West Side High School (New Jersey)

West Side High School is a four-year comprehensive community public high school complex in Newark, in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as part of the Newark Public Schools. The school is operated by the Newark Public Schools and is located at 279 Chancellor Avenue. The school is accredited until July 2031 and has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since April 2024.West Side High School, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed December 23, 2024.

As of the 2023–24 school year, the school had an enrollment of 621 students and 43.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 14.3:1. There were 425 students (68.4% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 58 (9.3% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.School data for West Side High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 15, 2024.

History West Side High School opened on September 14, 1925, in a building designed to provide students with classrooms, an auditorium, gyms, and other facilities, serving 520 boys and 809 girls.History of West Side, West Side High School. Accessed March 30, 2017.

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... West Side High School, Newark, NJ"

From 2014 to 2018, the West Side campus hosted two separate high school programs that operated independently but shared a facility and athletic programs: Newark Early College High School, which prepares students in grades 7–12 to complete up to 60 college-level credits during their high school careerNewark Early College (NEC), Newark Public Schools. Accessed March 29, 2017. "The mission of the Newark Early College High School is to prepare students for post-secondary academic work, with the goal of completing 30-60 credits of college before high school graduation." Newark Vocational High School prepares students in grades 9-12 for college and career options.Newark Vocational, Newark Public Schools. Accessed March 29, 2017. "The school's mission is to prepare youngsters for post-secondary education, including certificate-bearing programs, apprenticeships, and immediate productive employment."

Awards, recognition and rankings The school was the 326th-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 268th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 319th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed September 24, 2012. The magazine ranked the school 313th in 2008 out of 316 schools.Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed March 30, 2011. The school was ranked 313th 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.

West Side High School has received national attention for its community-based educational approach and commitment to student support. In recognition of these efforts, the Ellen DeGeneres Show awarded the school two $50,000 grants through the "One Million Acts of Good" campaign, highlighting Principal Akbar Cook's work to address the needs of students beyond academics.Carter, Barry. "Ellen DeGeneres really likes this N.J. principal. She just gave him another $50K check.", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, March 2, 2019. Accessed November 5, 2020.

In May 2019, Oprah Winfrey made a surprise visit to the school and announced a $500,000 gift to support the Lights On initiative, a program designed to provide students with a safe and supportive environment during evenings and weekends.Carter, Barry. "Oprah shows up to N.J. school, surprises students with $500,000 gift", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, May 18, 2019. Accessed November 5, 2020.

Athletics The West Side High School RoughridersWest Side High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. compete in the Super Essex Conference, which is comprised of public and private high schools in Essex County and was established following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by 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 2009 realignment, the team had been in the Skyline Division of the Northern Hills Conference, which included schools in Essex, Morris and Passaic counties.Falzarano, Brian. "Schools Compete in Super Essex Conference; University, West Side High schools enjoying move to competitive, re-aligned conference", Newark Patch, May 18, 2011. Accessed June 11, 2012. "Previously, West Side played in the Northern Hills Conference — Skyline Division, which featured lengthy road trips to Passaic County Tech (Wayne), Passaic Valley (Little Falls), Wayne Valley, West Milford that often took an hour-plus between distance and traffic."Home Page, Northern Hills Conference, backed up by the Internet Archive as of January 28, 2011. Accessed December 15, 2014. With 728 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.NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020. The football team competes in the Freedom 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.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 III North for football for 2024–2026, which included schools with 700 to 884 students.NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2024–2026, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.

The boys' cross country team won the Group IV state championship in 1949, 1950 (as co-champion with Asbury Park High School), 1951, 1953 and 1954.NJSIAA Boys Cross Country Group State Group Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed September 1, 2022.

The boys' track team won the Group III indoor relay state championship in 1988History of the NJSIAA Indoor Relay Championships , New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed September 1, 2022.

The boys track team won the Group II spring / outdoor track state championship in 1988 and the Group IV title in 1989.NJSIAA Spring Track Summary of Group Titles Boys, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed September 1, 2022.

The 1993 girls' basketball team won the Group III state championship with a 60–50 defeat in the tournament final of Egg Harbor Township High School, the state's top-ranked team and the group's defending champion.Girls Basketball Championship History: 1919–2024, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated March 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.via Associated Press. "West Side whips No 1 Egg Harbor in Group III final; Anthony's 25 points pace stunning upset by Roughriders.", Asbury Park Press, March 17, 1993. Accessed January 13, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Denise Anthony scored 25 points as Newark-West Side won its first New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association girls basketball championship, stunning defending champion Egg Harbor Township 60-50 in the Group III final last night at Monmouth College. The state title was the first for the Roughriders (27-3), while the loss was the first of the year for the Eagles (26-4), the No. 1-ranked team in the state, against a team from New Jersey." Entering the Tournament of Champions as the fourth-seeded team, West Side defeated number five seed Haddonfield Memorial High School by a score of 44–39 in the quarterfinals and top-seeded St. Rose High School by 48–38 in the semis before falling to second-seed St. John Vianney High School in the finals by a score of 57–43 to finish the season with a 30–4 record.NJSIAA Girls Basketball Tournament Of Champions History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.Slater, Tom. "Lady Lancers do it again; St. John Vianney bucks odds", Asbury Park Press, January 13, 2021. "John Vianney proved that winning a Tournament of Champions title is much more fun the second time around. Using their ferocious man-to-man defense, the Lady Lancers wore down Newark West Side 57-43 to win their second state title in three years in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association TOC championship yesterday.... Sophomore guard Rose Jackson, who also scored 21 points and was named most valuable player, got the assignment of shadowing slippery Newark West Side (30-4) point guard Sabriya Mitchell, who ignites the Roughriders' offense."

The football team won the 2007 North II Group III state sectional championship with a 20–0 win against South Plainfield High School in a game played at Giants Stadium, earning the team its first ever sectional title.Kinney, Mike. "Newark West Side rolls to first title, 20-0", The Star-Ledger, December 3, 2007. Accessed December 3, 2007. "That's how on-top-of-the-world West Side was feeling after its 20-0 victory over South Plainfield for the NJSIAA/Gatorade North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 championship yesterday in snowfall at Giants Stadium. It was the first championship for West Side (10-2), which became only the third Newark school to claim a crown but second in as many years."2007 Football - North II, Group III, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 3, 2007. Since 2009, the football team plays their home games at Untermann Field, which is shared with other public schools in Newark, following the closure and demolition of Newark Schools Stadium, which was constructed in 1925 and closed in 2006.Stanmyre, Matthew. "Construction of new super site finally underway at iconic Newark Schools Stadium", The Star-Ledger, July 19, 2009, updated April 1, 2019. Accessed February 28, 2021. "That finish -- projected for approximately August 2010 -- seemed like a distant thought over the past three years, as Schools Stadium withered untouched. The stadium, built in 1925, was condemned in the fall of 2006 after it was deemed unsafe for players and spectators."