As of the 2022–23 school year, the school had an enrollment of 932 students and 85.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.0:1. There were 17 students (1.8% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 7 (0.8% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.[1]
Holmdel High School regularly ranks highly in academic competitions. Holmdel sports teams, notably the field hockey and boys tennis teams have been New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) state champions.
History
Until 1962, the district had sent students in grades nine to twelve to Keyport High School as part of a sending/receiving relationship. The district started sending students to Red Bank High School in 1962 and then Red Bank Regional High School when that district was established in 1969, which ended when the district opened Holmdel High School.[5][6]
The high school opened in September 1970 with a ninth grade that was housed in a middle school building that had been constructed two years earlier. While less than 60% of graduating eighth-graders in 1969 moved on to Red Bank High School, nearly all of the students who completed eighth grade in Holmdel in 1970 moved on to attend the new high school.[7]
The high school was constructed at a cost of $8.2 million (equivalent to $54.1 million in 2022) and a design capacity of 965 students, with a building that featured many large roof spans above open spaces and unusually shaped rooms that added substantially to the cost above those of other facilities constructed at the same time for comparable numbers of students. Ground was broken for the new facility in September 1971 and the first group of 701 students started attending the school two years later, in September 1973.[8]
Awards, recognition and rankings
In its listing of "America's Best High Schools 2016", the school was ranked 91st out of 500 best high schools in the country; it was ranked 19th among all high schools in New Jersey and sixth among the state's non-magnet schools.[9] In Newsweek's annual list of the top public high schools in America for 2015, Holmdel High School ranked at number 41 in the nation, the 13th-highest in New Jersey and the third-ranked of the state's non-selective high schools.[10]
In its 2013 report on "America's Best High Schools", The Daily Beast ranked the school 244th in the nation among participating public high schools and 19th among schools in New Jersey.[11] The school was ranked 179th in the nation and 13th in New Jersey on the list of "America's Best High Schools 2012" prepared by The Daily Beast / Newsweek, with rankings based primarily on graduation rate, matriculation rate for college and number of Advanced Placement / International Baccalaureate courses taken per student, with lesser factors based on average scores on the SAT / ACT, average AP/IB scores and the number of AP/IB courses available to students.[12]
In the 2011 "Ranking America's High Schools" issue by The Washington Post, the school was ranked 20th in New Jersey and 735th nationwide.[13] In Newsweek's May 22, 2007 issue, ranking the country's top high schools, Holmdel High School was listed in 480th place, the ninth-highest ranked school in New Jersey.[14] The school was ranked as the 45th-best public secondary school in New Jersey and the 380th-best in the U.S. in Newsweek magazine's listing of "America's Best High Schools" in 2006.,[15] and was ranked 426th in the 2005 rankings.[16]
The school was the 12th-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.[17] The school had been ranked 13th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 17th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.[18] The magazine ranked the school 11th in 2008 out of 316 schools.[19] Schooldigger.com ranked the school 38th out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (an increase of 1 position from the 2010 ranking) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the mathematics (94.3%) and language arts literacy (97.2%) components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).[20]
The chess team competes with other schools in the Shore Chess League of New Jersey (SCLNJ). The chess team won the 2005 New Jersey High School Booster Championship, and in 2006 won the New Jersey High School Varsity Championship.
Holmdel High School is home to Baseball Primetime, a regional cable television show that won the 2005 New York-area National Television High School Award for Excellence in the Sports category.[21]
Front of the school as seen from Crawfords Corner Road
Holmdel High School is physically connected to the William R. Satz Middle School and is notable for its unusual hexagonal architecture. The oldest part of the building structure is the English/Humanities Hallway, with classroom numbers running in the 100s. The main part was completed in 1973, including the Commons, the 400s, the 500s, the Library, the Gym, the Complex Auditorium, and the TV Studio. The 400s (and 500s on the second floor) are eccentrically designed in a circular fashion, with both ends reaching the Commons. They surround the Library and Conference area. In addition to classrooms, the 400s wing also houses the Humanities Department Office, The Sting newspaper office, and Creation yearbook office.
The Commons is the main meeting area of the school, with lunch, school events, and many after-school activities taking place there. Within the Commons is the Chartwells Lunch Service, where students buy food. The Commons is also a main advertising area for school events, such as club fundraisers, activities, sports events, and annual functions like Powderpuff and Spirit Week. The Complex Auditorium features state-of-the-art sound systems and hosts a multitude of events, ranging from the Holmdel Theater Guild annual productions to Holmdel Board of Education meetings. The large gym hosts basketball games and daily physical education classes. The TV studio hosts classes and TV production after school. The Library consists of several thousand volumes, and also contains nearly 40 desktop computers for student use. In 2000, construction of a new 600s/700s wing was completed, bringing new science facilities to the school. In 2004, construction of a new 800s/900s wing was completed, hosting both language and science classrooms. A new multipurpose gymnasium/cafeteria and the adjacent kitchen were constructed in 2004. However, the gymnasium's length is three feet short of the minimum that is required to host varsity basketball games and the kitchen has never been used because it was constructed without the proper ventilation systems. The Board of the Holmdel was disappointed with the implications of the construction error. States former president Mark Mawerds, "The carelessness that took place has resulted in a space that is not functional. The next rebuild will be done by professionals only."
Because of the open space Holmdel houses, the several dozen acres behind the school contain soccer, baseball, softball, field hockey, lacrosse, football, tennis, and track sports areas. The combination football/track field is known as Bob Roggy Field, named after the Holmdel alumnus who set the world javelin record. It was renovated as part of a project that began in 2006, which included the construction of a new six-lane track and a synthetic turf to replace the existing grass field.[23]
On Holmdel High School grounds is the Duncan Smith Theater, named after a Holmdel alumnus, in which Holmdel Theater Company and Holmdel Theater Guild productions are regularly performed.
Extracurricular activities
The students of Holmdel participate in a variety of activities, ranging from sports to academic clubs to artistic organizations on campus. The largest sport is track, and the largest extracurricular club is the KiwanisKey Club. Other clubs include Best Buddies, Future Business Leaders of America, Creation yearbook, The Sting newspaper, Eco Club, SPCA Club, Transitions, Model U.N, Operation Smile, Heroes and Cool Kids, and C.O.I.N . Holmdel also has a National Honors Society chapter.
The Holmdel High School TV Society finished its second season of The Hornet Report, a news show about Holmdel High School and the local community. The Hornet Report won a 2011 Telly Award.[24] The TV Society also won the 2011 NJM BIANJ Award for its public service announcement, "Don't Press Send Until Your Ride Ends".[25]
The Holmdel Theatre Guild is Holmdel High School's resident theatre production company. Each year, it hosts three major productions, including a fall drama, winter musical, and a one-act play festival in the spring.
The Holmdel mascot is the Hornet. During the American Revolutionary War the British named this area the Hornet's Nest because the sting from the town's fighting patriots meant frequent defeat to the British raiders.
The Student Advisory Board is the main student governing body of the school. It is responsible for approving/denying fundraisers, dealing with club and organization issues, and serving as a liaison between the administration and the student body. The Student Council, on the other hand, deals with issues specific to each grade. The Student Council of the Holmdel High School is a separate entity from the Student Advisory Board. The Student Council consists of class officers, e.g. Freshman President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and two S.A.B. representatives.
The band program offered in Holmdel High School has won numerous awards from various festivals and ranked competitions. The band program in Holmdel High School consists of a symphonic band and a jazz ensemble. The jazz band is audition-only and travels to numerous competitions in the tri-state area every year. Many students from the band program successfully audition for various honors ensembles, including the All Shore Jazz and Symphonic Bands and CJMEA Region Bands.[26]
Athletics
The Holmdel High School Hornets[3] compete in Division A Central of the Shore Conference, an athletic conference comprised of public and private high schools in Monmouth and Ocean counties along the Jersey Shore.[2][27] The league operates under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).[28] With 712 students in grades 10-12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Group II for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 486 to 758 students in that grade range.[29] The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Group III South for football for 2022–2024, which included schools with 680 to 889 students.[30]
The school participates in a joint ice hockey team with Marlboro High School as the host school / lead agency. The co-op program operates under agreements scheduled to expire at the end of the 2023–24 school year.[31]
The boys cross country team won the Group II state championship in 1994, 1995, 2001, 2011 and 2012.[41][42]
In 1998 and 1999, the boys' basketball team won back-to-back Group II state championships by defeating West Morris Mendham High School both seasons.[43] The 1998 team won the program's first state title with a 67-52 against West Morris Mendham in the Group II championship game.[44] The team won its second consecutive Group II title in 1999 with a 55-51 win against West Morris Mendham in the tournament final at the Atlantic City Convention Hall.[45] The 1999 team went on to defeat Parsippany High School in the quarterfinals of the Tournament of Champions by a score of 77-55 before falling to eventual ToC champion Seton Hall Preparatory School by a score of 63–42 in the semifinals.[46]
In 2001, the baseball team won the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group II state sectional championship, beating Spotswood High School by a score of 7–1.[47]
The field hockey team won the Central Jersey Group II state sectional title in 2007 and the North II Group III title in 2008.[48] In 2007, the field hockey team won the Central Jersey Group II sectional championship with a 2–1 win over Allentown High School in the tournament final.[49]
The boys soccer team won the Group III state championship in 2010 (defeating Chatham High School in the tournament final), and won the Group II title in 2017 (vs. Dover High School) and 2018 (vs. Glen Rock High School).[50] In 2006, the boys' soccer team won the North II Group III state sectional championship, beating Voorhees High School 4–2, before losing in the Group III state championship game by a score of 3–0 to Ramapo High School.[51] In 2010, the team finished the season with a 22-1 record, having won the Group III title, the program's first, with a 2–1 win over Chatham in the championship game. The victory was the first and only Group III championship won by Holmdel in any sport.[52][53] The 2017 team finished the season with a 21-1-1 record after winning the program's first championship in the Shore Conference Tournament title with a 7-1 win against Ocean Township High School in the finals and taking the Group II title with a 4-1 win against Dover in the championship game played at Kean University.[53][54] The 2018 team won the program's third state title and second in two years after a 3-1 win against Glen Rock in the Group II finals, to finish the season 22-0-1.[55]
Holmdel girls' soccer varsity won the NJSIAA Group II state championship in 2014, the program's first, with a 1–0 victory in the tournament final against Ramapo High School.[56][57]
Controversy
While attending an off-site pre-season football training camp in the summer of 1989 at Camp Green Lane located in Pennsylvania, senior members of the Holmdel Hornets Football team were alleged to have committed acts of "hazing," forcing underclassmen (mostly sophomores) to remove their clothing and play a game of Twister. The event was videotaped. The Record of November 12, 1989, is quoted as stating that "some coaches reportedly were disciplined."[58] The incident also appeared on an episode of A Current Affair, a news tabloid show on WNYW, Fox Television, in 1989. As a result of the incident, all of the school's 85 football players reportedly were ordered to undergo mental health counseling.[59] In 1991, the sophomores who had been hazed (then seniors) went 9-2 and were the runner up for the Central Jersey Group II state sectional title.
In 1997, Holmdel High School had an additional incident of hazing in the news, related to the soccer team. More than 200 people attended a Board of Education meeting after hazing reports surfaced. Many were angry that someone had complained about hazing. "Soccer is not a sport of the timid," a mother told the board, according to the Asbury Park Press.[60]
In September 2005, a lawsuit was filed against the Holmdel Board of Education on behalf of a lesbian student claiming that she had been abused and assaulted by fellow students, including an incident where she injured her ankle after being pushed down a stairway.[61]
In Fall 2005, six-year head football coach Joe O'Connor stepped down in protest against the school administration's reinstatement of a player he had dismissed from the team. In a show of support for O'Connor's stand, all nine assistant football coaches resigned as well.[62]
In October 2013, Laurie Cancalosi, an openly gay physical education teacher at Holmdel, was awarded $800,000 in a wrongful termination lawsuit that also alleged that the district had created a hostile work environment.[63]
In May 2018, Kenilworth Public Schools superintendent Thomas Tramaglini was charged for lewdness, littering, and public defecation after being caught defecating on the Holmdel High School track after police and school officials found human feces near the bleachers "daily".[64]
In January 2024, superintendent J. Scott Coscone had described Teaching While Muslim, a website about Muslim heritage that had been used in the district as a resource for Muslim Heritage Month, as including material that was "biased and antisemitic", after community members had raised concerns about political content on the site related to Palestine, Sudan and Israel. The director of the organization behind Teaching While Muslim criticized the superintendent's response, saying that labeling the content as antisemitic was a way of silencing the organization and preventing inclusivity in education.[65]
Administration
The school's principal is Matthew Kukoda. His administration team includes two assistant principals.[66]
Michael V. Pomarico (born 1955, class of 1974), six-time Emmy Award Winner who was a member of the school's first graduating class and produced the 2006 documentary Coming Home Again - An Evening With Dr. Richard White about the school's history.[74]
Bob Roggy (1956–1986, class of 1974), who set the American javelin throw record in the early 1980s, whose javelin is on display in the front entrance hall of Holmdel HS, and after whom the Holmdel HS football field and track is named.[75]
^"School Regionalization Idea Remains Alive at Union Beach", Asbury Park Press, October 21, 1973. Accessed November 22, 2020. "It has been in effect since November 1964, after six years of negotiations, during the interim when Keyport and Holmdel Township were studying the possibility of a Keyport-Holmdel high school arrangement. Since then Holmdel has built a high school which opened in September.... But Keyport became the receiving district not only for Holmdel, but Raritan, and Union Beach. Holmdel transferred to Red Bank as a sending district in 1962."
^History of RBRHS, Red Bank Regional High School. Accessed November 10, 2019. "Prior to November 25, 1969, high school students from Little Silver, Shrewsbury and Holmdel attended Red Bank High School, along with Red Bank students, in a special arrangement with the Red Bank Board of Education known as a sending-receiving district agreement. The arrangement was discontinued with the formation of the Red Bank Regional High School District in 1969."
^"First High School Pupils at Holmdel", The Keyport Weekly, September 10, 1970. Accessed January 19, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Holmdel High School, new in the number of secondary schools in this area, opened its doors Wednesday. There is only a ninth grade for this year, as a building projected to house the four grades will not be completed until late 1972. The current ninth grade school is housed in the Intermediate School, opened two years ago on the same tract at Crawford's Corner Rd. and Holland Rd. where the new high school building will be erected.... Dr. Crespy commented that in the class of 1969 there were 138 eighth grade graduates from Holmdel grammar schools, but only 81 entered Red Bank High School, the receiving institution, or any other public high school. This year, according to Dr. Crespy, there were 148 eighth grade graduates of Holmdel schools, and there are 147 pupils enrolled in the ninth grade of the new Holmdel High School."
^Caizza, Tom. "Holmdel breaks ground on Roggy Field project"Archived January 24, 2013, at archive.today, Holmdel Independent, February 1, 2006. Accessed July 13, 2011. "The restoration of Bob Roggy Field officially began on Saturday when residents and local dignitaries met to break ground on the $1.5 million project.... The grass turf on Roggy Field, located on the Holmdel High School campus, will be replaced by artificial grass, a process that can take months to complete and requires public and private support."
^"Holmdel girls 'deliver' Group 1 Crown to Ferraro", Asbury Park Press, October 28, 1978. Accessed February 8, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "The first-year girls tennis coach at Holmdel High School was presented his first state championship yesterday when the Hornets defeated Chatham Township, 4-1.... But yesterday, all Ferraro could do was pace nervously along the outside of the fence around Princeton University's courts, anxiously watching as his team battled past a Chatham squad that a year ago beat a veteran Holmdel squad, 4-1, and had the entire championship team back on the Princeton courts against a Holmdel team with two new singles players and both doubles teams."
^Jordan, Bob. "Holmdel, RBC advance to TOC", Asbury Park Press, October 28, 1999. Accessed January 19, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "One other thing stood out: Holmdel's Sheela Raman and her counterpart from Chatham had a state Group II championship hanging in the balance as they worked their way through three grueling sets at Mercer County Park yesterday. When Raman held her ground at the net and used her backhand to cut off Sarah Scardilli's passing shot for a service break and match point, Holmdel had a 3-2 victory to take the title and earn a trip to the Tournament of Champions. Both the Hornets (16-2) and Red Bank Catholic, which won the Parochial A title yesterday, will play in the TOC quarterfinals Saturday at Inman Racquet Club, Edison.... The Hornets started the day by taking a Group II semifinal match from Pascack Hills, 4-1, with singles players sweeping and Lauren Brunelli and Lindsay Rubin winning at second doubles."
^Havsy, Jane. "NJ girls tennis: Holmdel wins 5th straight statewide Group 2 title, TOC next", Daily Record, October 19, 2018. Accessed December 7, 2020. "Holmdel at this point is the undisputed ruler of girls tennis among Group 2 schools in New Jersey. The Hornets (20-1) picked up their latest statewide title by beating Haddonfield 4-1 in the Group 2 semifinal and then Demarest, 3-2, at Mercer County Park on Thursday."
^Stump, Scott. "Holmdel finishes season No. 1; The Hornets top Dwight-Englewood 3-2 to win the Tournament of Champions", Asbury Park Press, May 31, 2002. Accessed December 7, 2020. "The Hornets capped the greatest season by any Shore Conference boys tennis team in more than a decade by beating Dwight-Englewood 3-2 yesterday to become the first Shore team to win the state Tournament of Champions since Christian Brothers Academy in 1990. Holmdel is the first state champion other than Newark Academy since Millburn won in 1994."
^Shwalb, Bob. "NV/Demarest boys tennis falls in Group 2 state final", The Record, May 24, 2017. Accessed December 9, 2020. "On Wednesday, Kim was overpowered by Holmdel’s Harrison Lim on the second-singles court, 6-0 and 6-0. Kim’s teammates didn’t fare much better as the locals fell to the Central Jersey superpower, 5-0. The season-ending loss did nothing to dampen NV/Demarest’s collective spirits, though."
^"Holmdel wins fourth boys tennis Group 2 championship in a row, beats Haddonfield, 4-1 (PHOTOS)", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, May 23, 2018, updated August 23, 2019. Accessed December 9, 2020. "Holmdel, the No. 10-ranked team in the latest NJ.com Top 20, defeated Haddonfield, 4-1, in the NJSIAA Group 2 final on Wednesday at Mercer County Park. It is Holmdel's fourth straight title, sixth in the last seven years, and ninth overall."
^"Mendham plays tough still falls in title game", Daily Record, March 16, 1998. Accessed December 7, 2020. "With superior shooting inside and on the perimeter, Holmdel defeated Mendham 67-52 in the Group II championship contest last night at the Atlantic City Convention Hall. The Hornets' Adam Fleischner scored 17 points and grabbed six rebounds to earn Most Valuable Player honors for the contest and help Holmdel (26-3) to its first Group II title."
^Jordan, Bob. "Holmdel nabs 2nd straight group title", Asbury Park Press, March 15, 1999. Accessed December 7, 2020. "Faced with a desperate situation of needing David Klatsky to fail at the foul line in the waning moments of last night's state Group II championship game, West Morris-Mendham found out why Klatsky has avoided staying late when Holmdel practices. A magnificent 27-point performance by Klatsky featured 10-for-10 shooting from the line in the fourth quarter, allowing Holmdel to protect its lead for a 55-51 boys basketball victory at the Convention Center, giving the Hornets the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Group II title for the second straight year."
^Orlando, Chris. "Holmdel 2, Chatham 1 (High school Boys' Soccer scores and results)", The Star-Ledger, November 22, 2010. Accessed January 10, 2012. "But last night, when the set piece was called upon, it helped produce the Monmouth County school's first state title. Dan Metzger blasted in his second goal of the game with 10:14 remaining in the second half off a free kick to lift Holmdel, No. 20 in The Star-Ledger Top 20, to a dramatic 2-1 victory over No. 9 Chatham in the championship game of the NJSIAA/The Sports Authority Stores Group 3 tournament before 1,000 at The College of New Jersey in Ewing."
^ abLoGiudice, Daniel. "NJ boys soccer: 30 greatest Jersey Shore teams ever", Asbury Park Press, June 16, 2020. Accessed December 8, 2020. "2010 Holmdel (22-1) - The first of three group titles for Holmdel and head coach John Nacarlo, the Hornets won their historic title with a 2-1 win against Chatham in the Group III final."
^LoGiudice, Daniel; and Havsy, Jane. "Holmdel boys soccer captures first state title since 2010", Asbury Park Press, November 19, 2017. Accessed December 7, 2020. "Dominating all day long, Holmdel topped Dover 4-1 in the Group II final on a blustery Sunday morning at Kean University to bring home its second NJSIAA title and its first since 2010.... The Hornets (22-1-1) got on the board early with an impressive 30-yard strike from senior Michael Neff 15 minutes in."
^LoGiudice, Daniel. "NJ boys soccer: Holmdel wins second straight state title", Asbury Park Press, November 17, 2018. Accessed December 7, 2020. "Entering the second half with the score tied at one, Holmdel took the lead in the 66th minute when senior Mark McStay scored on a header off a free kick from senior Jack Russo as the Hornets defeated Glen Rock 3-1 in the Group II final at Kean University.... The Hornets finish the 2018 season with a 22-0-1 record after going 22-1-1 last year."
^"Holmdel H.S. grid coaches all quit: Pop Warner staff will take over", Asbury Park Press, October 27, 2005. Accessed December 9, 2020, via Newspapers.com. "Two days after Holmdel High School head football coach Joe O'Connor abruptly resigned, all nine assistant football coaches at the school turned in their resignations on Wednesday in a show of solidarity. O'Connor resigned Monday in the middle of his sixth season as head coach because he said he believed the administration undermined his authority after he dismissed a player from the team on Saturday and that player was reinstated by the administration on Monday."
^Oglesby, Amanda. "Holmdel superintendent apologized for Muslim materials; tensions remain high", Asbury Park Press, January 16, 2024. Accessed February 15, 2024. "Schools Superintendent J. Scott Cascone apologized to staff and the community after what he described as 'biased and antisemitic' material was distributed to teachers as a resource for Muslim Heritage Month. In a staff email on Jan. 4, links directed teachers to the website TeachingWhileMuslim.org. The website hosts recommended lesson plans on teaching about Muslim heritage, but also includes political messages about Palestine, Sudan and Israel that spurred objections from some staff and members of the community."
^Safran, Chad A. "People On The Move - Chris Dell", Living Media, October 20, 2009, backed up by the Internet Archive as of March 15, 2012. Accessed January 19, 2021. "'The challenges are immense. People here look to me for the key signals on almost everything, yet my job is to strike a balance and encourage their independence and ability to make good decisions about their own future,' says the Holmdel native, who spent several summers working for Jim and John Ackerson on their Holmdel Road farm. Chris was also one of Holmdel High School’s first graduates – class of 1974."
^Edelson, Stephen. "NFL Draft: Colts select Holmdel's Quenton Nelson No. 6 overall", Asbury Park Press, April 26, 2018. Accessed April 4, 2020. "After playing at Holmdel High School as a freshman, Nelson transferred to Red Bank Catholic, where he was a two-time first-team All-Shore selection along the offensive line, playing in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio Texas, as a senior."
^Caiazza, Tom. "Home sweet Holmdel; Saturday event to celebrate the history of Holmdel High School"Archived December 11, 2014, at archive.today, Independent, May 17, 2006. Accessed December 10, 2014. "Little do most know, but Holmdel High School has an alma mater.... Michael Pomarico, a Holmdel resident and member of that fateful class that included Bob Roggy, the world-class javelin thrower and namesake for the school's football field, has put together an evening of reunion and history, legacy and future building that is meant to provide a link of past to the present."
^USATF Notes; Marion, Monique and Tom Petronoff, USATF, June 8, 2007. "The meet is hosted by Shore Athletic Club in cooperation with Holmdel High School, alma mater of the late Bob Roggy, a former world No. 1 in the javelin."
^Bourbea, Mary Ann. "Holmdel Writer Brings Her Story to Hollywood", The Two River Times, May 25, 2016. Accessed February 5, 2018. "After graduating from Holmdel High School in 1995, Scafaria studied English with a writing concentration and a theater minor at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, and later transferred to Montclair State University, where she earned her degree."
