Deptford Township High School (also Deptford High School) is a four-year comprehensive community public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades, located in Deptford Township, in Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States, operating as the lone secondary school of the Deptford Township Schools.
The first classes taught at Gloucester County College when it opened in the summer of 1967 were held at Deptford Township High School.
As of the 2012-13 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,013 students and 82.3 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a studentâ€"teacher ratio of 12.31:1. There were 312 students (30.8% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 123 (12.1% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.
Awards, recognition and rankings
The school was the 259th-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. The school had been ranked 242nd in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 255th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed. The magazine ranked the school 252nd in 2008 out of 316 schools. The school was ranked 226th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state. Schooldigger.com ranked the school 229th out of 376 public high schools statewide in its 2010 rankings (an increase of 26 positions from the 2009 rank) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the language arts literacy and mathematics components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).
Academics
A typical school day at Deptford High School is 6 hours and 55 minutes long with around 6 hours of classroom instruction. Average class sizes for 9, 10, 11, and 12 grades are 17.3, 18.7, 15.3, and 13.1, respectively. An average class size at Deptford is about 16.1 students as compared to the state average of 18.9 students. The student-computer ratio is 2.5 students for 1 computer, compared to a state average of 3.3:1. Of the 462 computers in the building, all 462 are connected to the internet.
Extracurricular activities
Athletics
Deptford High School is one of the member schools of the Tri-County Conference, which operates under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA). With 734 students in grades 10-12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2014-15 school year as South Jersey, Group II for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 486 to 748 students in that grade range.
The football team won the NJSIAA state sectional championship in 1978 (South Jersey Group III), 1998 and 2003-04 (South Jersey Group II). Deptford's football team won the state sectional championship consecutively in 2003 and 2004 under Head Coach Al Orio. The team won the 2004 title with a 28-21 win over Moorestown High School.
Spartan Marching Band
The school's marching band finished in first place at the 2007 United States Scholastic Band Association National Championships, competing as a Group I band at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland on November 16, 2007, with a score of 93.35. They were under the direction of Mr. Michael Armstrong, graduate of DTHS (1999) and New Jersey Institute of Technology (2003).
National Honor Society
Deptford received its National Honor Society charter in 1960 and has been actively inducting members since.
NJROTC
In 2003, Deptford's NJROTC (Naval Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps) program was established.
Other activities
Other activities at Deptford High School include Chess Club, All-School Musical (which usually takes place in the Spring), Culture Club, Debate Club, ERASE, the Fall Play, FBLA, Future Teachers of America, Freshman Transition, Gay-Straight Alliance, Girls' Athletic Association, Healthcare Careers Club, Mock Trial, National Art Honor Society, National Honor Society, Peer Mediation, Peer Tutors, Project Graduation, RAP (Respect All People), Robotics Club, Rotary Interact, Students Against Destructive Decisions, Science Club, Spartan Spirit Newspaper, Strength and Conditioning, Student Athletic Trainers, and SGA.
Administration
Core members of the school's administration are:
- Melvin Allen, Principal
- Brian Wert, Vice Principal for Students A-K
- Meredith Alexander, Vice Principal for Students L-Z
Notable alumni
- Dave Rowe (born 1945, class of 1963), former football player, who played in the NFL from 1967-1978.
- Patti Smith (born 1946), singer-songwriter and 2007 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.
References
External links
- Deptford High School Official Web Site
- Deptford Township Schools
- Deptford Township High School's 2012â€"13 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
- School Data for the Deptford Township Schools, National Center for Education Statistics
- South Jersey Sports: Deptford HS