Voorhees High School is a four-year public high school located in Lebanon Township, named for Foster McGowan Voorhees, the 30th governor of New Jersey. It is one of two high schools in the North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades from seven municipalities in northern Hunterdon County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The school is accredited until July 2026 and has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1977.Voorhees High School, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed December 22, 2024.
Students come from the constituent municipalities of Califon, Hampton, High Bridge, Lebanon Township and Tewksbury Township.Voorhees High School 2015 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed June 3, 2016. "Voorhees High School has consistently ranked among the top high schools in New Jersey and was named a National Blue Ribbon School in 2015. With an enrollment of 1,095 students in grades 9-12, the school serves the communities of Califon, Glen Gardner, Hampton, High Bridge, Lebanon Township, and Tewksbury Township." Clinton Town and Glen Gardner residents can select either North Hunterdon or Voorhees High.
As of the 2024–25 school year, the school had an enrollment of 733 students and 73.9 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 9.92:1. There were 25 students (3.4% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 15 (2% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.School data for Voorhees High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed May 26 2026.
History Voorhees High School, constructed at a cost of $7.5 million (equivalent to $ million in ), opened for the 1975-76 school year, helping end overcrowding that necessitated split sessions at North Hunterdon High School.Bergstedt, Karen. "High cost of education chat follows tour of new school", Courier News, September 30, 1975. Accessed May 7, 2012, via Newspapers.com. "Preceding their discussion last night with school administrators on the high cost of local education, municipal leaders toured the new $7.5 million Voorhees High School that opened this month."History, North Hunterdon High School. Accessed May 7, 2022. 'In 1975, Voorhees High School was opened, and freshmen, sophomores and juniors from the four new sending districts to Voorhees left North Hunterdon High School. Prior to the opening, the 1974-75 school year was spent in split sessions." Students in the following areas, except for incoming 12th graders (seniors), were reassigned to Vorhees High: Lebanon Township, Califon, High Bridge, and Tewksbury Township. - Clipping at Newspapers.com.
The lot reserved for Voorhees High School was unusually long and narrow, which posed an engineering and design challenge. To solve this, Breslin Ridyard Fadero Architects designed the school building to be nearly in length and three stories tall."Breslin Architects- Voorhees High School". Accessed September 16, 2022. "This 280,000 sq. ft. New High School is the second High School for the North Hunterdon School District in Central New Jersey... The linear, multi-story design was developed in response to the rather long and narrow site adjacent to Voorhees State Park. Site development included athletic fields, a multipurpose stadium with grandstands, an all-weather running track, tennis courts and related parking."
In 1980, a addition was built, adding a second gymnasium and cafeteria, technology laboratories, and additional classrooms to all three floors."Breslin Architects- Voorhees High School. Accessed September 16, 2022. "A subsequent addition of 60,000 sq. ft. also designed by Breslin Ridyard Fadero Architects, provided major expansion for physical education and state-of-the-art science and technology laboratories."
Throughout the 2021-22 school year, the North Hunterdon-Voorhees High School District undertook a large solar power installation project, which was completed in November 2022. Voorhees High School's photovoltaic system totals 655.2 kilowatts."District Celebrates Completion of Solar Panel Project". Accessed December 7, 2022. "On Monday, November 21st, Board of Education members, administrators, and students gathered for a ceremonial ribbon cutting to celebrate the completion and now operational solar panel project at both of the district’s high schools.""District Celebrates Completion of Solar Panel Project". Accessed December 7, 2022. "North Hunterdon’s PV system totals 900 kW DC while the Voorhees system totals 655.2 kW DC."
Glen Gardner students were zoned only to Voorhees High until 2014 after which Clinton and Glen Gardner residents were given the option to select which high school they wished to attend.Choice of District School, North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District. Accessed October 22, 2023. "Since 2014-2015, all students who attend Clinton Public School (Town of Clinton and Glen Gardner students) can select which high school they want to attend."
Awards, recognition and rankings In 2015, Voorhees High School was one of 15 schools in New Jersey, and one of nine public schools, recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School in the exemplary high performing category by the United States Department of Education.2015 National Blue Ribbon Schools All Public and Private, National Blue Ribbon Schools Program. Accessed November 14, 2016.Mueller, Mark. "Which N.J. schools were named National Blue Ribbon schools?", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, September 29, 2015. Accessed November 14, 2016. "Fifteen New Jersey schools have been recognized by the federal government as National Blue Ribbon Schools, a designation that celebrates excellence in academics or progress in closing the achievement gap among groups of students.... Each of the 15 New Jersey schools was chosen for the 'exemplary high performing' category, which weighs state or national tests, high school graduation rates and the performance of subgroups of students, such as those who are economically disadvantaged."
In its listing of "America's Best High Schools 2016", the school was ranked 233rd out of 500 best high schools in the country; it was ranked 38th among all high schools in New Jersey and 21st among the state's non-magnet schools.Staff. "America's Best High Schools 2016" , Newsweek. Accessed November 11, 2016.
In the 2011 "Ranking America's High Schools" issue by The Washington Post, the school was ranked 24th in New Jersey and 830th nationwide.Mathews, Jay. "The High School Challenge 2011: Voorhees High School", The Washington Post. Accessed August 2, 2011. In Newsweek's May 22, 2007, issue, ranking the country's top high schools, Voorhees High School was listed in 1118th place, the 36th-highest ranked school in New Jersey."The Top of the Class: The complete list of the 1,200 top U.S. schools", Newsweek, May 22, 2007. Accessed May 24, 2007.
The school was the 43rd-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 48th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 59th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed September 7, 2012. The magazine ranked the school 41st in 2008 out of 316 schools.Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed February 11, 2011. The school was ranked 30th 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.
Schooldigger.com ranked the school tied for 83rd out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (a decrease of 40 positions from the 2010 ranking) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the mathematics (88.1%) and language arts literacy (97.0%) components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).New Jersey High School Rankings: 11th Grade HSPA Language Arts Literacy & HSPA Math 2010-2011, Schooldigger.com. Accessed March 1, 2012.
The school was the Consumer Bowl 2006 and 2007 state champion, a program that evaluates the skills of students as informed consumers.Voorhees High School Wins 2007 State Consumer Bowl Competition, New Jersey Attorney General press release dated May 22, 2007. Accessed February 27, 2008. "Voorhees High School in Glen Gardner, Hunterdon County, is the State Champion in the 11th Annual New Jersey Consumer Bowl, a quiz show-style competition that encourages students to become well-informed consumers."
The architects of Voorhees High School, Breslin Ridyard Fadero Architects, achieved a design award, "Outstanding Planning and Design", from the New Jersey Department of Education."Breslin Architects- Voorhees High School". Accessed September 16, 2022. "For this project, Breslin Architects achieved a "Design Award" from the New Jersey Department of Education for "Outstanding Planning and Design"." Additionally, in the Annual State School of the Year awards program, Voorhees High School was judged best high school because of "The simplified form of the building, restrained use of materials and color, precision detailing, the play of sun and shadow and the wonderful site and setting.""Breslin Architects- Voorhees High School". Accessed September 16, 2022. "The school was judged the best high school in the Annual State School of the Year awards program. The Awards Jury commended 'The simplified form of the building, restrained use of materials and color, precision detailing, the play of sun and shadow and the wonderful site and setting.'"
Athletics Voorhees High School VikingsVoorhees High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. compete in the Skyland Conference, which is comprised of public and private high schools in Hunterdon, Somerset and Warren counties in west central New Jersey. The conference operates under the jurisdiction 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 761 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 2A 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 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.