Trenton Central High School

Trenton Central High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Trenton, in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Trenton Public Schools.

For other schools with similar names, see Trenton High School (disambiguation).

Trenton Central High School
Address
400 Chambers Street

Trenton
,
Mercer County
,
New Jersey
08609

United States
Coordinates40.218986°N 74.744269°W / 40.218986; -74.744269
Information
TypePublic high school
School districtTrenton Public Schools
NCES School ID3416290[1]
PrincipalHope Grant
Faculty146.7 FTEs[1]
Grades9-12
Enrollment1,818 (as of 2018–19)[1]
Student to teacher ratio12.4:1[1]
Color(s)  Black and
  red[2]
Athletics conferenceColonial Valley Conference
Team nameTornadoes[2]
Websitewww.trentonk12.org/tchsmaincampus_home.aspx

As of the 2018–19 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,818 students and 146.7 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.4:1. There were 1,243 students (68.4% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 80 (4.4% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.[1]

Trenton Central High School was the focus of a research study aimed at preventing obesity in students, in which student evaluations of the results played a major role in interpretation of the outcomes.[3]

Awards, recognition and rankings

The school was the 333rd-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.[4]

Schooldigger.com ranked the school 372nd out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (a decrease of 14 positions from the 2010 ranking) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the mathematics (22.9%) and language arts literacy (60.2%) components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).[5]

History

In the late 1920s the Trenton Board of Education acquired one of the last undeveloped tracts in the city: the 36-acre (150,000 m2) Chambers Farm, then used as a nursery. The new high school would be the city's third, replacing the then existing high school at Chestnut and Hamilton Avenues built in 1900, which in turn replaced the first high school on Mercer Street built in 1874.

Trenton Central High School (TCHS) opened on January 4, 1932, and was dedicated on January 18 at ceremonies attended by 5,000 people. Hailed as "an ornament to the city" and "one of the show places of Trenton," TCHS was one of the largest and most expensive high schools built in the country. The Chambers Street façade stretches for almost 1,000 feet (300 m), nearly as long as the Empire State Building is tall. The cost of the building, including land and furniture, totaled $3.3 million. Most firms involved in the construction were based in Trenton, including John A. Roebling's Sons who provided "Jersey" wire lath to fireproof the ceilings and walls. After over 80 years, the 1932 building was demolished, and replaced by a new school building opening in September 2019.

Academics

Trenton Central High School is divided into Small Learning Communities (SLCs) that span across three separate sites throughout the city of Trenton. The Chambers Campus, located on Chambers Street, houses five communities: Applied Science and Engineering, Media Technology, Performing Arts, Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism, and Business, Computer, Technology Design. The North Campus is located on N. Clinton Avenue and is home to the Medical Arts community. The West Campus sits on West State Street in the building that was formerly the home of the Arthur J. Holland Middle School. Three communities reside there: Law and Justice, Renaissance, and Business and Finance.

Athletics

The Trenton Central High School Tornadoes[2] compete in the Colonial Valley Conference, which consists of public and private high schools located in Mercer County, Monmouth County and Middlesex County, operating under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).[6] With 2,424 students in grades 10–12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Group IV for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 1,060 to 5,049 students in that grade range.[7] The football team competes in the Capitol Division of the 95-team West Jersey Football League superconference[8][9] and was classified by the NJSIAA as Group V South for football for 2018–2020.[10]

The boys' basketball team has won seven Group IV state titles: in 1927 vs. Passaic High School, in 1928 vs. New Brunswick High School, in both 1932 and 1933 vs. South Side High School, in 1934 vs. Union Hill High School, in 1935 vs. New Brunswick High School and in 1961 vs. Camden High School.[11] In 1961, Tal Brody led the undefeated boys' basketball team to a 24–0 record and a New Jersey state championship in his senior year, as he was voted a New Jersey basketball All Star and selected to the first team Newark Star-Ledger All-State Team. Brody, though later drafted # 12 in the NBA draft, passed up an NBA career to play in Israel.[12][13][14] The team won the Central Jersey Group IV sectional championship in 2003 with a 54–40 win over Old Bridge High School.[15]

The boys' cross country team won the all groups state championship in 1941, 1942 and 1945.[16]

The boys' soccer team was awarded the Group IV state championship in 1946 and 1949, and won the Group IV state championship in 1961 (vs. Bloomfield High School), 1963 (vs. Teaneck High School) and 1964 (vs. East Side High School).[17]

The baseball team won the Central Jersey Group IV state sectional championship in 1962, 1964 and 1965, and won the South Jersey Group IV title in 1965.[18]

The boys' track team won the Group IV indoor relay state championship in 1977–1979, 1981 (as co-champion with Plainfield High School), 1984, 1986 (as co-champion with Edgewood Regional High School), 2007, 2008 (as co-champion with Hillsborough High School) and 2012; the program's seven state titles are tied for fourth-most in the state. The girls' team won the Group IV title in 2000–2002.[19]

The boys track team won the winter track Meet of Champions in 1977 and 1978.[20]

The girls' basketball team won the Group IV state championships in 2002 vs. Morristown High School, in 2007 vs. Eastside High School (Paterson, New Jersey) and in 2008 vs. John F. Kennedy High School (Paterson, New Jersey).[21] The team won the 2007 Central Jersey Group IV state sectional title with a 51–24 win against Howell High School.[22] The team moved on to win the 2007 Group IV state championship, defeating Eastside High School 52-44 for the title.[23]

Extracurricular activities

The Tornadoes 381 FIRST robotics team, from the Applied Engineering & Science Academy, is sponsored by Bristol Myers Squibb, Sarnoff Corporation and Princeton University. The Team 381 Tornadoes were the 2004 Philadelphia Regional Winner in the FIRST Robotics Competition.[24] In 2008, the Tornados became the Trenton Regional Winners.

The school includes a military program called United States Army ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Corps).

Administration

The school's principal is Hope Grant. Her core administration team includes five vice principals.[25]

Notable faculty
  • Joey Fink (born 1951), former professional soccer player, now teaching health and phys ed.[26]

Notable alumni
Tal Brody

References
  1. School data for Trenton Central High School - Main Campus, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2020.
  2. Trenton Central High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  3. The Trenton Central High School Obesity Prevention Project: Encouraging Democracy Through Inclusion. Accessed November 13, 2006.
  4. Staff. "Top Schools Alphabetical List 2014", New Jersey Monthly, September 2, 2014. Accessed September 5, 2014.
  5. School Overview; Click on "Rankings" for 2010-11 HSPA results, Schooldigger.com. Accessed June 14, 2012.
  6. League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  7. NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  8. Divisions, West Jersey Football League. Accessed September 5, 2020.
  9. Minnick, Kevin. "Football: Entering 10th season, a new leader for state’s second-largest conference", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, August 8, 2019. Accessed September 5, 2020. "The WJFL was created in 2010 as a way to help teams play a full schedule and face opponents of similar size, ability and geographical location.... The league is comprised of 16 divisions and includes better than 90 high schools."
  10. NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2018–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, finalized August 2019. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  11. NJSIAA Boys Basketball Championsship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed September 1, 2020.
  12. Staff. "Tal Brody returns to basketball home, A Trenton High star who became a star in Israel leads students on a U.S. exhibition tour.", The Philadelphia Inquirer, October 13, 2006. Accessed June 3, 2016.
  13. Staff. "NBA Takes Back Seat to Nationalism for Maccabi's Brody", Los Angeles Daily News, October 4, 1990. Accessed February 7, 2017. "When Tal Brody was just 10 years old he spent much of his time bouncing a basketball around the Trenton, N.J., Community Center. Now, some years later, he is known as Mr. Basketball in Israel. In between? He was a member of Trenton Central High's undefeated state champions, and an all-star."
  14. Hoffman, Gil. "Tal Brody, basketball superstar, wants to lead Likud to victory", New Jersey Jewish News, August 30, 2007. Accessed February 7, 2017. "When they played a game at Princeton University, Brody received a surprise visit from his Trenton Central High School basketball coach Fred Price (Brody's team when he was a senior in 1961 had a 24-0 record, winning the NJ high school championship)."
  15. 2003 Boys Basketball – Central, Group IV, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 30, 2007.
  16. NJSIAA Girls Cross Country State Group Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  17. NJSIAA History of Boys Soccer, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  18. NJSIAA Baseball Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  19. History of the NJSIAA Indoor Relay Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed September 1, 2020.
  20. NJSIAA Winter Track Previous Team Meet of Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 1, 2020.
  21. NJSIAA Girls Basketball Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  22. 2007 Girls Basketball – Central, Group IV, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed July 24, 2007.
  23. 2007 Girls Basketball – Public Group Semis/Finals, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, May 9, 2007.
  24. Tornadoes 381 Archived September 26, 2006, at the Wayback Machine. Accessed November 13, 2006.
  25. Leadership Team, Trenton Central High School. Accessed January 26, 2020.
  26. Tarr, Mary Ann. "'Mooch' soccer has big plans for Trenton", The Times (Trenton), June 27, 2007. Accessed July 27, 2007. "Fink is a health, physical education and driver's ed teacher at Trenton High School's campus on North Clinton Avenue.
  27. Livingston, Guy. "George Antheil's Childhood in Trenton", Neue Zeitschrift für Musik, September 2001. Accessed May 6, 2008. "In the winter of 1918, George flunked out of Trenton Central High School in the midst of his Senior year."
  28. Johnson, Eric A.; and Hermann, Anna. "The Last Flight From Tallinn", Foreign Service Journal, May 2007. Accessed August 1, 2019. "Henry Antheil Jr. was born in 1912 in Trenton, N.J., one of four children to Henry William Antheil, owner of a shoe store, and his wife Wilhemine Huse, both Lutheran immigrants from Germany.... We do know that Henry enrolled at Rutgers University in the fall of 1931, after graduating from Trenton Central High School, where he studied German and served as vice president of the public speaking club."
  29. Horvitz, Peter S.; and Horvitz, Joachim. "The Big Book of Jewish Baseball: An Illustrated Encyclopedia & Anecdotal History", p. 27. SP Books, 2001. ISBN 1-56171-973-0. Accessed January 22, 2011.
  30. Elvin Bethea Archived September 30, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, database Football. Accessed November 26, 2007.
  31. "Mike Bloom: Unheralded Trenton Basketball Player", Trenton Jewish Historical Society, July 27, 2016. Accessed August 1, 2019. "He led Trenton Central High School to three state championships (1932-1934)."
  32. Staff. "Tal Brody returns to basketball home, A Trenton High star who became a star in Israel leads students on a U.S. exhibition tour.", The Philadelphia Inquirer, October 13, 2006. Accessed January 25, 2011.
  33. Modica, Glenn R. "Trenton High past and present", Trenton Downtowner, April 2005. Accessed May 6, 2008. "TCHS has had no shortage of famous alumni who could fill the niches, including composer and pianist George Antheil, tenor Richard Crooks and baseball players George Case and Al Downing."
  34. Porter, David L. Biographical Dictionary of American Sports: A-F, p. 230. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2000. ISBN 9780313311741. Accessed August 1, 2019. "Case, George Washington, Jr.... His older half brother, William Clifford, encouraged him to participate in basketball and baseball at Trenton Central High School and Peddie School, where he graduated in 1936."
  35. Kelly, Jacques. "Mathias J. DeVito, former Rouse Co. leader, dies", The Baltimore Sun, July 29, 2019. Accessed August 1, 2019. "He was a 1948 graduate of Trenton Central High School and earned an English degree at the University of Maryland, College Park."
  36. Cheers, D. Michael. "Mayor of 'The Big Apple': 'nice guy' image helps David N. Dinkins in building multi-ethnic, multiracial coalition – New York City", Ebony (magazine), February 1990. Accessed September 4, 2008. "Known affectionately as 'Dink' while growing up, Dinkins was class president (1943) at Trenton High School and graduated in the top 10 of his class, where he studied Latin and advanced math."
  37. John David Easton '55, Princeton Alumni Weekly. Accessed August 1, 2019. "John Easton died of melanoma July 28, 2001, at the Medical Center in Princeton. Born in Trenton, he was a longtime Hopewell Township resident. John came to Princeton from Trenton Central HS, where he was an outstanding athlete and active in student government."
  38. Fisher, Rich. "Grant and Bannon remember historic run", The Trentonian, January 16, 2014. Accessed April 6, 2016. "Grant enjoyed a successful career at TCHS and then went to play at Morris Brown College in Atlanta."
  39. Mel Groomes, Pro-Football-Reference.com. Accessed August 1, 2019. "High School: Trenton Central (NJ)"
  40. via Associated Press. "Harry Heher, Ex‐Jersey Justice And Democratic Chairman, Dies", The New York Times, October 19, 1972. Accessed Aigist 1, 2019. "Mr. Heher achieved his post on the state's high court without attending law school. He graduated from Trenton High School in 1907, and, as was the practice then, read law with a Trenton lawyer instead of attending law school."
  41. Holt, Bob. "Security for Jay-Z and Beyonce's baby, Blue Ivy Carter, upset hospital visitors", NewJerseyNewsroom.com, January 9, 2012. Accessed July 26, 2012. "She and Jay-Z, who went to Trenton Central High School in his youth, rented out Lenox Hill's whole fourth floor at a cost of $1.3 million."
  42. "Michael Joseph Kearns '51". Princeton Alumni Review. March 17, 2009. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  43. Laurie, Maxine N.; and Mappen, Marc; Encyclopedia of New Jersey: Rutgers University Press; 2004/2005. "Kovacs, Ernest Edward", p. 444.
  44. Piehler, Kurt; and Marley, Lynn. Kroesen, Frederick, Rutgers University Oral History Archives, March 16, 1998. Accessed May 4, 2020. "When I was ten-years-old, we moved to Eggerts Road in, what is now, Lawrenceville.... I was in Trenton Central High School, as a senior, and she came as a sophomore that year. We only had three grades in Trenton High, in those days."
  45. Pace, Eric. "Joseph Merlino, 76, Trenton Political Figure", The New York Times, October 9, 1998. Accessed August 1, 2019. "But the burly, cigar-loving Mr. Merlino was modest about his skills. 'I was the best D student to graduate from Trenton High School,' he claimed in a widely quoted interview two decades ago."
  46. Fleming, John. "Gentlemen of the Old School". Gladly Lerne, Gladly Teche. Retrieved April 13, 2011.
  47. Johnson, Greg. "Trenton Central grad Keith Newell returns to Sun National Bank Center with Philadelphia Soul", The Trentonian, June 9, 2016. Accessed August 1, 2019. "The nostalgia washes over Keith Newell as he paces the turf on the floor of Sun National Bank Center, completing a two-hour walkthrough with the Arena Football League’s Philadelphia Soul.... Newell graduated Trenton Central High School here in 2007, back when it was still called Sovereign Bank Arena."
  48. Johnson, Brent. "Meet N.J.'s newest Assembly member", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, February 15, 2018. Accessed February 15, 2018. "Reynolds-Jackson is a graduate of Trenton Central High School and has a bachelor's degree in sociology from Trenton State College -- now the College of New Jersey -- and a master's degree in administration from Central Michigan University."
  49. Sido L. Ridolfi '36, Princeton Alumni Weekly, October 6, 2004, backed up by the Internet Archive as of August 3, 2010. Accessed August 1, 2019. "A graduate of Trenton [N.J.] Senior High School, he majored in politics at Princeton and played on the freshman and varsity basketball teams."
  50. Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey, 1956, p. 381. Accessed August 1, 2019. "Sido L. Ridolfi (Dem., Trenton, N. J.) Senator Ridolfi was born in Trenton, September 28, 1913. He is a graduate of Trenton Senior High School, Princeton University, and Harvard Law School."
  51. 56 - Almondo Sewell Archived September 19, 2015, at the Wayback Machine, Akron Zips football. Accessed November 24, 2014.
  52. "Ntozake Shange", The Spotlight, October 2013. Accessed April 6, 2016. "By age 13, her family returned to New Jersey where she graduated from Trenton Central High School."
  53. Aubrey, Dan. "In Memoriam: Ntozake Shange", Princeton Info, October 31, 2018. Accessed May 7, 2020. "She graduated from Trenton Central High School in 1966 and received degrees from Barnard College and the University of Southern California."
  54. Smith, Lanny; and Capps, Linnea. "An interview with Dr. Vic Sidel", Social Medicine, Volume 7, Number 3, October 2013. Accessed February 1, 2018. "Graduates went on to Trenton Central High School, which had a class size of 3000. My main recollection of high school was graduation.... In my speech I talked about a $10,000 home, which in 1949 was an impossible dream."
  55. Alton Sutnick Collection, Drexel University College of Medicine. Accessed November 25, 2015. "Marching band letters from Trenton High School and University of Pennsylvania"
  56. Alphonso Taylor, JustSportsStats.com. Accessed August 1, 2019. "High School: Central (Trenton, NJ)"
  57. Dantouma Toure, TopDrawerSoccer.com. Accessed July 20, 2020. "High School: Trenton Central; Region: New Jersey; City: Trenton; State: New Jersey"
  58. Miller, Wiliam J. "Lindo Of Jefferson Nears Mark For 600", The New York Times, March 9, 1986. Accessed April 6, 2016. "Wendy Vereen of Trenton Central in New Jersey holds the national indoor record at 38.79 seconds."
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