North Bergen High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school, serving students in ninth through twelfth grade from North Bergen, in Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as part of the North Bergen School District. The school is the district's only high school,"North Bergen High School Overview". U.S. News & World Report. Accessed May 3, 2014. and its student body includes residents of both North Bergen and Guttenberg.Central Registration , North Bergen School District. Accessed March 13, 2018. "Guttenberg Residents: All students residing in Guttenberg must obtain a Permission Slip from the office of the Guttenberg Superintendent of School located at Anna L. Klein School in Guttenberg." The school offers various clubs and activities, academic programs, and sports. In 2019, the school play attracted national attention, while the athletics department holds several state titles in multiple sports.
Students from Guttenberg attend the school as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Guttenberg Public School District.Shortell, Tom. "3 candidates on ballot to be Guttenberg's mayor", The Jersey Journal, November 2, 2008. Accessed March 23, 2011. "Scoullos, who has worked as a budget analyst, said he also plans to audit the town's contracts in order to find ways to cut taxes. Scoullos said in the late 1990s, North Bergen overcharged the town for services at North Bergen High School, which takes Guttenberg students as part of a sending/receiving network."
As of the 2024–25 school year, the school had an enrollment of 2,328 students and 158.2 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 14.7:1. There were 1,402 students (60.2% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 137 (5.9% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.School data for North Bergen High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed January 15, 2026.
History Before the school opened, students from North Bergen had been sent to attend Cliffside Park High School as part of a sending/receiving relationship."Cliffside to Ask Ouster of No. Bergen Students", The Jersey Journal, March 30, 1957. Accessed November 29, 2023, via Newspapers.com, "But in order to accommodate Palisades Park, North Bergen must go the local board decided last night. So Cliffside's school board will officially ask the state board's permission to terminate the North Bergen agreement. Current 10th and 11th graders from North Bergen would be permitted to complete their secondary schooling here."
The high school opened in September 1961 with Joe Coviello as its first principal and football coach.Teachers Under Attack: How NJ Governor Chris Christie’s Personal Vendetta Against Teachers Will Destroy Public Education, p. 195. .Accessed January 3, 2023. "Coviello was North Bergen High School's first principal when the school opened in 1961." In the program's first football game, the team defeated St. Cecilia High School by a score of 14-0.De La Ree, Gerry. "Coviello Is Still Master After Defeating Cecilia", The Record, October 3, 1961. Accessed January 3, 2023, via Newspapers.com. "The North Bergen partisans in the crowd and there were many went home happy. The first-year team, bolstered by some experienced boys from several Hudson County schools, rolled over St. Cecilia of Englewood, 14-0."
In terms of state aid, North Bergen High School was the most underfunded school in New Jersey, according to a 2014 report from the Education Law Center, receiving $24 million less than the school would be entitled to if it were fully funded under the formula specified by the School Funding Reform Act."North Bergen High School recognized as one of NJ's best public high schools", The Hudson Reporter, May 2, 2014. Accessed May 17, 2022. "North Bergen's school district is the most underfunded by state aid in New Jersey, according to the Education Law Center. Last year the district received $24 million less than what it is entitled to receive under the School Funding Reform Act formula."
In 2019, the school's production of Alien went viral due to its realistic set and costumes made from recycled materials under a low, self-funded budget. The screenplay was adapted by an English teacher, who also served as director, while an art teacher directed the set and costuming and a music teacher added knowledge of stage lighting. Images and videos from the performances attracted celebrity attention including that of Sigourney Weaver, who played the protagonist of the original film. Ridley Scott's production company, Scott Free, donated $5000 to allow the school to perform an encore. Weaver visited the cast and crew for their encore performance on April 26, 2019. The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts gave scholarships to all students involved.
Curriculum The school provides Advanced Placement course work and exams. The AP participation rate is 9%.
Awards, recognition and rankings North Bergen High School was recognized as a "Benchmark Public High School for Academic Achievement" by the Business Coalition for Education Excellence, for the years 2005, 2006 and 2007.Just for the Kids – New Jersey Benchmark List 2005, Business Coalition for Education Excellence. Accessed October 23, 2008.Just for the Kids – New Jersey Benchmark List 2006, Business Coalition for Education Excellence. Accessed October 23, 2008.Just for the Kids – New Jersey Benchmark List 2007, Business Coalition for Education Excellence. Accessed October 23, 2008.
The school was the 286th-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 322nd in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 296th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed December 2, 2012. The magazine ranked the school 294th in 2008 out of 316 schools.Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed February 7, 2011. The school was ranked 285th 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 198th out of 376 public high schools statewide in its 2010 rankings (a decrease of 39 positions from the 2009 rank) 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 31, 2011.
In 2014 U.S. News & World Report magazine awarded a bronze medal to North Bergen High School, recognizing it as one of New Jersey's best public high schools, based on criteria such as test scores, student demographics, college readiness and faculty-student ratio. Superintendent Dr. George Solter stated that the school was awarded the medal specifically for it emphasis on reading skills, the dedication of its faculty, and the talent of its students.
Athletics
The North Bergen BruinsNorth Bergen High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. compete in the Hudson County Interscholastic League, which is comprised of public and private high schools in Hudson County 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 1,852 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 North Bergen High School track, tennis, football and soccer teams use Bruins Stadium, which is located in James J. Braddock Park. The school's gymnasium serves as the home field for other sports.
Interscholastic sports programs offered include football, boys'/girls' basketball, baseball, softball, boys'/girls' tennis, boys'/girls' cross country, boys'/girls' indoor track and field, boys'/girls' outdoor track and field, boys'/girls' soccer, boys'/girls' volleyball, boys'/girls' bowling and wrestling.
The boys' varsity bowling team won the 1974 overall state championship.History of NJSIAA Boys Bowling Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed August 1, 2022.