Lower Cape May Regional High School

High school in Cape May County, New Jersey, US

Lower Cape May Regional High School

Address

687 Route 9 Cape May, Cape May County, New Jersey 08204 United States
Coordinates	38°58′57″N 74°54′14″W / 38.982458°N 74.903753°W / 38.982458; -74.903753
Information
Type	Public high school
Established	1961
School district	Lower Cape May Regional School District
NCES School ID	340909001720
Principal	Lawrence Ziemba
Faculty	68.4 FTEs
Grades	9-12
Enrollment	757 (as of 2022–23)
Student to teacher ratio	11.1:1
Color(s)	Columbia blue and black
Athletics conference	Cape-Atlantic League (general) West Jersey Football League (football)
Mascot	Tiger
Team name	Caper Tigers
Website	www.lcmrschooldistrict.com/lcmr/index.php

The Lower Cape May Regional High School (LCMRHS) is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in Lower Township, in Cape May County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as part of the Lower Cape May Regional School District. LCMRHS serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from four communities in Cape May County as part of the Lower Cape May Regional School District, which includes Lower Township, Cape May, West Cape May, and Cape May Point; students from Cape May Point attend the district as part of a sending/receiving relationship.

As of the 2022–23 school year, the school had an enrollment of 757 students and 68.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.1:1. There were 254 students (33.6% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 51 (6.7% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.

History

LCMRHS replaced the former Cape May High School, which closed effective December 22, 1960. The Cape May superintendent, Paul W. Schmitdtchen, decided to create a new high school, and therefore he is considered the "father" of the school. In December 1958 the voters of Cape May City, West Cape May, and Lower Township approved borrowing $1.4 million (equivalent to $14.8 million in 2023) to build a new high school in Lower Township. Construction began in November 1959. The school district hired employees in April 1960. LCMRHS opened in 1961. The first class to graduate from LCMRHS was that of 1961.

In 2002, the school held a groundbreaking for a $12 million (the value of $20.3 million in 2023) addition covering 50,000 square feet (4,600 m), which included a new auditorium, as well as renovation of 24,381 square feet (2,265.1 m) of area.

The school's field house opened in 2017.

Campus

The LCMR district describes its facilities as being in Erma, with the postal address being "Cape May, New Jersey"; the schools are not in the Erma census-designated place. The Cape May County Herald, and the Press of Atlantic City describe the school as being in Erma.

The school has a capacity of 1,266 students.

Awards, recognition and rankings

The school was the 236th-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 243rd in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 236th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed. The magazine ranked the school 205th in 2008 out of 316 schools. The school was ranked 185th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state.

Athletics

The Lower Cape May Regional High School Caper Tigers compete in the Atlantic Division of the Cape-Atlantic League, an athletic conference comprised of both parochial and public high schools located in Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland and Gloucester counties, and operates under the aegis of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA). With 594 students in grades 10-12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2022–24 school years as Group II South for most athletic competition purposes. The football team competes in the Royal Division of the 94-team West Jersey Football League superconference and was classified by the NJSIAA as Group II South for football for 2024–2026, which included schools with 514 to 685 students.

The boys' wrestling team won the South Jersey Group III state sectional championship in 1982.

In 2015, the girls' basketball team won the South Jersey Group II state sectional title with a 58-55 overtime win over Sterling High School, earning the program's first state championship.

Administration

The school's principal is Lawrence Ziemba. His core administration team includes two vice principals.

Student body

In 2012 there were 85 students of LCMR High living in Cape May City. In 2013 this number fell to 65.

Notable alumni

Bob Andrzejczak (born 1986, class of 2004), politician, member of the New Jersey General Assembly.
Thomas Cannuli, (born 1992, class of 2010), professional poker player, known for finishing 6th place in the 2015 WSOP Main Event and winning a WSOP bracelet in the $3,333 WSOP.com ONLINE No-Limit Hold'em High Roller.
Chris Jay (born 1978, class of 1996), musician, screenwriter, actor and member of the band, Army of Freshmen.
Bill Pilczuk (born 1971, class of 1989), former 1998 World Champion swimmer and present head swim coach at Savannah College of Art and Design.
Matt Szczur (born 1989, class of 2007), former Major League Baseball player who played for the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres.

Notable faculty

Ed Rubbert (born 1964), former football coach who played quarterback for the Washington Redskins.
Erik K. Simonsen, school athletic director who represents the 1st Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly.

References

^ LCMR General Information, Lower Cape May Regional School District. Accessed April 13, 2012.
^ School data for Lower Cape May Regional High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 1, 2024.
^ Lower Cape May Regional High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
Home page, Lower Cape May Regional High School. Accessed July 10, 2011. "Lower Cape May Regional High School is a four year public school that serves students from four communities including Cape May, Lower Township, West Cape May and Cape May Point."
Flud, Tom (June 6, 2011). "Schmidtchen Called 'Father' Of LCMR". Cape May County Herald. Retrieved October 11, 2020. For the four southernmost Cape May County municipalities,
Degener, Richard (June 20, 2019). "Lower Cape May Regional High School graduates its 50th class". Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
Degener, Richard (November 13, 2002). "LCMR awards $12M. contract for addition". The Press of Atlantic City. - Profile - Copy of article from the architectural firm
"LOWER CAPE MAY REGIONAL DEDICATES NEW FIELD HOUSE". 98.7 The Coast. October 29, 2017. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
"Board of Education". Lower Cape May Regional School District. Retrieved September 28, 2020. in the Administration Building, located at 687 Route 9, Erma, Township of Lower, County of Cape May, State of New Jersey.687 Route 9 • Cape May, NJ 08204 - All LCMR School District facilities have the same postal address.
"2010 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Erma CDP, NJ" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved September 23, 2020. - The airport is not in the CDP as per the physical location.
"LCMR Field House to Serve as County's 2nd Covid Vaccination Site". Cape May County Herald. January 28, 2021. Retrieved May 16, 2021. Lower Cape May Regional High School, in Erma. (photo caption) - As it is a press release the article itself was written by the government of Lower Township, but the photo caption indicates a different authorship.
"Vaccine Site to Relocate to LCMR". Cape May County Herald. April 25, 2021. Retrieved May 16, 2021. Lower Cape May Regional High School, in Erma. (photo caption) - As it is a press release the article was written by the Cape May County Department of Health, but the photo caption indicates a different authorship.
D'Amico, Diane (October 17, 2015). "Stopping bullying in schools not so simple". Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved May 16, 2021. Lower Cape May Regional High School in Erma (photo caption)
Johnson, Virgil; and Kirtland, James L. "A Feasibility Study to Reconfigure the Lower Cape May Regional School District", Statistical Forecasting LLC, June 2013. Retrieved on May 16, 2021.
Staff. "Top Schools Alphabetical List 2014", New Jersey Monthly, September 2, 2014. Accessed September 5, 2014.
Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed August 22, 2012.
Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed February 10, 2011.
"Top New Jersey High Schools 2008: By Rank", New Jersey Monthly, September 2008, posted August 7, 2008. Accessed August 19, 2008.
League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
NJSIAA General Classifications - Public Schools 2022-2023 and 2023-2024, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed September 1, 2022.
Lower Cape May Tigers, West Jersey Football League. Accessed May 1, 2023.
Home Page, West Jersey Football League. Accessed May 1, 2023. "The WJFL is a 94-school super conference that stretches from Princeton to Wildwood encompassing schools from the Colonial Valley Conference, the Burlington County Scholastic League, the Olympic Conference, the Tri-County Conference, the Colonial Conference, and the Cape Atlantic League. The WJFL is made up of sixteen divisions with divisional alignments based on school size, geography and a strength-of-program component."
NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2024–2026, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.
NJSIAA Wrestling Team Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed September 1, 2022.
Russo, John. "Holden powers Lower to first South Jersey title", The Press of Atlantic City, March 10, 2015. Accessed February 14, 2016. "Holden scored Lower's last 18 points as the Caper Tigers won their first South Jersey championship, beating Sterling 58-55 in overtime in the Group II final."
Degener, Richard (March 21, 2013). "Lower Cape May Regional school tax rate dropping in two districts". Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved June 2, 2021. Their high school enrollment declined from 85 to 65 kids, and that's part of the formula.
Avedissian, Eric. "A soldier's story: Bob Andrzejczak lost a leg, not his resolve", Ocean City Sentinel, May 20, 2015. Accessed December 24, 2019. "Following his graduation from Lower Cape May Regional High School in 2004, Andrzejczak attended the Williamson Free School of Mechanical Trades in Media, Pa. on a full scholarship, where he studied machine tool technology."
Weinberg, David. "Cape man pursues glory in World Series of Poker starting Sunday", The Press of Atlantic City, November 7, 2015. Accessed August 20, 2020. "Tom Cannuli, 23, Cape May — 12,250,000... Now, the 2010 Lower Cape May Regional High School graduate is on the brink of poker stardom."
Miller, Joshua Rhett. "Former Cape May Student Returns To Alma Mater To Rock With Band", The Press of Atlantic City, May 25, 1998. Accessed August 22, 2012. "After graduating from Lower Cape May Regional High school in 1996, Chris Jay went on a mission. He drove his car to California to start a career as a singer and songwriter."
Chris, Army of Freshmen. Accessed October 21, 2007. "High School: Lower Cape May Regional "
Brown, Scott. "Pilczuk Finds Fulfilling Career In Pool \ The Cape May Point Native Says He Is Successful, Without A Trip To The Olympics.", The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 18, 1999, Page D15. Accessed August 22, 2012. "Pilczuk graduated from Lower Cape May High in 1989 with a sub-2.0 grade point average and the dreaded Proposition 48 label."
Lulgjuraj, Susan. "Lower Cape May graduate Matt Szczur to donate bone marrow for child with leukemia", The Press of Atlantic City, November 19, 2009. Accessed August 22, 2012. "Szczur, a Lower Cape May Regional High School graduate, learned Monday he could help save a life, but received just basic information on the baby because of patient confidentiality rights."
Lupica, Mike. "Star of Villanova's FCS title, Matt Szczur, may help save the life of a 15-month-old girl", New York Daily News, December 20, 2009. Accessed August 22, 2012. "A kid out of Cape May, and Lower Cape May Regional, who laughs as he reminds you he comes from Exit 0 off the Garden State, next stop Delaware."
Cunniff, Brian. "Report: Matt Szczur to sign with Phillies", Coast Sports Today, December 13, 2019. Accessed May 11, 2020. "After graduating from Lower Cape May in 2007, Szczur went on to become a two-sport star in baseball and football at Villanova."
Weinberg, David. "Lower Cape May football coach remembers 'year of the scab'", The Press of Atlantic City, September 16, 2017. Accessed October 3, 2017. "Former Washington Redskins quarterback Ed Rubbert is now an assistant football coach at Lower Cape May Regional."
Assemblyman Erik K. Simonsen, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 16, 2021. "Director of Athletics and Activities, Lower Cape May Regional School District"

External links

v t e Lower Township, New Jersey
Settlements	Cold Spring Diamond Beach Erma Miami Beach North Cape May (independent until 1945) Rio Grande (part) South Cape May (independent until 1945) Villas
Schools	Lower Township SD Lower Cape May Regional SD Lower Cape May Regional HS
NRHP listings	Battery 223 Cape May Lighthouse Owen Coachman House Cold Spring Grange Hall Cold Spring Presbyterian Church Fire Control Tower No. 23 Fishing Creek Schoolhouse George Hildreth House Naval Air Station Wildwood Octagonal Poultry House Jonathan Pyne House Rio Grande station
Other	Cape May Airport Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum Cape May–Lewes Ferry Cape May Point State Park (parts) Cape May Winery & Vineyard Hawk Haven Vineyard & Winery Historic Cold Spring Village Sunset Beach Turdo Vineyards & Winery
This list is incomplete. Some areas considered to be Rio Grande are in Lower Township though the census-designated place (CDP) itself is in Middle Township. Cape Christian Academy formerly had campuses in Lower Township. St. Raymond Catholic School merged into Our Lady Star of the Sea in Cape May which merged into what became Wildwood Catholic Academy.

Education in Cape May County, New Jersey

School
districts

K-6	Cape May City Lower Township West Cape May
K-8	Avalon Dennis Township North Wildwood Stone Harbor Upper Township Wildwood Crest Woodbine
K-12	Cape May Special Services Middle Township Ocean City Wildwood
7-12	Lower Cape May Regional
9-12	Cape May County Technical
None	Cape May Point* (to Cape May City/LCMR) Sea Isle City** (to Ocean City) West Wildwood (to North Wildwood K-8/Wildwood HS)

Public
high schools

Private
schools

Tertiary

Atlantic Cape Community College

* Formerly operated its own 1-8 school, which has been closed since 1931.
** Formerly operated its own K-8, then K-6 school, which has been closed since July 2012.
School districts by county:

by county: Atlantic; Bergen; Burlington; Camden; Cape May; Cumberland; Essex; Gloucester; Hudson; Hunterdon; Mercer; Middlesex; Monmouth; Morris; Ocean; Passaic; Salem; Somerset; Sussex; Union; Warren

v t e Cape-Atlantic League (NJSIAA)
Absegami Atlantic City ACIT Bridgeton Buena Cape May Tech Cedar Creek Egg Harbor Township Holy Spirit Lower Cape May Mainland Middle Township Millville Oakcrest Ocean City Our Lady of Mercy Academy Pleasantville St. Augustine St. Joseph (Hammonton) Vineland Wildwood Catholic

v t e West Jersey Football League (NJSIAA)
American	Cherokee Chiefs (South V) Hammonton Blue Devils (South IV) Kingsway Dragons (South V) Shawnee Renegades (South IV) Washington Township Minutemen (South IV) Williamstown Braves (South V)
Capitol	Burlington Township Falcons (South IV) Hopewell Valley Bulldogs (Central III) Lenape Indians (South V) Notre Dame Irish (Non-Public IV) Rancocas Valley Red Devils (South V) Trenton Tornadoes (Central V)
Classic	Clayton Clippers (South I) Gloucester Catholic Rams (Non-Public II) Gloucester City Lions (South I) Pitman Panthers (NA) Schalick Cougars (South I) Wildwood Warriors (South I)
Colonial	Audubon Green Wave (South I) Collingswood Panthers (South II) Haddonfield Bulldawgs (South II) Overbrook Rams (South II) Sterling Silver Knights (South II) West Deptford Eagles (South II)
Constitution	Camden Catholic Fighting Irish (Non-Public III) Camden Golden Panthers (South II) Cherry Hill West Lions (South IV) Pennsauken Indians (South IV) Seneca Eagles (South III) Winslow Eagles (South IV)
Continental	Atlantic City Vikings (South V) Bridgeton Bulldogs (South V) Egg Harbor Township Eagles (South V) Millville Thunderbolts (South V) St. Augustine Hermits (Non-Public IV) Vineland Fighting Clan (South V)
Diamond	Deptford Spartans (South III) Glassboro Bulldogs (South I) Pennsville Eagles (South I) Penns Grove Red Devils (South I) Salem Rams (South I) Woodstown Wolverines (South I)
Freedom	Burlington City Blue Devils (Central I) Florence Flashes (Central I) Maple Shade Wildcats (Central I) New Egypt Warriors (Central I) Palmyra Panthers (Central I) Riverside Rams (Central I)
Independence	Absegami Braves (South IV) Cedar Creek Pirates (South II) Mainland Mustangs (South IV) Oakcrest Falcons (South III) Ocean City Red Raiders (South III) St. Joseph Wildcats (Non-Public II)
Liberty	Bordentown Scotties (Central II) Cinnaminson Pirates (South II) Delran Bears (South II) Holy Cross Lancers (Non-Public II) Robbinsville Ravens (Central III) Willingboro Chimeras (South II)
Memorial	Gateway Gators (South I) Haddon Heights Garnets (South II) Haddon Township Hawks (South I) Lindenwold Lions (South I) Paulsboro Red Raiders (South I) Woodbury Thundering Herd (South I)
National	Cherry Hill East Cougars (South V) Clearview Pioneers (South IV) Delsea Crusaders (South III) Eastern Vikings (South V) Paul VI Eagles (Non-Public IV) Timber Creek Chargers (South III)
Patriot	Allentown Red Birds (Central IV) Northern Burlington Greyhounds (Central IV) Pemberton Hornets (South IV) Princeton Little Tigers (Central IV) Steinert Spartans (Central III) West Windsor-Plainsboro North Knights (cancelled)
Royal	Bishop Eustace Crusaders (Non-Public III) Cumberland Colts (South III) Eastside Mighty Tigers (South III) Highland Tartans (South IV) Moorestown Quakers (South IV) Triton Mustangs (South III)
United	Buena Chiefs (South I) Holy Spirit Spartans (Non-Public II) Lower Cape May Tigers (South II) Middle Township Panthers (South II) Pleasantville Greyhounds (South II)
Valley	Ewing Blue Devils (Central III) Hamilton West Hornets (Central III) Hightstown Rams (Central IV) Lawrence Cardinals (Central III) Nottingham Northstars (Central IV) West Windsor-Plainsboro South Pirates (Central IV)

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