Eastside High School (Camden, New Jersey)

Eastside High School, formerly Woodrow Wilson High School, is a four-year public high school in the City of Camden, in Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades as part of the Camden City School District. In June 2020, it was announced that the school would be renamed; the change from Woodrow Wilson High School was made official in January 2022.

As of the 2023–24 school year, the school had an enrollment of 593 students and 63.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 9.4:1. There were 188 students (31.7% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and none listed as eligible for reduced-cost lunch.School data for East Side High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 15, 2024.

History The school, which was long named in honor of President Woodrow Wilson, was opened in 1930 as a junior high school. Wilson, a Democrat was the 28th president of the United States and 34th Governor of New Jersey. It was converted to a high school in 1933.

The school had been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools until 2011, when the school's accreditation status was removed.Fall 2011 Accreditation Actions , The Standard; A Newsletter from the Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools, Winter 2012. Accessed November 11, 2020. "Removal of Accreditation... Woodrow Wilson High School, Camden, NJ"

In June 2020, Camden School Superintendent Katrina McCombs announced that the district would rename the school due to Wilson's racist views. A committee consisting of community members, students, alumni and administrators will determine the new name. The school was formally renamed to Eastside High School in January 2022.Burney, Melanie. "Camden’s Woodrow Wilson High School renamed Eastside High", The Philadelphia Inquirer, January 25, 2022. Accessed November 10, 2022. "Camden’s Woodrow Wilson High School will now be called Eastside High to break from the segregationist views and practices of the former president and New Jersey governor."

A project started to redevelop the school campus. The ex-Cramer School was to be used as temporary housing.

Awards, recognition and rankings The school was the 314th-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 300th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 321st in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed September 11, 2012. The magazine ranked the school 315th in 2008 out of 316 schools.Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed June 5, 2011. The school was also ranked 315th 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.

Athletics The Eastside High School TigersWoodrow Wilson High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. compete in the Olympic Conference, which is comprised of public and private high schools in Burlington, Camden and Gloucester counties, and operates under the aegis 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 814 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 football team competes in the Liberty Division of the 94-team West Jersey Football League superconferenceCamden Eastside Tigers, West Jersey Football League. Accessed November 10, 2022.Home Page, West Jersey Football League. Accessed May 1, 2023. "The WJFL is a 94-school super conference that stretches from Princeton to Wildwood encompassing schools from the Colonial Valley Conference, the Burlington County Scholastic League, the Olympic Conference, the Tri-County Conference, the Colonial Conference, and the Cape Atlantic League. The WJFL is made up of sixteen divisions with divisional alignments based on school size, geography and a strength-of-program component." and was classified by the NJSIAA as Group II South for football for 2024–2026, which included schools with 514 to 685 students.NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2024–2026, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.

The boys' basketball team won the Group III state championship in 1949 (defeating Hillside High School in the tournament final), 1978 (vs. Malcolm X Shabazz High School) and 1985 (vs. Rahway High School), and won the Group IV title in 1970 (vs. East Orange High School).NJSIAA Boys Basketball Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020. An estimated 4,000 spectators watched the 1949 team win the Group III state title with a 45-43 win against Hillside on a basket scored in the last minute of the championship game.Schuck, Charlie. "Minus Hero as Wilson Wins Group 3 State Title; Tosses in Winning Field Goal as Prexys Nose Out Hillside, 45-43", Courier-Post, March 21, 1949. Accessed March 2, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Underdog Woodrow Wilson High school, of Camden, Saturday night upset the popular and strong Hillside High school basketeers, 45 to 43, to walk off with the first State Group 3 championship ever annexed by a South Jersey school. More than 4,000 frenzied fans saw lanky and outstanding Len Minus, sensational Wilson center, fake his defensive player out of position, pivot and sink a swishing field goal with less than one minute to break a 43 to 43 tie and give the 'Presidents' a victory." The 1970 team won their 27th consecutive game and the Group IV title with an 82-71 win against East Orange in the playoff finals in front of a crowd of 10,000 at Convention Hall in Atlantic City.Drogo, Ron. "Wilson Dumps East Orange", The Record, March 22, 1970. Accessed November 26, 2020, via Newspapers.com. "East Orange's supposedly tight defense was hardly in evidence as Wilson rolled to a Group 4 State title, 82-71. The win was the 27th in a row for the undefeated Tigers and East Orange, the defending champ, had its 30-game winning streak ended." The 2004 boys' basketball team took the South, Group III state sectionals with an 83-75 win over crosstown rival Camden High School.2004 Boys Basketball - South, Group III, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed June 21, 2007.

The boys track team won the Group III spring / outdoor track state championship in 1984 (as co-champion) and 1996.NJSIAA Spring Track Summary of Group Titles Boys, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed September 1, 2021.

The boys track team won the indoor relay championship in Group III in 1993, 1995 and 1998. The girls team won the Group III title in 2000, 2001 and 2006, and won the Group II title in 2005 (as co-champion).History of the NJSIAA Indoor Relay Championships , New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 1, 2020.

The girls' basketball team won the Group III state championship in 1996 (defeating Malcolm X Shabazz High School in the tournament final), 1997 (vs. Warren Hills Regional High School), 2005 (vs. Northern Highlands Regional High School) and 2014 (vs. West Morris Central High School).Girls Basketball Championship History: 1919–2024, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated March 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024. The team won the 2005 South, Group III state sectional championship with a 67-31 win over Timber Creek Regional High School.Skaf, Lian. "Wilson coasts to S.J. title", Courier-Post, March 8, 2005. Accessed August 18, 2007. "With a 67-31 win over fourth-seeded Timber Creek in the S.J. Group 3 final Monday, second-seeded Woodrow Wilson won the sectional championship and advanced to play Central Jersey champion Monmouth, a 69-52 winner over Willingboro Monday, in Wednesday's Group 3 state semifinal."2005 Girls Basketball - South, Group III, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed June 21, 2007. The team won the 2005 Group III state championship with a 73-44 win in the semifinals over Monmouth Regional High School and 1 56-47 win over Northern Highlands to take the title.2005 Girls Basketball - Group III, Semis/Finals, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed June 21, 2007. The team moved on to face other state champions, and with a 47-32 win over Pascack Valley High School in the tournament semifinal, and a 64-45 win over St. John Vianney High School won the 2005 Tournament of Champions.2005 Girls Basketball - Tournament of Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed June 21, 2007.NJSIAA Girls Basketball Tournament of Champions History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020. In 2006, the team won the South, Group III sectional title with a 55-52 win against Ocean City High School in the tournament final.McCann, Sean. "Wilson overcomes mistakes, Ocean City for S.J. Group 3 title", Courier-Post, March 7, 2006. Accessed August 18, 2007. "Wilson eventually prevailed but history did not. The Tigers survived a heroic Ocean City effort to claim a 55-52 victory and their second straight South Jersey Group 3 crown."2006 Girls Basketball - South, Group III, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed August 18, 2007. The 2007 team won the South, Group III sectional championship with a 78-60 win versus runner-up Ocean City High School.2007 Girls Basketball - South, Group III, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed June 21, 2007. The team won the program's fourth state title with a 70-64 win in the 2014 Group III championship game against West Morris Central High School.Whittaker, Celeste E. "Girls’ Basketball: Woodrow Wilson wins 4th overall state crown with strong team effort", Courier-Post, March 17, 2014. Accessed November 20, 2020. "The Tigers had held on for a 70-64 victory over West Morris in the Group 3 state final, winning the program’s fourth overall state title and first since 2005."