Morris Hills High School is a comprehensive regional four-year public high school located in the borough of Rockaway, in Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades as one of the two secondary schools of the Morris Hills Regional High School District.Morris Hills High School 2016 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed January 10, 2018. "Morris Hills High School is a comprehensive, four-year public school located in the heart of Morris County. The school is part of a regional school district that includes our sister school, Morris Knolls High School. There are over 1,300 students enrolled in grades 9 – 12. The school serves the local communities of Wharton, Rockaway Township, and Rockaway Borough where the school resides." The high school serves students from Wharton, Rockaway Borough and parts of Rockaway Township.Home page , Morris Hills High School. Accessed July 15, 2011. "Morris Hills High School, located in Rockaway, New Jersey, serves the residential communities of Rockaway Borough, Rockaway Township, and Wharton.... The school was first opened for classes on September 9, 1953. A 39 acre site that was the former Gunther Estate serves as campus for Morris Hills."Program of Studies 2017-2018 - About Our School District, Morris Hills Regional District. Accessed January 2, 2017. "Morris Hills High School receives students from Wharton, the southernmost portion of Rockaway Township, which includes Rockaway Road to East Blackwell Street, north across Route #46, including Rockaway Gardens, both sides of Swede Mine Road to the boundary, Sunnyhill Road, the upper portion of Daniel Street to the intersection of Robert Street, and the White Meadow Lake portion of Rockaway Township; Rockaway Borough north of Route #46 as well as within the area of Rockaway Road, the Trailer Park behind the Boro Plaza (west of the railroad track) south of Route #46. Morris Knolls High School receives students from Denville, all of Rockaway Township with the exception of White Meadow Lake and the area described above in the southern part of Rockaway Township, Rockaway Borough south of Route #46 with the exception of the area of Rockaway Road and the trailer park behind the Boro Plaza (west of the railroad track) south of Route #46." Students come to Morris Hills from Copeland Middle School, Alfred C. MacKinnon Middle School, Thomas Jefferson Middle School, as well as local private schools.
As of the 2024–25 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,140 students and 117.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 9.8:1. There were 286 students (25.1% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 72 (6.3% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.School data for Morris Hills High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed January 15, 2026.
The campus of Morris Hills houses The Academy for Mathematics, Science, and Engineering, a science-oriented magnet school operated as a joint effort with the Morris County Vocational School District and open by competitive application to all students from Morris County.Overview, Academy for Mathematics, Science, and Engineering. Accessed June 28, 2020. "The Academy for Mathematics, Science, and Engineering, located at Morris Hills High School, is a rigorous, highly focused four year program for Morris County Students with career interests in mathematics, science, or engineering."
The other high school in the district is Morris Knolls High School, which serves students from Denville Township and portions of Rockaway Township.Morris Hills Regional District 2016 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed January 10, 2018. "Our schools' success is directly attributed to the support we receive from the residents of Denville, Rockaway Borough, Rockaway Township and Wharton – people who care about their children and who value education."
History The school opened in September 1953 as the district's first high school.The Story of Morris Hills, Morris Hills High School. Accessed June 10, 2023. "Groundbreaking ceremonies were held on April 26, 1952 and the cornerstone ceremony was held on May 23, 1953.... On September 9, 1953, the Morris Hills Regional High School was opened for the entrance of its first classes. On October 23, 1953, dedication ceremonies were attended by a crowd of over fifteen hundred people." The school is located on the former Gunther Estate.
Awards and recognition For the 1996–97 school year, Morris Hills High School was named a "Star School" by the New Jersey Department of Education, the highest honor that a New Jersey school can achieve.Star School Award recipient detail 1996-97 school year, Morris Hills High School, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed May 29, 2006.
The school was the 71st-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.Staff. "Top Schools Alphabetical List 2014", New Jersey Monthly, September 2, 2014. Accessed September 5, 2014. The school had been ranked 42nd in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 70th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed August 26, 2012. The magazine ranked the school 106th in 2008 out of 316 schools.Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed February 10, 2011. The school was ranked 101st in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state."Top New Jersey High Schools 2008: By Rank", New Jersey Monthly, September 2008, posted August 7, 2008. Accessed August 19, 2008. Schooldigger.com ranked the school tied for 64th out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (an increase of 35 positions from the 2010 ranking) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the mathematics (89.6%) and language arts literacy (97.8%) components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).New Jersey High School Rankings: 11th Grade HSPA Language Arts Literacy & HSPA Math 2010-2011, Schooldigger.com. Accessed February 27, 2012.
School media The Morris Hills Hilltopper, the school's official newspaper, is published four times a year in color. Students write all articles and take the majority of the photos, as well as set up the design and comics.
SEED Magazine is the school's annual literary magazine. All students are allowed to submit prose or poetry, or visual works of art (though not all are put into the actual magazine).
Extracurricular activities Morris Hills houses a large variety of extracurricular activities, a partial list of clubs include:Activities Directory, Morris Hills High School. Accessed January 22, 2018.
Academic Decathlon (with honorable essay mention for the 2006–07 year) E.R.A.S.E. (Eliminate Racism and Sexism Everywhere) G.S.A. (Gay-Straight Alliance) Interact (which hosts a benefit show every year) DDR Society (Dance Dance Revolution) Chess Club Leo Club DECA Mock trial FCCLA (formerly Family, Career and Community Leaders of America) Ecology Club Peer Listening International Thespian Society DRAMA Club Pit Band Marching Band Jazz Band Chorus Knights Templar Choir Women's Choir Madrigals Model Congress Yearbook Club Technology Student Association FBLA Key Club Junior State of America
Athletics The Morris Hills High School Scarlet KnightsMorris Hills High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. compete in the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference, which is comprised of public and private high schools in Morris, Sussex and Warren counties, and was established following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).Home Page, Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference. Accessed August 27, 2020. "The Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference prides itself on being one of New Jersey's premier high school conferences and is comprised of 39 high schools located in Northwest New Jersey."League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. The school had previously participated in the Iron Hills Conference, which included schools in Essex, Morris and Union counties., Iron Hills Conference, backed up by the Internet Archive, as of April 24, 2006. Accessed November 20, 2014. With 985 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.NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020. The football team competes in the Patriot White division of the North Jersey Super Football Conference, which includes 112 schools competing in 20 divisions, making it the nation's biggest football-only high school sports league.Cooper, Darren. "Here's what we know about the new Super Football Conference 2020 schedule", The Record, July 23, 2020. Accessed March 22, 2021. "The Super Football Conference (SFC) is a 112-team group, the largest high school football-only conference in America, and is comprised of teams from five different counties."Cooper, Darren. "NJ football: Super Football Conference revised schedules for 2020 regular season", The Record, July 23, 2020. Accessed March 22, 2021. "The Super Football Conference has 112 teams that will play across 20 divisions." The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Group III North for football for 2024–2026, which included schools with 700 to 884 students.NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2024–2026, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.
Interscholastic sports offered at Morris Hills include baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country, fencing, field hockey, football, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field, volleyball and wrestling.
The school participates in a joint ice hockey team with Morris Knolls 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.NJSIAA Winter Cooperative Sports Programs, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 1, 2020.
The boys cross country running team won the Group III state championship in 1954, 1975–1977, 2004 and 2005, and won the Group II title in 2003.NJSIAA Boys Cross Country State Group Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
The boys track team won the Group IV spring / outdoor track state championship in 1962, in Group III in 2007 (as co-champion) and in Group II in 2012.NJSIAA Boys Spring Track Summary of Group Titles, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
The baseball team won the North II Group III state sectional championship in 1966.Baseball Championship History: 1959–2024, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024. The baseball program won 135 games in a span of six seasons with a Morris County Tournament Championship (2002), a North I Group III state sectional title (2004), and five Iron Hills Conference (Hills Division) championships (2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007).
The boys fencing team was the overall state champion in 1975.NJSIAA History of Boys Fencing Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.