As of the 2022–23 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,427 students and 106.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.4:1. There were 296 students (20.7% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 72 (5.0% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.[1]
History
Officially named Joseph Steinert Memorial High School, the school opened in 1967 as the district's second secondary school.[5] The school was named in honor of Steinert, who donated the land for the school.[6]
Awards, recognition and rankings
The school was the 148th-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.[7] The school had been ranked 204th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 189th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.[8] The magazine ranked the school 199th in 2008 out of 316 schools.[9] Schooldigger.com ranked the school as 176th out of 376 public high schools statewide in its 2010 rankings (an increase of 21 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).[10]
The Steinert High School Spartans[2] compete in the Colonial Valley Conference, which is comprised of public and private high schools in the Mercer County area and operates under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association.[11] With 920 students in grades 10–12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Group III for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 761 to 1,058 students in that grade range.[12] The football team competes in the Valley Division of the 94-team West Jersey Football League superconference[13][14] and is classified by the NJSIAA as Group IV South for football for 2022–2024, which included schools with 893 to 1,296 students.[15]
The school maintains sports rivalries with fellow Hamilton schools: the Hamilton West Hornets and the Nottingham Northstars. Steinert plays against crosstown rival Hamilton West on Thanksgiving Day in football.[16] The two schools have played each other on Thanksgiving Day since 1959[17] as the only Thanksgiving Day football game in Mercer County.[18] The rivalry with Hamilton West was listed at 16th on NJ.com's 2017 list "Ranking the 31 fiercest rivalries in N.J. HS football". Hamilton West leads the rivalry with a 34–23–1 overall record as of 2017.[19]
School colors are dark green and white. Sports offered include baseball (men), basketball (men and women), cross country (men and women), field hockey (women), football (men), golf (men), ice hockey (men), lacrosse (men and women), soccer (men and women), softball (women), swimming (men and women), tennis (men and women), track and field spring (men and women), wrestling (men), and cheerleading (women and men).[2]
The school participates together with Hamilton High School West in a joint ice hockey team in which Nottingham High School is the host school / lead agency . The co-op program operates under agreements scheduled to expire at the end of the 2023–24 school year.[20]
Baseball
The baseball team won the Group III state championship in 1978 (defeating Teaneck High School in the tournament's final game), 1998 (vs. Bayonne High School), 1999 (vs. Morris Knolls High School), 2000 (vs. Bloomfield High School), 2006 (vs. Randolph High School), and won the Group III title in 1992 (vs. Hoboken High School) and 1996 (vs. Nutley High School); the team's seven state titles are the second-most of any public school program in the state.[21] The 1978 team finished the season at 20-4 after winning the Group III state title by defeating Teaneck by a score of 9–0 in the championship game.[22] The 1992 baseball team defeated Hoboken by a score of 5–4, to win the NJSIAA Group III state championship and finish the year with a 31–1 record, the most wins ever recorded in a season by a Mercer County baseball school. The team was inducted into the Steinert Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008.[23] The 1996 team finished the season with a 24–5 record after winning the Group III title after defeating Nutley by a score of 4–3 in the championship game.[24] A 3–0 win against Bloomfield gave the 2000 team the Group IV state title and a 30–2 record for the season.[25]
Cross country
The boys' cross country team won the Group III state championship in 1987.[26]
Field hockey
The field hockey team won the North II Group IV state sectional championship in 2000 and the Central Jersey Group IV title in 2007.[27] In 2007, the field hockey team won the Central Jersey, Group IV state sectional championship with a 1–0 win over Toms River High School South in the tournament final.[28]
Football
The 1966 varsity football team led by Head Coach Pete Brescia had a perfect 9-0-0 record and remains the only unbeaten team in SHS history.[29]
Boys' soccer
The boys' soccer team won the Group IV state championship in 1966 (as co-champion with Bloomfield High School), 1969 and 1970 (as co-champions with Hackensack High School both years), 1971 (vs. Kearny High School), 1973 (vs. John F. Kennedy High School of Paterson), 1975 (as co-champion with Kearny High School) and 1977 (vs. Livingston High School), and won the Group III state title in 1984 (vs. Indian Hills High School) and 1988 (vs. West Morris Mendham High School); the program's nine state titles are tied for third-most among all public school soccer teams.[30] The 1969 team finished the season with a record of 18-0-2 after the Group IV title game against Hackensack ended in a 1–1 tie, making the two teams co-champions.[31]
Girls' soccer
The girls soccer team won the Group III state championship in 1988, defeating runner-up Indian Hills High School in the finals.[32] In 2007, the team won the Central, Group IV state sectional championship with a 1–0 win over Jackson Memorial High School in the tournament final.[33][34]
Softball
The softball team won the Group IV state championship in 2004 (defeating Clifton High School in the tournament final) and won the Group III title in 2016 (vs. Middletown High School South) and 2018 (vs. Indian Hills High School). The team won the 2018 Tournament of Champions against Immaculate Conception High School.[35] The girls' softball team won the 2004 NJSIAA Group IV state championship against Clifton High School.[36] The team won the 2016 Group III state title with a 6–2 win against Middletown High School South in the tournament's final round.[37] The team won the 2018 Group III state title with a 2–0 win against Indian Hills High School[38] and went on to win the Tournament of Champions and finish the season with a 26–5 record with a 9–0 win against Immaculate Conception of Lodi, with all nine runs scored in the first inning.[39]NJ.com ranked Steinert as their number-one softball team in the state in 2018.[40]
Administration
The school's principal is Bryan Rogers. His core administration team includes the two vice principals and the athletic director.[3]
^About Our District, Hamilton Township School District. Accessed April 16, 2021. "The Hamilton Township School District is comprised of a diverse group of nearly 12,400 students. It consists of 23 schools; which include 3 high schools, 3 middle schools, and 17 elementary schools."
^Our History, The Historical Society of Hamilton Township. Accessed May 8, 2023. "1967: Hamilton High School East - Joseph Steinert Memorial High School opens"
^Ferrara, Sue. "Hamilton Township school names have varied, interesting origins", Community News, May 1, 2021. Accessed May 8, 2023. "And Steinert is named Hamilton High School East — Joseph Steinert Memorial. This information is from the obituary for Mr. Steinert's grandson, Harry, who died in 2018 at the age of 93. Mr. Steinert’s grandfather was honored by Hamilton when the Joseph S. Steinert High School East, now known as Nottingham High School, was built on land he donated to ensure additional education opportunities for the children of Hamilton Township."
^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."
^Miller, Sean. "Times of Trenton football: Previewing Hamilton West-Steinert on Thanksgiving Day", NJ Advance Media for The Times, November 21, 2017. "For both the Hamilton West and Steinert football teams, the 2017 season has been varying degrees of disappointing.... Now, the two reeling squads will meet on Thanksgiving Day, 10:30 a.m. at Hamilton West, for the final game of the season. Hamilton West leads the all-time series 33-23-1, after a 14-13 win last season for the Spartans."
^O'Gorman, George. "Talk of the Township: Steinert drops Hamilton for 2nd straight time in annual Turkey Day game", The Trentonian, November 23, 2011, updated November 13, 2018. Accessed September 7, 2020. "Yesterday, for the second year in a row, it was Frank Gatto's Spartans who took control in the second half in front of 5,500 fans and powered their way to a 28-14 win over Hamilton in Mercer County's only Thanksgiving Day football rivalry."
^Stypulkoski, Matt. "Ranking the 31 fiercest rivalries in N.J. HS football", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, October 27, 2017, updated May 15, 2019. Accessed December 1, 2020. "16-Hamilton West vs. Steinert. This Thanksgiving, these intra-district rivals will meet for the 59th time in Hamilton West's only home game of 2017.... All-time series: Hamilton West leads, 34-23-1"
^Muscarella, Leni. "Mistakes foil Teaneck in State final; Hamilton East breezes to 9-0 Group 4 win", The Record, June 11, 1978. Accessed February 21, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "It was as if all the scholastic baseball pitfalls Teaneck had managed to avoid until yesterday suddenly came down on the heads of the Highwaymen in their most important game of the season. When it was over, Hamilton East had buried Teaneck 9-0 to win the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Group 4 baseball title."
^1992 Baseball, Steinert Athletic Hall of Fame. Accessed December 16, 2010.
^"Sports News From the North", The News Press, June 9, 1996. Accessed December 30, 2020, via Newspapers.com. "Senior righthander Bryan Rogers threw a three-hitter and made the game's key defensive play in leading Steinert to a 4-3 win over Nutley (24-5) on Saturday in the NJSIAA Group III title game. Steinert (27-4) won its third state title and its first since 1992."
^"Yesterday's NJSIAA Baseball Finals", Home News Tribune, June 11, 2000. Accessed March 13, 2021. "Group IV Steinert 3, Bloomfield 0: Junior Chris Neylan pitched a tour-hitter and Steve Fischer keyed a two-run sixth inning to lead Steinert over Bloomfield at Toms River East. It was the third straight state title and fifth In nine years for Steinert (30-2) and, coupled with Hamilton West's win over Cranford, gives Hamilton Township of Mercer County two state champions."
^O'Gorman, George. "Football coaches part of Steinert HoF class", The Trentonian, April 15, 2009. Accessed September 18, 2017. "Brescia coached the greatest football team in Steinert annals, a 1966 team that went 9-0 and is the only undefeated team in Steinert history."
^"Soccer Crown to Hackensack", The Record, November 30, 1969. Accessed January 14, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Hackensack successfully defended its NJSIAA Group 4 soccer championship by gaining a 1-1 tie with Steinert of Trenton Friday at Princeton University. The two teams will share the 1969 crown.... Steinert, which plays in the rugged suburban Trenton league, finished 18-0-2."
^Ziegler, Robert. "Jaguars denied in final: Jackson had season to be plenty proud of", Asbury Park Press, November 9, 2007. Accessed November 15, 2007. "On Thursday, they had a chance to capture the program's first sectional title, but were denied by Victoria Leigh's goal in the 66th minute, which gave Steinert a 1-0 victory at home in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV final."
^Fortenbaugh, Rick. "Steinert softball upsets Middletown South in Group III championship for the program's second state title", The Trentonian, June 11, 2016. Accessed October 26, 2016. "If you had said the Steinert softball team would beat Middletown South in the Group III state championship game, it would not have been regarded as a big surprise.... But yet that's exactly what happened Saturday as Steinert (27-4) rolled over Middletown South (28-4) by the score of 6-2 at Kean University to win the second state title in program history."
^Cooper, Darren. "Softball: Bad first inning dooms Immaculate Conception in TOC Final", The Record, June 8, 2018. Accessed October 31, 2020. "Immaculate Conception coach Jeff Horohonich had a premonition.... Steinert, the reigning Group 3 state champion, scored nine runs in the first inning and ran away with a 9-0 win over the Blue Wolves in the Tournament of Champions final Friday night at Ivy Hill Park."
^Stypulkoski, Matt; and Evans, Bill. "Softball's Final 50: N.J.'s top teams in 2018", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, June 13, 2018, updated May 14, 2019. Accessed January 7, 2021. "1-Steinert (26-5) The Spartans won the second-ever Tournament of Champions with a 9-0 victory over Lodi Immaculate in the final. Seeded fourth in Central Jersey Group 3 to start the postseason, Steinert went on a run through Group 3 and the T of C that included wins over five ranked teams, including No. 2 St. John Vianney."
^Duffy, Erin. "Victor pays visit to Steinert", The Times, November 10, 2009, backed up by the Internet Archive as of June 29, 2011. Accessed July 19, 2019. "Accompanied by his running mate, Lt. Gov.-elect Kim Guadagno, Christie spoke before students and a number of local politicians, including Steinert graduates state Sen. Bill Baroni, R-Hamilton, and Assemblyman Wayne DeAngelo, D-Hamilton."
^Angermiller, Michelle Amabile. "Songwriter Erin Bowman Talks Oscars Sync, Performing on Good Morning America & More", Billboard, February 26, 2017. Accessed October 2, 2017. "It will be a huge moment for the Hamilton, N.J., native -- and she can't wait to watch.... This victory has been a long time coming since Bowman graduated Steinert High School in 2008 and headed off to New York City to pursue her musical dreams."
^Tarr, Mary Ann. "Colin Ferrell Has Enduring Connection To Football", Hamilton Pulse, March 14, 2017. Accessed July 19, 2019. "Ferrell went on to complete a banner high school career at Steinert and followed that up with an all-star career at Kent State University.... 'After graduating, I went to Peddie as a (Post Graduate),' Ferrell said."
^Maloney, Kevin. "Another Generation of Gallaghers", The Times, June 25, 2007. Accessed July 8, 2007. "The dining room table is where Logan's dad, Dave, who had a nine-year big-league baseball career after starring at Steinert High, puts something that he calls the 'Hitter's Journal' after every game he attends."
^Haley, Craig. "Gaven working to regain magic", The Times, June 19, 2007. "Gaven's slump was unexpected considering his vast success. In 2001, after his freshman year at Steinert High, he was invited into the U.S. residency program at the IMG Soccer Academy in Bradenton, Fla."
^Fisher, Rich. "Gmitter, Pittaro continue families’ proud history at Steinert", Community News, November 30, 2015. Accessed August 16, 2019. "Two of the biggest cogs on this year’s team are also part of Hamilton Township sports royalty.... Her mother, Lisa, is Steinert’s varsity assistant and the school’s all-time goal scorer with 177."
^D'Aiello, Alexa. "Alejandro Hernandez: From Hamilton to Hollywood", Community News, March 31, 2021, updated January 11, 2022. Accessed September 11, 2023. "Hernandez remembers his family moving from Trenton to Hamilton in 1993, He said it felt like a new world.... After graduating from Steinert High School in 2008, he made a move from the fields to the dance floor."
^Clerkin, Bridget. "Steinert government class leads Hamilton native to White House job", The Times, October 15, 2014. Accessed January 17, 2018. "For Brad Jenkins, that journey led from the halls of Steinert High School to the corridors of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. The Hamilton native now is an associate director in the Office of Public Engagement – ;literally the front door of the White House,' he said – finding and inviting various leaders and advocates to Washington to discuss how best to move forward with issues that are important to them, the president and the country."
^Fisher, Rich. "McKeown headed to Mercer Soccer Hall of Fame", The Trentonian, October 17, 2011. Accessed October 2, 2017. "Jim McKeown, one of the driving forces behind two state championship teams at Steinert High School in the early 1970s, did his best to put Mercer County's golden age of soccer in perspective.... McKeown played on two of Goose Laurenti's four Group IV state champions before graduating in 1974."
^Jim McKeown, Mercer County Soccer Hall of Fame. Accessed October 2, 2017. "Joining an ever-growing list of booters from Steinert High School, Jim McKeown's accomplishments on the field earns him a place among the many greats in the Mercer County Soccer Hall of Fame. A product of the Hamilton Township youth programs, Jim was a three-year performer for the Spartans, leading them to the Group IV title in both 1971 and 1973."
^Art Napolitano, Steinert High School Athletic Hall of Fame. Accessed July 19, 2019.
^Fisher, Rich. "Indoor soccer coming soon to new Robbinsville facility"Archived September 30, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, The Trentonian, November 29, 2006, accessed April 17, 2007. "Bobby Smith, the former Steinert High and Rider University standout who went on to star for the U.S. National Team and in the North American Soccer League, is now forming indoor leagues at the new, state-of-the-art Robbinsville Fieldhouse."
^Roberts, Sam. "Sammy Williams, Tony Winner in A Chorus Line, Dies at 69", The New York Times, March 22, 2018. Accessed July 19, 2019. "Samuel Joseph Williams was born on Nov. 13, 1948, in Trenton to Joseph Williams, a factory worker, and the former Nona Dibella, who worked in a hospital.... After graduating from Steinert High School in Hamilton Township, N.J., where he performed in school plays, Mr. Williams, at 19, went to New York to try his luck."
^Sciarrotta, S. "Steinert High vice principal loved soccer at first kick", MercerSpace.com, February 4, 2013. Accessed May 22, 2013. "The first time Duane Robinson was exposed to soccer, he wasn't quite sure what he was looking at.... Robinson, now a vice principal at Steinert High School, went on to have a decade-long professional soccer career."
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