The Coles High School Program (formerly known as Cherry Hill Alternative High School or Estelle Malberg Alternative High School) is an alternative public high school in Cherry Hill in Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, for students who need behavioral and emotional support.
Starting in the 2024–25 school year, the Cherry Hill Alternative High School was moved from the Lewis Administration Building and renamed as the Coles High School Program, operated as a school-within-a-school at Cherry Hill High School East.Liu, Emily. "District announces new location for alternative high school Program to be relocated to Cherry Hill East this fall", Cherry Hill News, April 2, 2024. Accessed September 14, 2025. "The Cherry Hill board of education has announced that Coles Alternative High School program will move from the Lewis Administration Building to East High as “a school within a school” beginning in the fall.... A school within a school is defined as having 30 to 250 students, a separate administrator or teacher in charge, and a space specifically dedicated to it within another public school."
History The Estelle Malberg facility was built in 1969 and was originally an early childhood center, then became an alternative high school in 1997.Brenowitz, Stephanie. "Cherry Hill Tries In-school Program For Problem Pupils Disruptive Students Will Attend Special Classes. They Will Receive Behavior Modification Counseling.", The Philadelphia Inquirer, August 31, 1997, backed up by the Internet Archive as of October 28, 2011. Accessed October 21, 2016. Malberg, as it is commonly known to most Cherry Hill residents, is also the location of the Cherry Hill Public Schools administration building, which was previously at the Rosa Administration Building (formerly Heritage Middle School until 1985 and was renamed Rosa International Middle School in 1999).
As of the 2023–24 school year, the school had an enrollment of 32 students and 8.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 4.0:1. There were 11 students (34.4% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 1 (3.1% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.School data for Alternative High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 15, 2024.
Awards, rankings and recognition The school was recognized as a New Jersey School of Character in 2013 and as a National School of Character in 2014 by the Character Education Partnership.2016 New Jersey Schools of Character Ceremony , New Jersey Alliance for Social, Emotional, and Character Development. Accessed October 21, 2016.Cherry Hill Alternative High School, Character Education Partnership. Accessed October 21, 2016.
References
External links
School website
Cherry Hill Alternative High School, National Center for Education Statistics