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The average SAT score of Neshaminy students in 2020 is 1190 (600 math, 590 verbal). The average ACT score is 28. Neshaminy High School's average graduation rate is 93%. [5]
Extracurricular activities
Neshaminy High School offers dozens of academic, artistic, and athletic co-curricular activities including (but not limited to): Action Adventure Club, Anime Club, Art Studio, Book Club, Ceramics Club, Change It Up Club, Color Guard, Concert Choir, Dance Team, Debate Team, Diversity Pride Club, Dramatics, Environmental Action Club, Friends Helping Friends, Future Business Leaders of America, Future Problem Solvers, Interact, Jazz Band and Ensemble, Marching Band, MiniTHON, Nature Club, National Honor Society, Photography, Reading Olympics, Select Choir, Spectrum, World Language Club, and Yearbook. [6] Neshaminy athletic teams compete in fall, winter and spring sports at the 9th-grade, junior varsity and varsity levels. Neshaminy competes in the PIAA Suburban One League. [7]
Gym Night
Gym Night started in 1953 as a co-curricular athletic and artistic competition. Students divide into red and blue teams for each grade. Over two days each year, they compete in choreographed, costumed, large-group themed dance exhibitions and various athletic competitions. [8][better source needed]
Howler Literary Magazine
Originally named "Expressions Literary Magazine", Howler Literary Magazine has received Pennsylvania School Press Association awards.
Playwickian
The Playwickian is the high school's award-winning newspaper. The name comes from one of the names of the Native American tribes living in the area around the Neshaminy Creek.[citation needed] The Playwickian has received awards from Columbia University for outstanding performance.[9] Due to being a Pennsylvania student publication, the Playwickian is subjected to and granted certain rights by Section 12.9 of the Pennsylvania Code.[10]
Sports
The school has won several athletic championships.
The soccer program has four state championship titles. The Boys' program won PIAA State Championships in 1982, 1984, and 1994. The Girls' program won the title in 2013.
Football Team
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The first football team was assembled in 1928 when the school was known as Langhorne-Middletown High School. Of notable success in the early years is when head coach Mike DeRisi led the team to a combined record of 14-4-2 in 1946 and 1947. The team became a traditional powerhouse when head coach Harry E. Franks took over the team from 1952 through 1959. Under the direction of Franks, the team compiled a 69-10-2 record (.792%), scored 2203 points for to 857 points against, and had undefeated seasons in 1954 and 1956. John Petercuskie took over the head coaching reins from 1960 through 1965 and led the team to a 59-1-5 record (.983%), scored 1925 points for to 410 points against, 26 shutout victories, undefeated seasons between 1960 and 1965, except 1961, with a 51-game unbeaten streak starting in 1961 and lasting until 1965. Jack Swartz coached the team from 1968 through 1972, compiling a 43-11-1 record (.796%). The 1971 team, which had an 11–0 perfect record, is widely regarded as one of the best in Pennsylvania history and by some as Pennsylvania's team of the century.[citation needed] In 1988, coach John Chaump took a team with an 11–0 regular-season record to the semi-finals of the first-ever Pennsylvania state playoffs (statewide). Head coach Mark Schmidt (1995–present) has continued the winning tradition with a 119–54 overall record[when?], a regular-season record of 102–38 (since 1996), and a state playoff record of 16–6. Schmidt's resume also includes 3 conference championships (01, 05, 08), 2 conference co-championships (02, 04), 7 state playoff appearances (01-09, except 03 and 06), 3 district-one championship appearances (01, 04, 08), 2 district-one championships (01, 04), 2 eastern PA championship appearances (01, 04), 2 eastern PA championships (01, 04), 2 PA state championship appearances (01, 04), and 1 PA state championship (2001). The 2001 team compiled a perfect 15-0 overall record while running back Jamar Brittingham carried the ball for 2,575 yards (2,355 m) in 14 games played.
Neshaminy produces many players who play football at all college levels. Some of the players that have gone onto Division-I and Division I-AA from 1988 to 2008 include (Year = HS Senior Season); 1988: RB/KR Brian Moser (D-I Penn State); 1989: OL/DL Mike Frederick (D-I Virginia); 1999: RB/DB Chris Vincent (D-I Oregon); 2001: RB/DB Jamar Brittingham (D-I Rutgers / D-II Bloomsburg), DB/WR Mike Loveland (D-I Temple); 2002: DE/TE Geoff Donahue (D-IAA Towson); 2004: K Kevin Kelly (D-I Penn State), RB/DB Georg Coleman (D-I Temple), RB Chris Eccles (D-IAA Iona), OL Maurice Jones (D-IAA Robert Morris), P Brett Arnold (D-IAA UMASS); 2005: DT/OT Tom McEowen (D-I Penn State), DB/RB Jared Kinney (D-I Temple), DB/WR Jason Kinney (D-I Temple), OT/DE Chris Daino (D-IAA Delaware), WR/S Doug Rosnick (D-IAA Colgate), DE/FB Josh Auerbach (D-IAA Stony Brook), OL Marcellous Jones (D-IAA Duquesne); 2006: RB/DB Kitt Anderson (D-I Temple); 2008: TE/DE Paul Carrezola (D-I Rutgers), OL/DT Dan Shirey (D-IAA Villanova), DE/FB Jay Colbert (D-IAA New Hampshire).
A few Neshaminy players who have spent time in the NFL and the CFL include Steve Shull (Dolphins), Harry Schuh (Raiders, Rams, Packers), Bob Grupp (Chiefs), Matt Bahr (Steelers, Browns, Giants, Patriots, 49ers, Eagles), Chris Bahr (Bengals, Raiders, Chargers), Rick Eccles (Winnipeg Blue Bombers) Mike Frederick (Browns, Ravens, Titans), Jim Dumont (Browns), Chris Vincent (Lions, Cardinals), Jamar Brittingham (Falcons).
Suburban One League National Conference Patriot Division, PIAA Class AAAA District One, PIAA Class AAAA Eastern Pennsylvania, PIAA Class AAAA Pennsylvania State
Neshaminy High School athletic teams are known as the Redskins. In 2012, a Neshaminy parent of Native American descent started a campaign to change the name because of its racially offensive and harmful nature. The parent spoke at numerous board meetings, though Neshaminy made no progress. A complaint was filed with Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC) in 2013. After a thorough investigation, the PHRC ruled against the Neshaminy school district. The PHRC ruled that Neshaminy must change the name along with other terms of adjustment, which the school administration appealed.
On October 23, 2013, the student editorial board of the high school's newspaper, the Playwickian, declared its intention to no longer reference the team with the term "Redskin" in its publications.[13] The school administration declared that the Playwickian editorial board lacked the power to decide to stop using the term "Redskins".[14] On April 2, 2014, students Jackson Haines and Emily Scott received awards from the 2014 Scholastic Keystone Press Awards contest from articles published in the Playwickian on the issue.[15] Haines would also receive a Gold Circle Award from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association later that year for the same article. In early July, the Pennsylvania High School Press Association awarded Journalism Teacher of the Year to Tara Huber, an adviser for the Playwickian for assisting the students on publishing publications for the Playwickian during the issue.[16]
In May 2014, a student submitted an opinion editorial containing the "Redskin" term. The Neshaminy principal demanded that the Playwickian run the piece, and threatened that the final issue would not be allowed to be distributed otherwise. The Playwickian ran its last issue of the year without the piece a few days later. Neshaminy reacted by censoring the issue, confiscating the publication, calling for an emergency meeting with co-editor Gillian McGoldrick, and restricting access to Playwickian social media and website accounts.[17][18] McGee would later defend his actions in a statement on the website for the school.[19] On June 26, 2014, the Neshaminy board allowed the Playwickian to ban the term "Redskin" in articles, but required the paper to publish editorials and letters to the editor with the term present and unedited.[20]
In 2015, the PHRC made a preliminary finding that the name Redskins is "racially derogatory" and creates a "hostile educational environment." The case then proceeded to a full commission hearing.[21] After six years of controversy, the PHRC held a hearing in January 2019.[22]
In November 2019, the PHRC ruled that Neshaminy could continue to use the name, but must cease using any imagery promoting negative stereotypes of Native Americans, and must educate its students about Native American history to prevent the use of stereotypes.[23] The school district spent over $400,000 in legal fees in its campaign to retain the Redskin nickname.[24]
Campus
Neshaminy High School consists of one main hallway, with hallways branching off of the main by department, arranging classes of similar types (such as art, math, social studies, and science) in the same region of the school. There are two gymnasiums, one at the front of the school and one at the back. Of its two theaters, the smaller black box theater is used primarily for performances by the school's drama department. The larger Theodore Kloos Auditorium in the front of the building is used by the school's music department and outside groups for performances and Neshaminy's annual musical.
Renovation
In 2003 the Neshaminy school board proposed the demolition of the current school building and construction of a new facility on current school grounds. This plan was priced at $100 million and would require the issuance of an $85 million tax funded bond. In April 2004 residents defeated the new building plan via referendum due in large part to the price.[25]
As an alternative plan, the school board decided to demolish sections of the school and rebuild them as the school year proceeded. This major renovation project was estimated to cost $72 million and would replace 95% of classroom facilities but retain some existing structures like the auditorium, gym, cafeteria, and library. Unlike the rest of the school, which has only received basic upkeep since the 1950s, these facilities have already undergone major renovation as recently as 1995. Neshaminy completed the project in September 2009.[25]
