Plainfield High School (New Jersey)

Infobox_School
name = Plainfield High School


imagesize =
motto =
established = 1857
grades = 9 - 12
district = Plainfield Public School District
type = Public high school
principal = Frank Ingargiola
viceprincipal = Deborah Celestand
Aurora J. Hill
John Martucci
Kevin Stansbury
Mark A. Williams
enrollment = 1,816 (as of 2005-06)
faculty = 144.0 (on FTE basis)
ratio = 12.6
teamname = Cardinals
conference = Watchung Conference
colors =
publication =
location = 950 Park Avenue
Plainfield, NJ 07060
information = 908-731-4390
website = [http://www.plainfieldnjk12.org/Schools/PHS/PHS.htm School website]
coordinates = coord|40.611948|N|74.412515|W|region:US-NJ_type:edu|display=inline,title

Plainfield High School is a comprehensive community four-year public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Plainfield, in Union County, New Jersey, United States. The school is part of the Plainfield Public School District, one of New Jersey's 31 Abbott Districts.

Plainfield High School was established in 1857, making it the second oldest high school in New Jersey.

As of the 2005-06 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,816 students and 144.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student-teacher ratio of 12.6. [http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=3413140&ID=341314005604 Plainfield High School] , National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed November 14, 2007.]

The school was the 293rd-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 316 schools statewide, in "New Jersey Monthly" magazine's September 2008 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools". The school was ranked 307th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state. [ [http://njmonthly.com/articles/towns_and_schools/highschoolrankings/top-new-jersey-high-schools-by-rank.html "Top New Jersey High Schools 2008: By Rank"] , "New Jersey Monthly", September 2008, posted August 7, 2008. Accessed August 19, 2008.]

Athletics

Plainfield High School competes in the Watchung Conference, a high school sports association that consists of public high schools covering Essex County, Hudson County and Union County in northern New Jersey. The conference operates under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).

Plainfield's football rivalry with Westfield High School dates back to 1900, making it the oldest active public high school football rivalry in the state.

The Boys' Basketball team won the 2004 North II, Group IV state sectional championship, defeating Elizabeth High School 47-42 in the final. [ [http://www.bracketmaker.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=56918&tclass=North%20II%2C%20Group%20IV 2004 Boys Basketball - North II, Group IV] , NJSIAA, accessed April 26, 2007.]

Administration

Core members of the school's administration are: [ [http://www.plainfieldnjk12.org/Schools/PHS/PHS.htm Home Page -> Contact Information] , Plainfield High School. Accessed August 26, 2008.]
*Frank Ingargiola - Principal
*Deborah Celestand - Vice Principal
*Aurora J. Hill - Vice Principal
*John Martucci - Vice Principal
*Kevin Stansbury - Vice Principal
*Mark A. Williams - Vice Principal

Notable alumni

*Ernest R. Ackerman (1863-1931), represented ushr|New Jersey|5 in the United States House of Representatives from 1919-1931. [ [http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=A000021 Ernest R. Ackerman] , "Biographical Directory of the United States Congress". Accessed August 16, 2008.]
*Joe Black (1924-2002), first black pitcher to win a World Series game, in 1952. [Goldstein, Richard. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9507EEDA1638F93BA25756C0A9649C8B63 " Joe Black, Pitching Pioneer for the Dodgers, Dies at 78"] , "The New York Times", May 18, 2002. Accessed October 8, 2007. "Black was born in Plainfield, N.J., where he was an all-around athlete in high school."] [McKenzie, Doug. [http://ebs.gmnews.com/News/2001/0207/Sports/06.html "South River’s Pearson to be inducted to N.J. Hall of Fame"] , "East Brunswick Sentinel", February 7, 2001. Accessed October 8, 2007. "Also on this year’s list of inductees are Joe Black, a Plainfield High School graduate who became the first African-American pitcher to win a World Series game"]
*Margaret Bourke-White, photographer (1906-1971). [ [http://www.temple.edu/photo/photographers/white/mbw1.html Margaret Bourke-White] , Photography at Temple University. Accessed June 21, 2007. "She grew up in Bound Brook, NJ, and graduated from Plainfield High School."]
*Taiwan Brown (born 1987), TV Personality, attended Plainfield High School for the 9th and beginning of 10th grade year. He returned after the start of 11th grade and graduated from Plainfield High School in the 12th grade.
*Milton Campbell (born 1933), Olympic Gold Decathlon winner at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. [ [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F40913FD345E177B93CAAB1789D85F478585F9 "CAMPBELL CAPTURES TWO NEWARK EVENTS"] , "The New York Times", February 28, 1953. Accessed November 6, 2007. "Milt Campbell, Plainfield High School star, won the first two events in the twenty-ninth Newark Athletic Club track and field championships today."]
*Manny Collins (born 1984) American football cornerback. [ [http://www.unioncountynj.org/news/0702hotstove.html "71st Annual Hot Stove Awards Dinner, Feb. 11, Honors Union County Athletes, Young and Old"] , Union County, New Jersey press release dated February 2, 2007. Accessed November 14, 2007. "Manny Collins was a standout at both wide receiver and defensive back for the Plainfield High School Cardinals and earned All-County, All-Conference and All-Area honors."]
*Peter Liske (born 1942), former professional football quarterback, who played in the NFL, AFL and CFL. [ [http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=LISKEPET01 Pete Liske profile] , database Football. Accessed September 8, 2007.]
*Peter McDonough (1925-1998), member of the New Jersey Senate.Fact|date=August 2008
*Adella Wotherspoon (1903-2004), youngest and longest-living survivor of the 1904 fire on the "General Slocum". After graduating from the school, she taught business administration here from 1925 to 1961. [Martin, Douglas. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9904E1D6153BF937A35751C0A9629C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all "Adella Wotherspoon, Last Survivor of General Slocum Disaster, Is Dead at 100"] , "The New York Times", February 4, 2004. Accessed August 17, 2008.]

References

External links

* [http://www.plainfieldnjk12.org/Schools/PHS/PHS.htm Plainfield High School]
* [http://www.plainfieldnjk12.org/ Plainfield Public School District]
* [http://www.plainfieldnjk12.org/Current_News/PPSNews_Taiwan_Brown.htm "Taiwan Brown"] on Plainfield Public School District website.
*NJReportCard|39|4160|0|Plainfield Public School District
* [http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_list.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=3413140 Data for the Plainfield Public School District] , National Center for Education Statistics