Summit High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school in Summit, in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades as the lone secondary school of the Summit Public Schools. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1934.Summit High School, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed April 12, 2020.
As of the 2023–24 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,176 students and 107.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.0:1. There were 154 students (13.1% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 50 (4.3% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.School data for Summit High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 15, 2024.
History The school opened in 1888 due to an increased need for a publicly operated secondary school within the City of Summit. The school's athletic teams are referred to as the Hilltoppers, though the school's actual mascot is a mountain goat wearing a Summit High School athletic jersey. The school's colors are maroon, white and gold, although for most of its history they were maroon and white.
The Velvet Underground played their first paid concert in the high school auditorium on December 11, 1965. The headlining act for that concert was a local band, The Myddle Class.Lustig, Jay. "50th anniversary for Velvet Underground’s landmark launch at Summit High School", NJArts.net, November 19, 2015. Accessed October 23, 2023. "When was alternative-rock born? To me, the answer is clear-cut. It was born with the Velvet Underground. And the Velvet Underground played their first show nearly 50 years ago — Dec. 11, 1965 — at the unlikeliest of places: The auditorium of Summit High School."McNeil, Legs and Gillian McCain. Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk. (Grove: 2006)
Athletics The Summit High School HilltoppersSummit High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. compete in the Union County Interscholastic Athletic Conference, which is comprised of public and private high schools in Union County and was established following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic AssociationLeague & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. Prior to the NJSIAA's 2010 realignment, the school had competed as part of the Iron Hills Conference, which included public and private high schools in Essex, Morris and Union counties.Home Page, Iron Hills Conference, backed up by the Internet Archive as of February 2, 2011. Accessed December 3, 2014. With 875 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 Division 3 of the Big Central Football Conference, which includes 60 public and private high schools in Hunterdon, Middlesex, Somerset, Union and Warren counties, which are broken down into 10 divisions by size and location.Kinney, Mike. "Big Central revises 2020 football schedule for its shortened inaugural season", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, August 12, 2020. Accessed April 18, 2021. "The newly formed Big Central Football Conference has released a revised 2020 schedule for its inaugural season.... the BCFC is comprised of schools from Middlesex, Union, Somerset, Hunterdon and Warren counties." 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.
Curriculum
Science
As of 2019, the general pattern for students is to study physics in ninth grade, chemistry in tenth grade, and biology in eleventh grade; these subjects can be studied at different levels, from modified to regular and to advanced/honors.
Honors and AP programs require test scores or honors applications for a student to be accepted, and students in these programs are expected to maintain a B− average or better to continue in the next year's accelerated science courses. Students in their sophomore, junior, or senior years of high school also have the option of participating in a shared-time program offered through the Union County Vocational Technical Schools (UCVTS)."FAQ: All the Answers, New Jersey Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools - 21 Counties: A World of Opportunities." New Jersey Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools - 21 Counties: A World of Opportunities. NJCCVTS, 2009. Web. 10 May 2011. <http://www.njccvts.org/faq.aspx>.
English Ninth graders have a choice of a Global Studies course which will meet for two periods each day; it teaches literacy skills with literature in a historical context and combines freshman English and world history. English 1 is also offered, as a one-period course, and it will teach literacy skills including reading and writing and focuses on putting text in a thematic or literary context. The choice of which course to take should be based on a student's learning style; the Global Studies course will have more interaction and cooperative-based learning. School authorities decided to eliminate ninth grade English honors in 2009.
Journalism is taught as an elective one-semester course and includes entry-level exposure to the SHS student newspaper. Honors and AP courses are open by application to students in grades 11 and 12. And a course in public speaking will be replaced by a course entitled "21st century media and communications." Among the retirees include English teacher novelist Robert Kaplow whose bestselling novel Me and Orson Welles was made into a film.
Mathematics The department offers a two-year algebra program. School board officials suggested that a two-year algebra sequence will lead to "increased participation and greater success," and was phased in from 2010 through 2012.
Students who progress quickly have an opportunity to take Advanced Placement (AP) courses such as AP Calculus AB or BC. The highest level course is Multivariable Calculus. In addition, electives such as Personal Finance, AP Statistics, AP Computer Science A, and AP Computer Science Principles are offered.
Rankings
The school was the 38th-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".Staff. "Top Schools Alphabetical List 2014", New Jersey Monthly, September 2, 2014. Accessed September 5, 2014. The school had been ranked 15th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 25th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed September 12, 2012. The magazine ranked the school 22nd in 2008 out of 316 schools.Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed February 1, 2011. The school was ranked 20th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which included 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.
In the 2011 "Ranking America's High Schools" issue by The Washington Post, the school was ranked 17th in New Jersey and 687th nationwide.Mathews, Jay. "The High School Challenge 2011: Summit High School", The Washington Post. Accessed July 27, 2011. The school was ranked 419th in Newsweek's 2009 ranking of the top 1,500 high schools in the United States and was the ninth-ranked school in New Jersey. The school was ranked 441st nationwide in 2008.Staff. "The Top of the Class: The complete list of the 1,500 top U.S. high schools", Newsweek, June 8, 2009. Accessed June 10, 2009.
In its 2013 report on "America's Best High Schools", The Daily Beast ranked the school 461st in the nation among participating public high schools and 38th among schools in New Jersey.Streib, Lauren. "America's Best High Schools", The Daily Beast, May 6, 2013. Accessed May 9, 2013. The school was ranked 251st in the nation and 22nd in New Jersey on the list of "America's Best High Schools 2012" prepared by The Daily Beast and Newsweek.Staff. "America's Best High Schools 2012", The Daily Beast / Newsweek, May 20, 2012. Accessed May 23, 2012.
In its listing of "America's Best High Schools 2016", the school was ranked 76th out of 500 best high schools in the country; it was ranked 16th among all high schools in New Jersey and fourth among the state's non-magnet schools.Staff. "America's Best High Schools 2016", Newsweek. Accessed November 11, 2016.
Administration The school's principal is Stacy Grimaldi. Her core administration team includes the two assistant principals.Home Page, Summit High School. Accessed December 22, 2024.
Notable alumni
Michael Badgley (born 1995), football placekicker for the Detroit Lions of the National Football LeagueMichael Badgley, Miami Hurricanes football. Accessed October 14, 2018. "Hometown: Summit, N.J.; High School: Summit Senior" Anthony James Barr (born 1940), creator of the SAS Language and co-founder of SAS Institute Mark Berson (born 1953), men's soccer coach at the University of South CarolinaMark Berson profile, CSTV. Accessed November 5, 2007. "A 1971 graduate of Summit (N.J.) High School, Berson attended the University of North Carolina and received his Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism in 1975." Marshall Curry (born , class of 1988), documentary filmmaker Academy Award-winning director, producer, cinematographer and editor whose films include The Neighbors' Window, Street Fight, Racing Dreams, If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front and Point and ShootCahillane, Kevin. "In Person: The Smartest Guy in Summit?", The New York Times. March 5, 2006. Accessed October 14, 2018. "So, for one night at least -- the Oscars are Sunday night -- Summit will be in the spotlight as Mr. Gibney joins Marshall Curry (Summit High School class of 1988 and director of the film "Street Fight," about the 2002 Newark mayoral election) as an Academy Award nominee in the Best Feature Documentary category." Vicky Dawson (born 1961), film and television actressJones, Joyce. "Actress At Early Age", Daily Record, May 1, 1977. accessed December 4, 2025, via Newspapers.com. "Actress Vicky Dawson's blonde hair almost reaches the waist of her 5 foot 6 body. As she walks briskly down the corridor of Summit High School, she draws glances from boys who are trying to maintain a casual air." Mark Di Ionno (born 1956), journalist and writer"What Drew You Into Journalism?", CivicStory, April 22, 2015. Accessed November 29, 2020. "Mark Di Ionno is a lifetime newspaperman and a 2013 Pulitzer Prize finalist in news commentary, primarily for his work on Hurricane Sandy.... He is a graduate of Summit High School, a veteran of the U.S. Navy and father of six."