History of Fort Lee High School in Timeline

Fort Lee High School is a four-year public high school in Fort Lee, New Jersey, serving students in grades 9-12. It is the sole secondary school in the Fort Lee School District. The school has held accreditation from the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1931.

1916: Establishment of Fort Lee High School

In 1916, Fort Lee High School was established.

1928: Relocation to Current Location

In 1928, Fort Lee High School was relocated to its current location.

1931: Accreditation by Middle States Association

In 1931, Fort Lee High School was accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools.

1947: Group I State Championship Win

In 1947, the boys' basketball team won the Group I state championship, defeating Dunellen High School with a 39-34 victory.

1949: Group I State Championship Win

In 1949, the boys' basketball team won the Group I state championship, defeating Wildwood High School with a score of 49-44.

1963: Group II Spring/Outdoor Track State Championship

In 1963, the boys track team won the Group II spring / outdoor track state championship.

1964: New Wing Added

In 1964, a new wing was added to Fort Lee High School.

1968: New Classrooms Constructed

In 1968, new classrooms were constructed at Fort Lee High School.

1977: Previous School Record

In 1977, the school record for the 800m was set, before it was broken in 2011.

1980: North I Group II State Sectional Title

In 1980, the wrestling team won the North I Group II state sectional title.

1988: Group II State Championship Win

In 1988, the girls volleyball team won the Group II state championship, defeating Garfield High School.

2003: Start of Transcript Tampering

In 2003, transcript tampering began at Fort Lee High School, and continued until it was reported in 2009.

September 2006: Ranking in New Jersey Monthly Magazine

In the September 2006 issue, New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Fort Lee High School 99th out of 316 schools across the state.

2006: Ranking in Newsweek Magazine

In 2006, Newsweek magazine ranked Fort Lee High School 217th out of the top 1000 High Schools in the United States.

2008: Ranking in New Jersey Monthly Magazine

In 2008, New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Fort Lee High School 75th out of 316 schools.

March 2009: Transcript Scandal Alleged

In March 2009, a scandal concerning the transcript records of students was alleged. The superintendent reported that transcripts from 2003 to the current senior class had been tampered with, leading to an investigation by the Fort Lee Board of Education.

2010: Ranking in New Jersey Monthly Magazine

In 2010, New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Fort Lee High School 72nd out of 322 schools listed.

2010: Schooldigger.com Ranking

In 2010, Schooldigger.com ranked Fort Lee High School based on the combined percentage of students proficient in mathematics and language arts.

2010: Participation in Bergen County Scholastic League

Prior to the 2010 realignment, the Fort Lee High School team participated in the Bergen County Scholastic League (BCSL) American Conference.

2011: School Record Broken and State Qualification

In 2011, Nancie Sophias broke the school record for the 800m and became the high school's first woman to qualify for the NJSIAA State Track Meet of Champions in the event.

2011: Schooldigger.com Ranking

In 2011, Schooldigger.com ranked Fort Lee High School tied for 137th out of 381 public high schools statewide.

2011: Ranking in The Washington Post

In 2011, The Washington Post ranked Fort Lee High School 52nd in New Jersey and 1,611th nationwide in its "Ranking America's High Schools" issue.

2012: Ranking in New Jersey Monthly Magazine

In 2012, Fort Lee High School was ranked 97th in the state by New Jersey Monthly magazine.

September 2014: Ranking in New Jersey Monthly Magazine

In September 2014, New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Fort Lee High School as the 81st-ranked public high school in New Jersey.

2018: U.S. News & World Report Ranking

In 2018, U.S. News & World Report ranked Fort Lee High School 55th out of 426 schools in New Jersey.

2019: NJSIAA Classification

For the 2019–20 school year, the NJSIAA classified Fort Lee High School as Group II for most athletic competition purposes.

2019: Tournament of Bands Atlantic Coast Invitational

The Fort Lee High School Band was the Tournament of Bands Atlantic Coast Invitational Class A winners in Group 4 in 2019.

2020: Assignment to Ivy Divisions

Starting in 2020, the Fort Lee High School football team was assigned to the two Ivy divisions of the North Jersey Super Football Conference.

2021: U.S. News & World Report Ranking

In 2021, U.S. News & World Report ranked Fort Lee High School 106th among high schools in New Jersey, 264th in the New York City metropolitan area, and 2320th nationwide.

2021: Tournament of Bands Atlantic Coast Invitational

The Fort Lee High School Band was the Tournament of Bands Atlantic Coast Invitational Class A winners in Group 4 in 2021.

2023: Student Enrollment and Teacher Statistics

As of the 2023-24 school year, Fort Lee High School had 1,179 students, with a student-teacher ratio of 14.0:1. Additionally, 10.9% of students were eligible for free lunch, and 4.0% were eligible for reduced-cost lunch.