Lacey Township High School

High school in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States

Lacey Township High School

Address

73 Haines Street

Lacey Township

Ocean County

New Jersey

08734

United States

Coordinates| 39°51′38″N 74°11′28″W﻿ / ﻿39.860554°N 74.191032°W﻿ / 39.860554; -74.191032
Information
Type| Public high school
Motto| "It's a Matter of Pride"[1]
Established| 1981
School district| Lacey Township School District
NCES School ID| 340810005935[2]
Principal| Jason King
Faculty| 92.3 FTEs[2]
Grades| 9-12
Enrollment| 1,222 (as of 2022–23)[2]
Student to teacher ratio| 13.2:1[2]
Color(s)|  Navy blue
Gray and
Cardinal[3]
Athletics conference| Shore Conference[4]
Team name| Lions[3]
Rival| Central Regional High School
Toms River East High School
Accreditation| Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools[5]
Newspaper| The Pride
Website| www.laceyschools.org/lths

Lacey Township High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades, located in the Lanoka Harbor section of Lacey Township, in Ocean County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, which operates as part of the Lacey Township School District.

The school is overseen by the New Jersey Department of Education and has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1983.[5]

As of the 2022–23 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,222 students and 92.3 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.2:1. There were 223 students (18.2% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 66 (5.4% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.[2]

The school's mascot is a lion, the symbol is a paw, for the "Lacey Lions." The school's colors are navy blue, silver, and cardinal [3]

Lacey Township High School has implemented a random drug testing policy. Students participating in any extracurricular activities including after school sports, clubs or any school event must sign a waiver that allows them to be drug tested randomly. The first offense includes suspension from all after school activities for 10 days.[6]

## History[edit]

Organized efforts to establish a high school in the township go back to 1971, when a group of residents that included a Central Regional High School District board trustee created the Lacey Township High School Study Committee to consider the options available, based on advice from experts.[7] By March 1976, the Lacey Township Taxpayers Association suggested consideration of a township school for grades 7 and 8 as the first step towards withdrawal of the 1,100 township students attending Central Regional.[8]

Constructed at a cost of $9.5 million (equivalent to $31.8 million in 2023) and designed to handle a maximum enrollment of 1,200, the school opened its doors in September 1981 with 850 students in grades 9-12.[9] Before the new facility opened, students from Lacey Township had attended Central Regional High School in neighboring Berkeley Township as part of a sending/receiving relationship.[10]

A new west wing was added onto the school in 2003, which offers upgraded classrooms.

In 2018, the school was sued by the American Civil Liberties Union after suspending two students who had posted photos of themselves at a gun range, in their own free time and not on school property. One of the students, Cody Conroy, was vocal about the situation. "Sharing our completely legal weekend activities on Snapchat should not result in three days of in-school suspensions."[11]

## Awards, recognition and rankings[edit]

The school was the 210th-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.[12] The school had been ranked 257th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 225th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.[13] The magazine ranked the school 238th in 2008 out of 316 schools.[14] The school was ranked 201st in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state.[15] Schooldigger.com ranked the school as tied for 211th out of 376 public high schools statewide in its 2010 rankings (an increase of 1 position 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).[16]

Maurice Grillon III was recognized by Princeton University as one of four outstanding New Jersey secondary school teachers, honored at its June 1, 2004 Commencement. Through Grillon's efforts, the school's German language program was expanded to 210 students.[17]

Math teacher Mark Geiger was recognized in April 2011 as a recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, in recognition of his efforts to identify "for new and innovative ways to teach mathematics in order to make it relevant and to connect to each of his students."[18] In 2014, Mark Geiger was selected as the first American soccer referee to officiate in the FIFA World Cup since 2002.[19]

## Advanced Placement courses[edit]

Lacey Township High School offers Advanced Placement (AP) courses to students including AP Biology, AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Chemistry, AP Computer Science A, AP English Language and Composition, AP English Literature and Composition, AP Environmental Science, AP French Language and Culture, AP German Language and Culture, AP Physics 1, AP Psychology, AP Spanish Language and Culture, AP Statistics, AP Studio Art, and AP United States History.[20]

## Athletics[edit]

The Lacey Township High School Lions[3] compete in Division B South of the Shore Conference, an athletic conference comprised of public and private high schools in Monmouth and Ocean counties along the Jersey Shore.[4][21] The league operates under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).[22] With 876 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.[23] The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Group IV South for football for 2022–2024, which included schools with 893 to 1,296 students.[24]

The school participates as the host school / lead agency in a joint ice hockey team with Barnegat High School. The co-op program operates under agreements scheduled to expire at the end of the 2023–24 school year.[25]

Sports offered by the high school include:[3]

Fall Sports  | Winter Sports  | Spring Sports

|
|

Boys Cross Country  | Wrestling  | Baseball
Girls Cross Country  | Bowling  | Golf
Field Hockey  | Boys Basketball  | Girls Lacrosse
Football  | Girls Basketball  | Softball
Girls Gymnastics  | Boys Swimming  | Boys Spring Track
Boys Soccer  | Boys Winter Track  | Girls Spring Track
Girls Soccer  | Girls Winter Track  | Boys Tennis
Girls Tennis  | Girls Swimming  | Boys Lacrosse
Girls Volleyball  | Ice Hockey  | Boys Volleyball

The football team won the South Jersey Group III state sectional titles in 1988, 1989, 2006 and 2010.[26] The 1988 team finished the season with a 10-1 record after winning the South Jersey Group III sectional title with a 31-28 victory against Woodrow Wilson High School in the championship game on a field goal kicked with two seconds left in the game.[27][28] The 1989 team finished with a record of 11-0 after defeating Woodrow Wilson in the finals by a score of 28-28 to win the team's second consecutive South Jersey Group III title.[29] In 2006, the Lacey Lions beat Seneca High School 12-0 becoming the NJSIAA South Jersey Group III state champions.[30] This is only the second time that the Lions went undefeated. It was the third state championship under Coach Lou Vircillo, the only head football coach the school has had since it opened in 1981.[31] In 2010, the Lions football team reached the NJSIAA South Jersey Group III state championship game and defeated Delsea Regional High School 56–7, finishing a perfect 12–0 season, earning the fourth state championship under Coach Lou Vircillo, and marking the third team in school history to go undefeated.[32] The Lions football team also reached the NJSIAA South Jersey Group III state championship game in both 2005 and 2007, but were defeated by Delsea Regional High School (by a score of 21-6) and Shawnee High School (losing 23-20), respectively.[33][34]

The field hockey team won the South Jersey Group III state sectional title in 1993, 1994 and 1995. The 1994 team finished the season with an 18-2-3 record after winning the Group III state championship game by a score of 2-1 against a West Essex High School team led by Michelle Vizzuso that had not lost in 86 consecutive games in a four-year span.[35][36]

The girls bowling team won the Group II state championship in 2018.[37]

## Administration[edit]

The school's principal is Jason King. His core administration team includes the two assistant principals.[38]

## Notable alumni[edit]

See also: Category:Lacey Township High School alumni

* Melissa Drexler (born 1978), known as the "Prom Mom".[39]
* Keith Elias (born 1972), former professional football player for the New York Giants and Indianapolis Colts.[40]
* Chris Fleming (born 1970, class of 1988), basketball player who played at the University of Richmond before starring in Germany and becoming the head coach of Germany's men's national basketball team.[41]
* Warren Smith (born 1990, class of 2008), American football player who played at Iona College and the University of Maine before playing in Germany, the Richmond Raiders, the Trenton Freedom and the Spokane Shock.[42]
* Rhett Titus (born 1987, class of 2005), professional wrestler in Ring of Honor.[43][44]
* Garry Tonon (born 1991), submission grappler and mixed martial artist.[45]

## References[edit]

1. ^ Richmond, Lynne. "'It's a Matter of Pride' for Lacey's Top Teachers; Lacey Township Board of Education Set to Honor its Best Teachers at a Ceremony at Lacey Township High School Next Week.", LaceyPatch, May 5, 2011. Accessed August 22, 2012. "Vanessa P. Clark, Ph.D., Lacey Township Schools Assistant Superintendent, said Mrs. Applegate, Mrs. Camaligan, Mrs. Price, Mrs. DeMartino, Mrs. Kirk, and Mr. Stike are exemplary of the Lacey Township School District motto: 'It's a Matter of Pride!'"
2. ^ a b c d e School data for Lacey Township High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 1, 2024.
3. ^ a b c d e Lacey Township High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
4. ^ a b Shore Conference Realignment for 2018-2019 and 2019-2020, Shore Conference. Accessed November 15, 2020.
5. ^ a b Lacey Township High School, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed February 6, 2022.
6. ^ Napoliello, Alex. "Lacey Township High School to hold random drug testing", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, December 17, 2013. Accessed May 6, 2016.
7. ^ "Lacey Group Says School Only Studied", Asbury Park Press, May 1, 1971. Accessed April 12, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "Vincent Passeri, chairman of a group of citizens on the feasibility of a high school in the township, says its only purpose is to investigate the possibility of a school. Mr. Passeri denied an assertion the committee favors a high school in the township which is now part of the Central Regional High School district. The group, called the Lacey Township High School Study Committee, was organized in January and has retained a lawyer, architect, and educational consultant. Mr. Passeri, who is also a member of the Central Regional Board of Education, said the growth of the township prompted formation of the committee."
8. ^ "Towns Move to Secede From Central Regional", Asbury Park Press, March 14, 1976. Accessed April 12, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "Meanwhile, the Lacey Township Taxpayers Association plans to meet with the school board there to discuss staged withdrawal from Central -Regional leading to building a Lacey Township high school. About 1,100 Lacey seventh through 12th grade students will enter high school in September. The taxpayers propose an elementary school addition to house first withdrawal of the seventh and eighth graders."
9. ^ Young, Sanne. "New school reflects Lacey needs", Asbury Park Press, August 31, 1981. Accessed April 12, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "The $9.5 million school on Haines Street will open its doors Sept. 10 to about 850 students in grades 9 through 12.... The facility has a capacity of about 1,200 students, with an initial enrollment of about 850 students expected, Cangelosi said. Enrollment is projected to increase to about 1,000 students over the next few years, and to remain at that level for at least 9 or 10 years, he said."
10. ^ Williams, Kevin. "A Renewal of the Lacey-Central Regional Rivalry", WOBM-FM, September 20, 2019. Accessed December 31, 2020. "I’m sure there are many who don’t know that for many years Lacey Township was a sending district to Central Regional High School. Until 1981 if you lived in Forked River, Lanoka Harbor or Bamber Lakes you attended Central and many of my friends from my high school days lived in Lacey. However in 1981 they got their own high school and as you might expect an immediate rivalry was born, especially when it came to athletics."
11. ^ Oglesby, Amabda; Sastrowardoyo, Hartriono B. "ACLU sues Lacey schools for students' gun rights", Asbury Park Press, April 10, 2019. Accessed October 12, 2020. "The Lacey Township School District is being sued by the American Civil Liberties Union's New Jersey chapter and a Hackensack-based law firm on behalf of two students who say their rights were violated last year after they posted a picture of guns on social media. Lacey Township High School student Cody Conroy and a friend identified in the lawsuit only as H.S. posted a picture on the Snapchat social-media app of legally owned guns on a table and were suspended by school administrators as a result, according to the ACLU."
12. ^ Staff. "Top Schools Alphabetical List 2014", New Jersey Monthly, September 2, 2014. Accessed September 5, 2014.
13. ^ Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed August 22, 2012.
14. ^ Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed January 31, 2011.
15. ^ "Top New Jersey High Schools 2008: By Rank", New Jersey Monthly, September 2008, posted August 7, 2008. Accessed August 19, 2008.
16. ^ New Jersey High School Rankings: 11th Grade HSPA Language Arts Literacy & HSPA Math 2009-2010[permanent dead link], Schooldigger.com. Accessed January 8, 2012.
17. ^ Princeton honors outstanding secondary school teachers, Princeton University press release dated May 26, 2005
18. ^ Mark Geiger: Lanoka Harbor, NJ - Mathematics, Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, April 2011. Accessed November 9, 2011.
19. ^ via Associated Press. "Former Lacey teacher Mark Geiger looks to get call as World Cup soccer referee", The Press of Atlantic City, April 14, 2014. Accessed February 23, 2016. "Geiger is the first American official at the World Cup since 2002. His assignment could be any match from the other seven groups. The 39-year-old former high school math teacher from Lacey Township High School in New Jersey won't know which until days before kickoff."
20. ^ Lacey Township High School 2013-14 School Performance Report, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 14, 2015.
21. ^ Member Schools, Shore Conference. Accessed November 15, 2020.
22. ^ League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
23. ^ NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
24. ^ NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2022–2024, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
25. ^ NJSIAA Winter Cooperative Sports Programs, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 1, 2020.
26. ^ NJSIAA Football History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 1, 2022.
27. ^ "Tarricone FG gives Lacey SJ III crown", Asbury Park Press, November 20, 1988. Accessed December 31, 2020, via Newspapers.com. "The big difference yesterday was that Lacey had a kicker and Woodrow Wilson of Camden didn't. With two seconds remaining on the clock, the Lions' Carl Tarricone calmly stepped back and booted a 30-yard field goal to give his team a 31-28 victory over the visiting Tigers and the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association South Jersey Group III championship."
28. ^ Edelson, Stephen. "NJ Football: Greatest Jersey Shore coaches ever - Part 2", Asbury Park Press, September 26, 2017. Accessed December 31, 2020. "Vircillo went 35-15 in five seasons, before heading to Ocean County to take over at the new Lacey High School in 1981, and he’s been the only coach the Lions have ever had. He guided the program to back-to-back NJSIAA South Group II titles in 1988 and 1989, going 10-1 and 11-0, respectively."
29. ^ Zedalis, Joe. "Gardi ushers in new era for Lacey with victory", Asbury Park Press, December 11, 1989. Accessed March 22, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "The Lacey Township High School football team was minute and a couple of ticks away from history, a minute and change away from an 11-0 season and a second straight New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association South Jersey Group III title.... Gardi's two touchdown passes the second one with 9:02 left sparked Lacey to a 28-24 win over Woodrow Wilson of Camden."
30. ^ 2006 Football Tournament - South, Group III, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 24, 2006
31. ^ Coach takes his Lions to the top, Asbury Park Press, December 22, 2006
32. ^ Staff. "Lacey uses 8 takeaways to beat Delsea Regional 56-7 for South Jersey Group III football title", The Press of Atlantic City, December 4, 2010. Accessed November 9, 2011. "Lacey Township High School used eight takeaways to beat Delsea Regional 56-7 in the South Jersey Group III football championship game today.... Lacey (12-0), ranked second in The Press Elite 11, finished undefeated for the third time in school history. The Lions won their fourth sectional championship under Lou Vircillo, the only coach in the program's history."
33. ^ 2005 Football - South, Group III, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 7, 2012.
34. ^ 2007 Football - South, Group III, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 8, 2012.
35. ^ History of NJSIAA Field Hockey Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
36. ^ Siegle, Fred. "Revenge tastes sweet as Lions roar to title", Asbury Park Press, November 21, 1994. Accessed January 14, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "This time Lacey left the field crying tears of joy. The Lions did the improbable yesterday, beating West Essex 3-1 in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Group III field hockey championship game at Trenton State College. The win avenged the Lions' 3-0 loss to West Essex (21-1-1) in last year's championship game and handed the Knights their first loss in four years and 86 games."
37. ^ History of NJSIAA Girls Bowling Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
38. ^ Administration Contact Information, Lacey Township High School. Accessed December 21, 2022.
39. ^ Goodnough, Abby; and Weber, Bruce. "Before Prom Night, a Suspect Was the Girl Next Door", The New York Times, July 2, 1997. Accessed January 31, 2011. "A month ago, 18-year-old Melissa Drexler was just a quiet, somewhat introverted high school senior who wanted to graduate from Lacey Township High School here, get on with her summer job at a retail store on the beach and hang out with her boyfriend."
40. ^ Larsen, Erik. "Elias, Chrebet fined $200 over bar scuffle", Asbury Park Press, May 12, 2000. Accessed January 31, 2011. "Former Lacey Township High School football star Keith Elias and Jets receiver Wayne Chrebet were each fined $200 yesterday after pleading guilty to a nuisance violation for their roles in a scuffle outside the Bamboo Bar."
41. ^ Carchidi, Sam. "It's Time: The Basketball Playoffs Are Here", The Philadelphia Inquirer, February 29, 1988. Accessed December 21, 2014. "There isn't a clear-cut favorite among a contingent that features second-seeded Lacey Township - which is led by swingman Chris Fleming, a University of Connecticut-bound senior who is averaging 31.9 points per game - third-seeded Eastern, sixth-seeded Willingboro and seventh-seeded Middle Township, which won the Group 2 title last year."
42. ^ Sporer, Jeff. "Former Lacey Township quarterback Warren Smith has Maine challenging for conference title", The Press of Atlantic City, November 7, 2011. Accessed September 2, 2015. "Three years later, the 21-year old Lacey Township High School graduate is leading the University of Maine in a November charge toward the Colonial Athletic Association championship.... 'We call it November tough here at Maine,' said Smith, a senior from the Forked River section of Lacey Township."
43. ^ Tradition: Alumni and Friends Souvenir Book, Lacey Township Football Foundation, Fall 2004. Accessed December 5, 2016.
44. ^ Rhett Titus, MaxPreps. Accessed December 21, 2022. "Lacey Township High School Lanoka Harbor, NJ... Graduated in 2005"
45. ^ Procida, Lee."Lacey students note long list of accomplishments", The Press of Atlantic City, July 8, 2019. Accessed December 21, 2022.

## External links[edit]

* Lacey Township High School
* Lacey Township School District
* School Performance Report for Lacey Township School District, New Jersey Department of Education
* School Data for the Lacey Township School District, National Center for Education Statistics
* DigitalSports Lacey Homepage

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