2020.
  59. ^ Annual Comprehensive Financial Report of the Lenape Valley Regional High School District, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2023. Accessed April 15, 2024. "The Board is an instrumentality of the State of New Jersey, established to function as an educational institution. The Board consists of elected officials and is responsible for the fiscal control of the District. A superintendent is appointed by the Board and is responsible for the administrative control of the District." See "Roster of Officials" on page 12.
  60. ^ Danzis, David. "Bender not running for reelection to Lenape Valley school board", New Jersey Herald, July 22, 2016. Accessed May 11, 2020. "A member of the Lenape Valley Regional High School Board of Education announced he is not running for re-election in November.... The nine-member board currently has two representatives from Stanhope, five from Byram and two from Netcong."
  61. ^ Board of Education Roster, Lenape Valley Regional High School. Accessed May 11, 2020.
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