Delaware Valley Regional High School

Delaware Valley Regional High School is a regional, four-year public high school and school district, that serves students in western Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. The high school is located in Alexandria Township. Students hail from the townships of Alexandria, Holland and Kingwood along with the boroughs of Frenchtown and Milford.[6][7][8][9]

Delaware Valley Regional High School
Address
19 Senator Stout Road
Frenchtown
, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, New Jersey, 08825
United States
District information
Grades9th-12th
SuperintendentDaria Wasserbach[1]
Business administratorTeresa Barna[1]
Schools1
Students and staff
Enrollment728 (as of 2018–19)[2]
Faculty68.4 FTEs[2]
Student–teacher ratio10.6:1[2]
Other information
District Factor GroupGH
Websitewww.dvrhs.org
Ind.Per pupilDistrict
spending		Rank
(*)		9-12
average		%± vs.
average
1ATotal Spending$19,79117$18,8914.8%
1Budgetary Cost16,3352615,5924.8%
2Classroom Instruction8,659218,807−1.7%
6Support Services3,001402,29430.8%
8Administrative Cost1,609211,5921.1%
10Operations & Maintenance1,708121,954−12.6%
13Extracurricular Activities1,3574587355.4%
16Median Teacher Salary63,4251471,726
Data from NJDoE 2014 Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending.[3]
*Of 9-12 districts with any number of students. Lowest spending=1; Highest=47
Delaware Valley Regional High School
Location
Coordinates40.561579°N 75.009449°W / 40.561579; -75.009449
Information
TypePublic high school
Motto"To enrich the lives of all students through exceptional education as per NJ core content standards"
NCES School ID3403750[2]
PrincipalAdrienne Olcott[4]
Faculty68.4 FTEs[2]
Grades9-12
Enrollment721 (as of 2018–19)[2]
Student to teacher ratio10.5:1[2]
Color(s)  Navy blue and
  gold[5]
Athletics conferenceSkyland Conference
Team nameTerriers[5]

As of the 2018–19 school year, the school had an enrollment of 721 students and 68.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.5:1. There were 31 students (4.3% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 19 (2.6% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.[2]

The district is classified by the New Jersey Department of Education as being in District Factor Group "GH", the third-highest of eight groupings. District Factor Groups organize districts statewide to allow comparison by common socioeconomic characteristics of the local districts. From lowest socioeconomic status to highest, the categories are A, B, CD, DE, FG, GH, I and J.[10]

Awards, recognition and rankings

The school was the 140th-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.[11] The school had been ranked 131st in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 88th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.[12] The magazine ranked the school 83rd in 2008 out of 316 schools.[13] The school was ranked 80th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which included 316 schools across the state.[14] Schooldigger.com ranked the school 180th out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (a decrease of 81 positions from the 2010 ranking) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the mathematics (79.4%) and language arts literacy (93.3%) components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).[15]

Athletics

The Delaware Valley Regional High School Terriers[5] compete in the Skyland Conference, which operates under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).[16] With 509 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.[17] The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Group II South for football for 2018–2020.[18]

The Del Val wrestling team has had eight individual state champions and 33 individual state placewinners.[19] The team has been the Central Jersey Group II sectional champion 16 times, won two sectional titles in North II Group I, and has won the New Jersey Group II state championship in 1984, 1985, 1987-1990 and 2017. The program's eight state titles are tied for ninth-most in the state.[20]

The softball team finished the 1985 season with a 25-2 record afeter defeating Jefferson Township High School by a score of 3-1 in the final of the playoffs to win the Group II state championship.[21][22]

The 2000 football team made it to the playoffs for the first time in school history, and posted the up-to-then best record while making it to the semi-final playoff game vs. Manasquan High School where they lost 40-0. The football team made it to the 2007 Central Jersey Group II state sectional tournament, falling to Carteret High School by a score of 13-7.[23] The football team also earned the region title in 2011 and made it to the semi-final round in the state playoffs.

In 2002, the Delaware Valley girls' soccer program won the school's only state championship, led by senior striker Cathy Abel who scored 36 goals while finishing her career with a school-record 82 goals and 52 assists. The team posted a record of 20 wins, 2 losses, and 3 draws on the way to winning the Hunterdon/Warren County Tournament Championship, the Central Jersey Group II Sectional Championship and shared the Group II state championship after a scoreless tie with Indian Hills High School.[24][25]

The school's boys' and girls' cross-country teams have achieved success in the past few decades. In 2008 the boys' and girls' cross country teams won the Skyland Conference Raritan Division, the boys finishing 9-0 and the girls 7-0. Also in 2008 Julia Mark and Emma Giantisco placed 1st and 3rd at the Group II State Meet and 9th and 15th at the Meet of Champions. In 2009 under former Del Val grad and former boys' assistant coach for the past few years, Dave Giantisco, the Boys' XC Team went undefeated 10-0 bringing its dual meet streak to 20-0. The team won the CJ Group II title for the first time since 1986, placed 2nd at the Group II State Meet and placed 12th at the Meet of Champs. This was the first time the Del Val Boys' team made MoCs since 1975. In 2010, the team extended their dual meet streak to 26-0, won the CJ Group II title again, and took 3rd at Groups, qualifying them for MoCs for back to back years.

The Delaware Valley Regional High School cheerleading team has become one of the most recognized teams in the state and nation. They compete every year in the UCA National Cheerleading Competition in Orlando, Florida. The 2012-2013 team won the National Cheerleading Championship.[26] The 2011-2012 team ended the season with a 5th-place ranking in the UCA National High School Cheerleading championships as well as two New Jersey state championships in Medium Varsity and Group II. The 2010-2011 team was ranked 8th in the nation at the NHSCC. Their 2008-09 varsity team earned a 5th-place ranking at the UCA Nationals, as well as 1st place in The Garden State Open. They have also earned the NJ State Medium Varsity Champions for the 2006–07 and the 2007-2008 seasons. The team earned the Group II state championship title in 2003.[27]

In 2016, the top-ranked Delaware Valley baseball team defeated third-ranked Delran High School in the final game of the South Jersey Group II state sectional tournament by a score of 3-1, earning the program's first sectional title since 1959, advancing them to the Group II state semi-final game against West Deptford High School.[28]

Superintendent controversy

During the 2007-08 school year, the Del Val Superintendent, Dr. Walsh, was accused of embezzling money from the school. After a trial that lasted over a year, he was imprisoned. The Superintendent who followed, Dr. Elizabeth Nastus, made an announcement during the 2008-09 school year addressing this the day after he pleaded guilty of embezzlement of $90,000 to the district courts.[29] The funds were insured through the state, and were later documented and recovered at no cost to local taxpayers.[30]

Administration

Core administration members are: [31]

  • Daria Wasserbach, Superintendent[1]
  • Teresa E. Barna, School Business Administrator / Board Secretary[1]
  • Adrienne Olcott, Principal[4]

Board of Education

The district's board of education is comprised of nine members who set policy and oversee the fiscal and educational operation of the district through its administration. As a Type II school district, the board's trustees are elected directly by the voters in the constituent municipalities to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with three seats up for election each year held (since 2012) as part of the November general election. The board appoints a superintendent to oversee the day-to-day operation of the district.[32][33] The nine seats on the board are allocated based on population so that three members are elected from Holland Township, two each from both Alexandria Township and Kingwood Township, and one each from both Frenchtown and Milford.[34][35]

The district is funded based on the equalized valuation of real property in all of the constituent municipalities. Representatives from Alexandria Township, Kingwood Township and Milford had argued that the each municipality should pay taxes commensurate with the district's cost per pupil multiplied by the number of students sent from each community.[36][37]

References
  1. District Administration, Delaware Valley Regional High School. Accessed November 17, 2020.
  2. School data for Delaware Valley Regional High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2020.
  3. Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending April 2013, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 15, 2013.
  4. School Administration, Delaware Valley Regional High School. Accessed November 17, 2020.
  5. Delaware Valley Regional High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  6. Delaware Valley Regional Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Delaware Valley Regional High School. Accessed May 2, 2020. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades nine through twelve in the Delaware Valley Regional High School District. Composition: The Delaware Valley Regional High School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Alexandria Township, Frenchtown Borough, Holland Township, Kingwood Township, and Milford Borough."
  7. Delaware Valley Regional School District 2015 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed June 6, 2016. "The Delaware Valley Regional High School District can be found in the heart of pastoral and beautiful Hunterdon County, New Jersey. The District serves students in grades nine through twelve who reside in the five municipalities that comprise our region: Alexandria Township, Frenchtown Borough, Holland Township, Kingwood Township, and Milford Borough."
  8. About Us, Delaware Valley Regional High School District. Accessed June 6, 2016. "The Delaware Valley Regional High School District can be found in the heart of pastoral and beautiful Hunterdon County, New Jersey. The District serves students in grades nine through twelve who reside in the five municipalities that comprise our region: Alexandria Township, Frenchtown Borough, Holland Township, Kingwood Township, and Milford Borough."
  9. Chief School Administrators/Sending Districts, Hunterdon County, New Jersey Superintendent of Schools. Accessed June 6, 2016.
  10. NJ Department of Education District Factor Groups (DFG) for School Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed November 19, 2014.
  11. Staff. "Top Schools Alphabetical List 2014", New Jersey Monthly, September 2, 2014. Accessed September 5, 2014.
  12. Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed August 25, 2012.
  13. Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed March 21, 2011.
  14. "Top New Jersey High Schools 2008: By Rank", New Jersey Monthly, September 2008, posted August 7, 2008. Accessed August 19, 2008.
  15. School Overview; Click on "Rankings" for 2003-11 HSPA results, Schooldigger.com. Accessed March 7, 2012.
  16. League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021 Accessed October 20, 2020.
  17. NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  18. NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2018–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, finalized August 2019. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  19. Delaware Valley Wrestling
  20. NJSIAA Wrestling Team Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  21. NJSIAA Softball Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  22. "Saddle Brook beaten in final, 13-12", The Record, June 10, 1985. Accessed November 17, 2020. "Group 2 Nancy LaFevre's two-run single in the fifth inning broke a 1-1 tie and lifted Delaware Valley (25-2) to a 3-1 win over Jefferson Township (22-4)."
  23. 2007 Football - Central, Group II, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 20, 2008.
  24. NJSIAA History of Girls Soccer, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  25. Staff. "Girls' teams share titles", Asbury Park Press, November 24, 2002. Accessed September 21, 2011. "After playing 100 minutes of scoreless soccer, Delaware Valley (20-2-3) and Indian Hills (18-3-1) shared the Group II championship."
  26. Conover, Allan. "Delaware Valley High cheerleaders claim national crown", Hunterdon County Democrat, February 21, 2013, updated August 4, 2016. " Delaware Valley High's squad gathers around its first-place trophy after winning in Medium Varsity Division 2 during the UCA National High School Cheerleading Championships in Orlando, Fla."
  27. "Central cheerleaders win state group 4 crown ", New Jersey Hills Media Group, March 19, 2003. Accessed November 6, 2017. "In a strong showing by the Skyland Conference, the Delaware Valley High School Varsity squad captured the State Group 2 title, and the Phillipsburg High School Varsity won the State Group 3 championship."
  28. Craig, Kyle. "Party like it's 1959: Del Val baseball ends sectional title drought", Express-Times, June 3, 2016. Accessed November 6, 2017. "And now, he's got Delaware Valley Regional High School's baseball team partying like it's 1959. The senior pitcher tossed a complete game as the top-seeded Terriers defeated No. 3 Delran 3-1 in the NJSIAA Central Group 2 final on Friday to capture their first sectional title in 57 years. Delaware Valley (18-5) advances to the Group 2 semifinals, where it will meet West Deptford 4 p.m. Tuesday at Rowan College at Gloucester County."
  29. Ryan, Joe. "School superintendent admits he stole from Delaware Valley Regional", The Star-Ledger, January 8, 2009. Accessed March 20, 2011.
  30. Wojcik, Sarah M. "Delaware Valley Regional High School finishes audits, finds $115,916 missing during former business administrator's tenure", The Express-Times, November 5, 2010. Accessed May 26, 2016. "Nastus said now that the $115,916 of stolen funds is documented, the school district can recover the money at no cost to the taxpayers. This is possible because Walsh took the monies while he was working as a business administrator, and the money was insured with the state, she said."
  31. New Jersey School Directory for Hunterdon County, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 29, 2016.
  32. New Jersey Boards of Education by District Election Types - 2018 School Election, New Jersey Department of Education, updated February 16, 2018. Accessed January 26, 2020.
  33. Comprehensive Annual Financial Report of the Delaware Valley Regional High School District, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2012. Accessed January 27, 2020. "The District is a Type II district located in the County of Hunterdon, State of New Jersey. As a Type II district, the School District functions independently through a Board of Education. The Board is comprised of nine members elected to three-year-terms. The purpose of the district is to educate students in Grades 9-12. The District serves the communities of Alexandria Township, Frenchtown Borough, Holland Township, Kingwood Township and Milford Borough (the constituent districts)."
  34. Board of Education Members, Delaware Valley Regional High School. Accessed January 27, 2020.
  35. Delaware Valley Regional High School District-Holland Twp, Vote411.org. Accessed May 4, 2020. "Delaware Valley Regional High School is serves students from five local school districts: Alexandria Township, Holland Township, Kingwood Township, Borough of Milford, and Borough of Frenchtown. The Delaware Valley Regional School District Board of Education consists of nine members elected by the constituents of the participating municipalities: three representatives from Holland Township, two representatives each from Alexandria Township and Kingwood Township, and one representative each from the Borough of Milford and the Borough of Frenchtown."
  36. Kiriluk-Hill, Renée. "Per-pupil versus property wealth: Regional school tax formula debated in Delaware Valley High district", Hunterdon County Democrat, June 5, 2012, updated March 30, 2019. Accessed January 27, 2020. "Holland Township and Frenchtown support the current formula, which relies mostly upon the equalized valuation of property within each municipality to decide its share of the high school tax levy. But local government bodies in Alexandria and Kingwood townships and Milford think that a per-pupil formula would 'fairly distribute the cost' to each municipality.... On the high school board, Holland Township and Frenchtown representatives represent four of nine votes, with three from Holland and one from Frenchtown. The other five seats on the regional school board are held by residents of Alexandria and Kingwood townships and Milford."
  37. Kiriluk-Hill, Renée. "Voters in Delaware Valley High District will decide per-pupil versus property wealth tax formula", Hunterdon County Democrat, June 27, 2012, updated March 30, 2019. Accessed January 27, 2020. "Voters in November will get to decide whether taxes to support Delaware Valley High School should be divvied up based upon enrollment or property values. The school's Board of Education voted 5-4 on Monday to send the issue to voters. Dissenting were the three representatives from Holland Township, mirroring a decision by the Township Committee to oppose a switch to a per-pupil tax formula."
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