As of the 2022–23 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,925 students and 130.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 14.8:1. There were 1,310 students (68.1% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 202 (10.5% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.[1]
Awards, recognition and rankings
The school was the 318th-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.[5] The school had been ranked 280th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 307th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.[6] The magazine ranked the school 293rd in 2008 out of 316 schools.[7] The school was ranked 307th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state.[8]
Athletics
The Plainfield High School Cardinals[2] compete in the Union County Interscholastic Athletic Conference, which is comprised of public and private high schools in Union County and was established following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).[9] Before the 2010 realignment, the school had competed in the Watchung Conference, a high school sports association that included public high schools in Essex, Hudson and Union counties.[10] With 1,553 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.[11] The football team competes in Division 5A of the Big Central Football Conference, which includes 60 public and private high schools in Hunterdon, Middlesex, Somerset, Union and Warren counties, which are broken down into 10 divisions by size and location.[12] The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Group V North for football for 2024–2026, which included schools with 1,317 to 5,409 students.[13]
The boys track team won the Group IV spring / outdoor track state championship in 1947, 1950, 1951, 1959-1961, 1980 and 2009. The 11 group titles won by the program are tied for fifth-most in the state.[16]
The boys track team won the indoor track all-group state championship in 1953, and won the Group IV title in 1960, 1962-1964, 1975 (as co-champion), 1980-1982 and 2009; the boys program's nine group titles are tied for sixth in the state.[17] The girls team won the Group IV title in 1982, 1985, 1992, 1993 (as co-champion), 1999; the five group titles won by the girl's program is tied for seventh-most among New Jersey schools.[18]
The boys cross country running team won the Group IV state championship in 1957 and 1959.[19]
The boys track team won the winter track Meet of Champions in 1975, 1980 and 1981.[20]
The boys' basketball team won the Group IV state championship in 1976 (defeating Neptune High School in the tournament final), 1983 (vs. Trenton Central High School), 2011 (vs. Burlington Township High School) and 2012 (vs. Neptune).[21] Down by nine points early in the fourth quarter of the championship game, the 1972 team came back to tie Neptune in regulation and win the Group IV title 75-72 in overtime.[22] The team won the 2004 North II, Group IV state sectional championship, defeating Elizabeth High School 47–42 in the final.[23] The 2012 team came back from a five-point deficit at the half to win the Group III title with a 58–48 defeat of Neptune in the championship game played at the Pine Belt Arena.[24] The squad advanced to the NJISAA Tournament of Champions final in 2011 and 2012, both times losing to national private school powerhouse St. Anthony High School. Hall of Fame coach Bob Hurley called Plainfield, "the best basketball community in New Jersey."[25]
The boys' track team won the Group IV state indoor relay championship in 1980 and 1981 (as co-champion with Trenton Central High School). The girls' track team won the title in 1981, 1985, 1986 and 1991; the four titles won by the girls track team is tied for tenth-most statewide.[26]
The girls' outdoor track and field team won the Group IV state championship in 1982, 1985, 1986, 1991 and 1993.[27]
Administration
The school's principal is Shadin Belal. Her core administration team includes five vice principals.[28]
Adella Wotherspoon (1903-2004, class of 1921), 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.[55]
^Kinney, Mike. "Big Central revises 2020 football schedule for its shortened inaugural season", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, August 12, 2020. Accessed April 18, 2021. "The newly formed Big Central Football Conference has released a revised 2020 schedule for its inaugural season.... the BCFC is comprised of schools from Middlesex, Union, Somerset, Hunterdon and Warren counties."
^Stypulkoski, Matt. "Ranking the 31 fiercest rivalries in N.J. HS football", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, October 27, 2017, updated May 15, 2019. Accessed December 1, 2020. "17-Plainfield vs. Westfield... This rivalry has more history than just about any other — the two teams will meet for the 113th time this season, making it the second-longest Thanksgiving rivalry in the state behind Vineland and Millville.... All-time series: Westfield leads Plainfield, 60-45-7"
^"Plainfield ends Neptune streak", The Record, March 21, 1976. Accessed February 1, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "A fourth-quarter slowdown by Neptune backfired yesterday and Plainfield rallied to beat the previously undefeated Fliers, 75-72, in overtime and win the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Group 4 title.... Neptune took a 59-50 lead early in the fourth-quarter and went to a four-corners offense in an attempt to hold it But the Cardinals rallied with a 10-3 spurt to cut the deficit to 62-60."
^"Neptune (48) at Plainfield (58), NJSIAA Group Tournament, Final Round, Group 3 - Boys Basketball", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, March 10, 2012, updated August 25, 2019. Accessed February 3, 2021. "Plainfield, No. 4 in The Star-Ledger Top 20, staged a fourth-quarter comeback to earn a 58-48 victory over Neptune in the NJSIAA/ShopRite Group 3 final before an overflow crowd of more than 3,000 at Pine Belt Arena in Toms River. It was the second straight Group 3 title and third overall for Plainfield (28-3), the North Jersey, Section 2 winner, which also earned Group 4 titles in 1976 and '83 and won Group 3 last season."
^Charlie Bicknell, Baseball Almanac. Accessed January 9, 2021. "Born In: Plainfield, New Jersey... High School: Plainfield High School (Plainfield, NJ)"
^McKenzie, Doug. "South River's Pearson to be inducted to N.J. Hall of Fame"Archived July 29, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, 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"
^Assembly Republican Leader Jon Bramnick, New Jersey Assembly Republicans. Accessed September 12, 2015. "Bramnick grew up in Plainfield and graduated from Plainfield High School."
^The New York Red Book, p. 63. Williams Press, 1977. Accessed November 9, 2017. "Jack E. Bronston 5th District (8th, 9th and 10th Assembly districts of Queens county) Jack E. Bronston, Democrat-Liberal, was born in Plainfield, N. J., on January 10, 1922. He attended Plainfield High School and was graduated magna cum laude with an A.B. degree from Harvard College in 1942."
^"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."
^Boyer, Zac. "After four years, Davis ready to move on", Rivals.com. November 17, 2007. Accessed November 9, 2017. "Davis' hard-hitting mentality was rooted deep within him as a child growing up in Plainfield, N.J., a city of approximately 50,000 located a half-hour southwest of Newark.... According to Davis, many of those who attended Plainfield High School with him failed to move on to college and instead ended up involved either in jail or, worse, dead."
^Carino, Jerry. "Plainfield’s Tyrone Johnson leaving Villanova. Cautionary tale?", New Jersey Hoops Haven, November 7, 2012. Accessed August 5, 2019. "Former Plainfield High School standout Tyrone Johnson is leaving Villanova, the school announced today.... Ty left Plainfield a year early for basketball factory Montrose Christian, supposedly to better position himself to make an immediate impact at Nova."
^Staff. "Former NFL wide receiver Donald Jones works out with Somerset Patriots", The Messenger-Gazette, April 18, 2014. Accessed November 9, 2017. "Former NFL wide receiver and Plainfield native Donald Jones will be working out with the Somerset Patriots during Spring Training.... Now Jones is looking to make a return to the baseball diamond, where he last played for Plainfield High School."
^Staff. "Queena Mario Sings to Students", The New York Times, May 26, 1927. Accessed November 9, 2017. "Queena Mario of the Metropolitan Opera Company, formerly of this city, was a guest of the Plainfield High School today where she sang a group of four numbers to the student body.... The opera star whose family name was Tillotson is a graduate of the local high school and has been a guest of Mr. and Mrs. Albert L. Coddington of Sheridan Avenue."
^Faber, Charles F. "Jack Martin", Society for American Baseball Research. Accessed November 9, 2017. "John Christopher Martin was born in Plainfield, New Jersey, in the central part of the state, on April 19, 1887. The son of Adeline and James B. Martin, a trolley conductor, Jack played baseball at Plainfield High School and for the town's amateur clubs."
^"Council cites ex-city man for Pulitzer award", Courier News, May 23, 1974. Accessed November 8, 2020. "Donald Martino, former city resident who was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for music, has been publicly commended in a resolution by the City Council.... Martino, a Plainfield High School graduate, is chairman of the composition department of the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston."
^Wilkes-Barre Evening News "Local Woman Writes Novel: Mrs. Zelda Popkin's work published", January 18, 1938, p. 7
^Carino, Jerry. "From Plainfield to Yale, Justin Sears a force on the court", Courier News, February 16, 2015. Accessed August 5, 2019. "Sears, who helped Plainfield High School win two NJSIAA Group III championships, is driving the bus. The 6-foot-8 junior forward is averaging 14.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game."
^"Rev. Henry Soles Jr., Longtime Chicago Bulls Chaplain, Dies at 82"Archived February 4, 2018, at the Wayback Machine, Earned Media, January 29, 2018. Accessed February 4, 2018. "Reverend Henry Soles Jr. (photo) was born on August 17, 1935 in Anniston, Ala. He grew up in Plainfield, N.J. and attended Plainfield High School, Manhattan Bible Institute, and Rutgers University."