Middletown High School North, home of the Lions, is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in Middletown Township, in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades as one of the two secondary schools of the Middletown Township Public School District. Other students from Middletown Township attend Middletown High School South. The school also houses a 750-seat theater. Approximately 90% of North students attend college after graduation. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1936; the school's accreditation expires in July 2025.Middletown High School North, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed December 21, 2024.
As of the 2024–25 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,289 students and 104.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.4:1. There were 237 students (18.4% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 43 (3.3% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.School data for Middletown High School North, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed January 15, 2026.
History Originally known as Leonardo High School, starting in 1966 Middletown High School North was known as Middletown Township High School until the year 1976 when Middletown South opened to address overcrowding.Edelson, Stephen. "100 years of football, countless memories: Middletown's century of gridiron greatness", Asbury Park Press, September 10, 2019. Accessed October 17, 2020. "Since those humble beginnings on the Athletic Grounds in Asbury Park along Deal Lake, on the site of the current football stadium, you could argue that Middletown has been the greatest football town at the Jersey Shore over the past century when you consider the achievements of Leonardo, which became Middletown Township High School, now Middletown North, and Middletown South."
In 1948 in the physical education classes, black students were grouped together for line dancing while white students were organized by height. - CITED: p. 87.
Awards, recognition and rankings The school was the 136th-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 128th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 159th 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 143rd in 2008 out of 316 schools.Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed February 20, 2011. The school was ranked 164th 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 93rd out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (an increase of 73 positions from the 2010 ranking) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the mathematics (87.4%) and language arts literacy (96.4%) 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 2, 2012.
Athletics The Middletown High School North LionsMiddletown High School North, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. compete in Division A North 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 conference 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 January 10, 2017. With 1,032 students in grades 10–12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Group III for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 761 to 1,058 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 IV South for football for 2024–2026, which included schools with 890 to 1,298 students.NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2024–2026, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.
Each year, students, parents, teachers, alumni, and administrators gather for the annual Thanksgiving Day football game between Middletown North and Middletown South. The game is one of the most important events of the year for North students, and a pep rally is held before the game. At halftime, the homecoming court comes to the field to greet the fans. Middletown South holds the overall lead with a head-to-head record of 37–13–1 through the 2025 season. The Lions won their most recent matchup 7–6.Patuto, Greg. "Midd. North snaps Thanksgiving skid with comeback win over rival Midd. South", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, November 28, 2025. Accessed April 6, 2026. "Middletown South leads the series 37-13-1, 1-1 in the playoffs, 35-12-1 on Thanksgiving."
The football team won the Central Jersey Group IV state sectional title in 1983, 1986 and 1996.NJSIAA Football History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023. The 1983 team finished the season with a record of 11-0 after winning the Central Jersey Group IV sectional title on an 88-yard kickoff return to start the second half to defeat Hunterdon Central Regional High School by a score of 6–0 in the playoff finals."Passaic (11-0) Tops North Bergen, 24-13", The New York Times, December 4, 1983. Accessed December 24, 2020. "Kurtis Reed, a junior halfback, took the second-half kickoff 88 yards into the end zone to hand 11-0 Middletown North a 6-0 victory over Hunterdon Central of Flemington in the Central Jersey, Group 4 championship game in Middletown." The 1996 team beat J. P. Stevens High School by a score of 27–12 to win the Central Jersey Group IV championship game and end the season 7-2-1.Thompson, John. "Middletown North's rise tied to Sheehan's passing", Asbury Park Press, December 14, 1986. Accessed January 20, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "When the Middletown North football team upset J P. Stevens, 27-12, for the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Central Jersey Group IV state title, a potent passing game was responsible.... It was on defensive that Sheehan played his best ball.... His leadership in the secondary helped the team to a 7-2-1 record." The team won the Central Jersey Group IV title in 1996 with a 33–8 win in the championship game played at Giants Stadium against the previously undefeated Hillsborough High School team led by future NFL player Shawn Mayer.Jordan, Bob. "Lions snapped the wishbone", Asbury Park Press, December 9, 1996. Accessed December 1, 2020, via Newspapers.com. "Middletown North won a state sectional football championship last night, and perhaps the only way the Lions could have reached greater prosperity in the 1996 season would be if they had seen more wishbone offenses. The wishbone that allowed Hillsborough to bring an undefeated record into the Central Jersey Group IV title game was shut down rather handily in Middletown North's 33-8 rout at Giants Stadium." Middletown North's football team finished their 2014–15 season with a 7–4 record after losing to state champions and rival Middletown High School South in the second round of the state playoffs; this was Middletown North's first winning season since 2000. Coach Steve Bush was an assistant coach for the Miami Dolphins. In 2015, to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of football in Middletown, alumni of both schools played each other; The Middletown North Lion football alumni defeated the Middletown South alumni 6–3 at The Swamp, to claim the victory in what was the first-ever game of its kind in Middletown.Zedalis, Joe. "Football: Middletown South, Middletown North alumni ready to renew old rivalry", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, August 13, 2015. "Middletown North versus Middletown South is one of the most heated Thanksgiving Day rivalries in the Shore Conference. Saturday, 7 p.m., at South's sunken treasure known affectionately as 'The Swamp,' former Lions and Eagles meet in the first Middletown North-Middletown South alumni game.... The alumni game, promoted by OT Football, figures into the celebration of 100 years of football in Middletown." NJ.com listed the rivalry between Middletown North and South as 11th best in their 2017 list "Ranking the 31 fiercest rivalries in N.J. HS football".Stypulkoski, Matt. "Ranking the 31 fiercest rivalries in N.J. HS football", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, October 27, 2017, updated May 15, 2019. Accessed December 1, 2020. "12-Middletown North vs. Middletown South: The two rivals are located only 5.1 miles apart, but until last season the football rivalry has been one-sided. Chad Glenn's 326-yard passing performance led North to a 24-6 win, snapping South's 16-game winning streak against the Lions.... All-time series: Middletown South leads, 29-12-1" Middletown South holds the overall lead with a head-to-head record of 37–13–1.
The field hockey team won the Central Jersey Group IV state sectional title in 1978, 1979, 1981 and 1988, and won the North II Group IV title in 2006.History of NJSIAA Field Hockey Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
The boys' wrestling team won the Central Jersey Group IV state sectional title in 1996.Boys Wrestling Championship History: 1934–2025, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated February 2026. Accessed March 1, 2026.