Pleasantville High School (New Jersey)

Public school in New Jersey, United States

Pleasantville High School
Address

701 Mill Road Pleasantville, Atlantic County, New Jersey 08232 United States
Coordinates	39°24′19″N 74°31′35″W / 39.405171°N 74.526525°W / 39.405171; -74.526525
Information
Type	Public high school
School district	Pleasantville Public Schools
NCES School ID	341320000192
Principal	Lapell Chapman
Faculty	64.5 FTEs
Grades	9-12
Enrollment	924 (as of 2022–23)
Student to teacher ratio	14.3:1
Color(s)	Maroon and white
Athletics conference	Cape-Atlantic League (general) West Jersey Football League (football)
Team name	Greyhounds
Rival	Atlantic City High School
Website	www.pps-nj.us/pps/Schools/High%20School

Pleasantville High School is a comprehensive community public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grade from the City of Pleasantville, in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as the lone secondary school of the Pleasantville Public Schools, an Abbott District.

Students from Absecon attend the district's high school for grades 9-12 as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Absecon Public School District.

As of the 2022–23 school year, the school had an enrollment of 924 students and 64.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 14.3:1. There were 671 students (72.6% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 61 (6.6% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.

Awards, recognition and rankings

In 2004, the Try-Math-A-Lon Team won the National Championship at the National Society of Black Engineers Conference (NSBE) in Dallas, Texas. In 2010 and 2011, the Try-Math-A-Lon teams won the regional championships and progressed to the Nationals in Boston and Orlando respectively where they placed second both years.

The school was the 311th-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 267th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 299th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed. The magazine ranked the school 309th in 2008 out of 316 schools. The school was ranked 281st in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state. Schooldigger.com ranked the school as 363rd out of 376 public high schools statewide in its 2010 rankings (a decrease of 6 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).

Athletics

The Pleasantville High School Greyhounds compete in the National Division of the Cape-Atlantic League, an athletic conference comprised of both public and private high schools located in Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, and Gloucester County, New Jersey counties, and operating under the aegis of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA). With 668 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 Patriot Division of the 94-team West Jersey Football League superconference and was classified by the NJSIAA as Group III South for football for 2024–2026, which included schools with 695 to 882 students.

Interscholastic sports offered at Pleasantville High School include:

Fall sports: Football (M), Cross Country, Soccer, Volleyball, Tennis and Cheerleading
Winter sports: Indoor Track, Basketball, Swim (Co-ed) and Cheerleading
Spring sports: Baseball, Softball, Tennis, and Track & Field.

All sports compete at the Varsity and Junior Varsity level. Some sports may offer a freshman team.

The school has had a longstanding sports rivalry with Atlantic City High School. The best known is between the basketball teams of both schools, an event that is referred to as "Battle By The Bay" which started in 1994. Atlantic City High won 13 games and Pleasantville has won 6. The cheerleading battle between both schools is considered to be one of the highlights of the event.

The boys' basketball team won the Group II title in 1974 (defeating runner-up Hillside High School in the tournament final), 1995 (vs. Boonton High School) and 1996 (vs. Dwight Morrow High School).

The girls' basketball team won the Group II state championships in 1978 (against Lyndhurst High School in the finals) and 1981 (vs. Queen of Peace High School). The 1978 team finished the season with a 24-3 record after winning the Group III title with a 49-42 win against Lyndhurst in the championship game. The 1981 team won the Group II title after they defeated Queen of Peace by a score of 60-45 in the championship game played at North Brunswick Township High School with 1,500 in attendance.

The girls' outdoor track and field team won the Group II state championship in 1995.

The boys track team won the indoor track Group I state championship in 1996, 2008, 2012 and 2013, and won the Group II title in 1999 (as co-champion). The girls team won the Group II title in 2011.

The boys track team won the Group II spring / outdoor track state championship in 1996, 1999 and 2018.

The boys' track team won the NJSIAA indoor relay championships in Group II in 1999 and in Group I in both 2012 and 2013.

In 2010, the cross country team won the Cape-Atlantic League conference championship, finishing the season undefeated with a record of 10-0.

In 2011, Pleasantville's track and field won two state titles at the Group I indoor track and field championships at the Bennett Center in Toms River.

The Pleasantville Lady Greyhounds Volleyball Team won the Cape-Atlantic League Tournament in 2022, reaching the finals without losing a single set match. In the final they went up against Atlantic County Institute of Technology, defeating them 25-19 and 25-22. That same season they went on to compete in the NJSIAA South Jersey, Group 2 Tournament, where they went undefeated in all set matches to face 3rd seeded Jackson Liberty, winning 25-18 and 25-21. This team became the first female volleyball team in all of Atlantic County to win a sectional state championship.

Shooting

Six suspects were arrested after a shooting broke out during the third quarter of a November 2019 football playoff game in Pleasantville against Camden High School, with Camden leading by a score of 6-0. A 10-year-old victim, one of four injured spectators, died days later. 31-year-old Alvin Wyatt, the suspected shooter pled not guilty to his charges which included murder, attempted murder, and weapons offenses. In July 2023, Wyatt was found guilty of his charges and he was sentenced to 70 years in prison the following September.

Administration

The school's principal is Lapell Chapman. Core members of the school's administration are the two assistant principals.

Notable alumni

Nia Ali (born 1988, class of 2006), track and field athlete, who specializes in the 100 m hurdles, heptathlon and other events.
Dino Hall (born 1955), former running back for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League who became a Physical Education teacher at the high school.
Gene Hart (1931–1999), sports announcer for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League and the Philadelphia Phantoms of the American Hockey League.
Ralph Peterson Jr. (born 1962, class of 1980), jazz drummer and bandleader.
Monique Samuels, television personality best known as a cast member of the reality television series The Real Housewives of Potomac.
Dave Vonner (born 1972), toy designer.

References

^ School data for Pleasantville High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 1, 2024.
^ Pleasantville High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
Abbott School Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed June 15, 2016.
Prisament, Steve. "Taxes rising as more Absecon students opt for public high school" Archived July 23, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Shore News Today, March 10, 2011. Accessed May 23, 2011. "'The increase in high school tuition for 2011-'12 is the reason we qualified for a tuition adjustment and is the reason for our 6.1-cent tax increase,' Superintendent James Giaquinto said Monday, March 7. 'We have budgeted $363,000 for Charter Tech, $370,000 for Pleasantville High School and $375,000 for Atlantic County Institute of Technology.'"
Brand, John. "Pleasantville Celebrates Math-A-Lon Champions", The Press of Atlantic City, March 22, 2004. Accessed February 6, 2012. "'Pleasantville High School is the home of the 2004 national champions of the Try-Math-A-Lon! You let the nation know that we do have students who are high achievers. We do have students who can compete at a national level and win,' she added."
Staff. "Pleasantville math team takes 2nd place", The Current of Pleasantville, December 1, 2011. Accessed December 7, 2015.
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 September 12, 2012.
Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed February 1, 2011.
"Top New Jersey High Schools 2008: By Rank", New Jersey Monthly, September 2008, posted August 7, 2008. Accessed May 24, 2011.
New Jersey High School Rankings: 11th Grade HSPA Language Arts Literacy & HSPA Math 2009-2010, Schooldigger.com. Accessed February 6, 2012.
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.
Pleasantville Greyhounds, 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.
Pleasantville High School Sports , NJ.com. Accessed February 6, 2012.
Rosenfeld, Josh. "NJ Boys Basketball: Battle By The Bay Highlights Weekend Events", The Star-Ledger, February 4, 2010. Accessed May 24, 2011.
NJSIAA Boys Basketball Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
Girls Basketball Championship History: 1919–2024, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated March 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.
"Lyndhurst girls bow", The Record, March 19, 1978. Accessed January 30, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Unheralded Lyndhurst, rated fifth in the North Jersey Section 1 Group 2 seedings, lost to Pleasantville 49-42 in the State Group 2 championship yesterday a surprising performance for the underdog Golden Bears but a disappointment nevertheless for Groszman."
Leach, Melinda. "Queen of Peace is 60-45 loser", The Record, March 22, 1981. Accessed February 1, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Queen of Peace finally ran out of miracles Friday night as it lost to Pleasantville, 60-45, in the Group 2 final of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Girls Basketball Tournament.... Pleasantville, on the other hand, began its season .with a 21-game winning streak and had visions of again winning the title it won three years, ago. The North Arlington team started well against the Greyhounds, but could not keep-up the pace before approximately 1,500 fans at North Brunswick Township High."
NJSIAA Girls Spring Track Summary of Group Titles, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
Boys Winter Track and Field Championship History: 1922-2023, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated November 2023. Accessed February 1, 2024.
Girls Winter Track and Field Championship History: 1922-2023, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated November 2023. Accessed February 1, 2024.
NJSIAA Spring Track Summary of Group Titles Boys, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed September 1, 2022.
History of the NJSIAA Indoor Relay Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed September 1, 2022.
Staff. "Cross country roundup: Jacob and Isaac Clark keep Pleasantville boys undefeated", The Press of Atlantic City, September 22, 2010. Accessed May 24, 2011.
Staff. "Pleasantville wins two state Group I indoor track and field titles", The Press of Atlantic City, February 19, 2011. Accessed May 24, 2011. "Pleasantville High School won two state titles Friday at the Group I indoor track and field championships at the Bennett Center in Toms River. Dontaye Rivera won the shot put in 56 feet, 6 inches. Pleasantville's 1,600-meter relay team of Shelby Williams, Jacob Clark, Jaycob Haines and Isaac Clark won in 3 minutes, 31.98 seconds."
"Girls Volleyball results: Atlantic Tech vs. Pleasantville, 10/24/2022". highschoolsports.nj.com.
"Girls Volleyball results: Jackson Liberty vs. Pleasantville, 11/8/2022". highschoolsports.nj.com.
Writer, GUY GARGAN Staff (November 8, 2022). "Pleasantville wins its first South Jersey volleyball championship". Press of Atlantic City.
Rowan, Tommy; Anastasia, Phil; Bender, William. "Six men arrested in connection with shooting at Camden-Pleasantville football playoff game", The Philadelphia Inquirer, November 16, 2019. Accessed November 16, 2019. "Six men have been arrested, one on charges of attempted murder, in connection with a shooting that left three people — including a 10-year-old boy — wounded Friday night at a playoff football game between Camden and Pleasantville High Schools. The shooting at the Pleasantville High School Athletic Complex during the third quarter of the game was the result of an unspecified dispute out of nearby Atlantic City, police said at a news conference Saturday afternoon."
Longman, Jeré; Garcia, Sandra E.; and Zaveri, Mihir. "10-Year-Old Boy Who Was Shot at High School Football Game Dies The victim was a spectator at a Friday night playoff game in New Jersey.", The New York Times, November 20, 2019. Accessed November 20, 2019. "But the mood at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Wednesday afternoon was not primarily one of triumph, as news spread that earlier that day a 10-year-old boy, Micah Tennant, one of three people injured in the shooting, had died.... He was a spectator at the playoff game at Pleasantville High School on Friday. Camden High School was ahead, 6-0, when, just before 8:30 p.m., with 17 minutes remaining in the game, the shooting unfolded, sending spectators and players scrambling for safety."
"Hearings, trials in Atlantic County Superior Court postponed again due to COVID-19".
Staff. "Man sentenced to 70 years for shooting that killed 10-year-old at NJ high school football game", WTXF-TV, September 13, 2023. Accessed September 28, 2023. "In July, Alvin Wyatt was found guilty of the murder of 10-year-old Micah Tennant, who was shot during a football game at Pleasantville High School in 2019.... On Tuesday, Wyatt was sentenced to 70 years in New Jersey State Prison for murder, attempted murder and related charges."
Administrative Team, Pleasantville High School. Accessed September 7, 2023.
McGarry, Michael. "Pleasantville grad Nia Ali overcame adversity to make Olympic team", The Press of Atlantic City, July 30, 2016. Accessed August 10, 2016. "The 2006 Pleasantville High School graduate will compete in the 100-meter hurdles when the Olympics begin in Rio de Janeiro on Friday.... Ali moved to Pleasantville for her senior year of high school."
Narducci, Marc. "Hall Trying To Revive Pleasantville", The Philadelphia Inquirer, October 23, 1986. Accessed May 24, 2011. "When Dino Hall played at Pleasantville, he wanted things very badly. Since he stands only 5-feet-7 and weighs 165 pounds, a good portion of the former running back's skill was derived from his desire to win. Hall enjoyed a prosperous, five-year career with the Cleveland Browns after graduating from Glassboro State in 1979."
Caller, You're on the Air, Atlantic City Weekly, June 1, 2006. "The late, legendary Gene Hart is best known as the voice of the Philadelphia Flyers, but the Pleasantville High School graduate got his start in the field of broadcasting in Atlantic County."
"Peterson the drummer comes home to Pleasantville", The Current of Pleasantville and Absecon, May 14, 2014. Accessed October 3, 2017. "Ralph Peterson Jr., one of Pleasantville High School's most remembered students, came home on Monday, May 12, to talk about life, success and failure to about 50 middle school and high school students."
About, MoniqueSamuels.com. Accessed April 5, 2022. "Monique was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey and graduated from Pleasantville High School as the Salutatorian of her class."
Ockershausen, Janice Iacona. "Monique Samuels – Real Housewives of Potomac and Not for Lazy Moms", Our Town with Andy Ockershausen, May 7, 2019. Accessed May 11, 2022. "Andy Ockershausen: Monique you’re so unique and I use that word and you’re not from Washington D.C. I found out in your resume you’re from Pleasantville New Jersey. M Samuels: Yeah.... Monique Samuels: Yeah, full academic scholarship. I graduated from Pleasantville High School, I was the Salutatorian"
Post, Michelle Brunetti. "Comic book fan and Pleasantville High School graduate helps make action figures at Hasbro", The Press of Atlantic City, January 29, 2011. Accessed September 21, 2015. "David Vonner, 38, grew up in Atlantic City's Pitney Village and graduated in 1990 from Pleasantville High School, where he was a talented artist, comic book fan and a bit of a class clown."

External links

Education in Atlantic County, New Jersey

School districts

K-8	Absecon Brigantine Egg Harbor City Estell Manor Folsom Galloway Township Hamilton Township Linwood Margate City Mullica Township Northfield Port Republic Somers Point Ventnor City Weymouth Township
K-12	Atlantic City Atlantic County Special Services Buena Regional Egg Harbor Township Hammonton Pleasantville
9-12	Atlantic County Vocational Greater Egg Harbor Regional Mainland Regional
None	Corbin City (to Upper Township for K-8 / Ocean City for 9-12) Longport (to Margate City)

Public
high schools

Private

Tertiary

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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