Toms River High School North is a four-year comprehensive public high school, and was the second public high school established in Toms River, in Ocean County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as part of the Toms River Regional Schools. Toms River High School North is the largest of all schools in the Toms River Regional School district. The TRHSN mascot is the Mariner, and the school colors are navy blue and gold. The other high schools in the district are Toms River High School East and Toms River High School South.
As of 2020, the school day starts at 7:15 amTorrence, Marc; and Wall, Karen. "Does School Start Too Early? In Toms River, Some Say Yes; Researchers say getting more sleep improves academic performance; some Toms River parents have lobbied the district to make a change.", Toms River Patch, August 10, 2015. Accessed November 29, 2015. "Homeroom in Toms River's three high schools and Intermediate North starts at 7:15 a.m., with Intermediate South and East starting at 7:45 a.m." and lasts six hours and 20 minutes.Toms River High School North 2013-14 School Performance Report, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed November 29, 2015. Toms River high schools have some of the earliest daily opening and closing high schools in New Jersey, closing at 1:35 pm every day. Parents lobbied for later high school start times in 2014, but the district found that the cost to purchase the additional buses and additional drivers necessary to accommodate the change would be prohibitive.Oglesby, Amanda. "NJ high schools start too early, and here's why", Asbury Park Press, April 26, 2017. "In 2014, a group of local parents launched a petition and urged the Board of Education to push back start times at the township's three high schools, following the release of the American Academy of Pediatrics' report. But after an exhaustive study, Toms River school administrators found that a change would have required the district to buy more buses for its 165-vehicle fleet and hire additional staff to bus their 15,000 students, Superintendent David Healy said.... Toms River's high schools and one of its intermediate schools begin at 7:15 a.m., Healy said."
As of the 2023–24 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,962 students and 136.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 14.4:1. There were 608 students (31.0% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 130 (6.6% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.School data for Toms River High School North, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 15, 2024.
History Constructed at a cost of $3.9 million (equivalent to $ million in ),"26-Class Addition Vote Set; Sept. Balloting In Dover Twp.", Asbury Park Press, July 5, 1968. Accessed July 18, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "One of the phases of the program, construction of the Toms River North High School, a $3,855,000 complex, set to open in September 1969, is moving ahead as scheduled." the school opened in 1969 in order to alleviate overcrowding in the original high school (which was renamed as Toms River High School South), which was found to be too small to accommodate the fast-growing community."Toms River North in Operation", Asbury Park Press, September 26, 1979. Accessed February 22, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "An outside view of the new Toms River North High School, Old Freehold Rd., which opened this month." When the school opened it served students living north of Route 37, while those living south of that line would attend Toms River South, including those from the constituent districts of Beachwood, Pine Beach and South Toms River."School Progresses", Asbury Park Press, January 10, 1969. Accessed July 18, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "Construction it progressing on the Toms River High School North, scheduled to open in September for Toms River students north of Route 37. The present school will then accommodate Toms River students living south of Route 37 and commuters from Beachwood, Pine Beach, and South Toms River."
The first class to graduate wasn't until 1971, since all of the seniors were kept at TRHSS for the class of 1970.
Awards, recognition and rankings The school was the 154th-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 228th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 222nd in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed September 27, 2012. The magazine ranked the school 212th in 2008 out of 316 schools.Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed February 3, 2011. The school was ranked 178th 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.
Athletics The Toms River High School North MarinersToms River High School North, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. compete in Division A South of the Shore Conference, an athletic conference comprised of public and private high schools in Monmouth and Ocean counties along the Jersey Shore.Shore Conference Realignment for 2018-2019 and 2019-2020, Shore Conference. Accessed November 15, 2020.Member Schools, Shore Conference. Accessed November 15, 2020. The league operates under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. With 1,504 students in grades 10–12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Group IV for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 1,060 to 5,049 students in that grade range.NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020. The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Group V South for football for 2024–2026, which included schools with 1,333 to 2,324 students.NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2024–2026, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024. Toms River North has had notable teams in football, including perennial powers in girls' swimming, boys' and girls' cross country, tennis and outdoor track teams.
The girls spring / outdoor track team won the Group IV state championship in 1976 (as co-champion with Toms River High School South).NJSIAA Girls Spring Track Summary of Group Titles, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
The girls' cross country team won the Group IV state championship in 1978 and 2007.NJSIAA Girls Cross Country State Group Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
The football team won the South Jersey Group IV state sectional championships in 1979, 1991, 1994, 1997 and 2007, and won the South Jersey Group V title in 2015.Football Championship History 1974–2023, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated December 2023. Accessed May 1, 2024. They also won the inaugural Group V state title in 2022 after an undefeated season."Undefeated High School North Football Wins Group 5 State Championship", Toms River Regional Schools, December 5, 2022. Accessed January 10, 2023. "It was clear heading into the playoffs that the undefeated High School North Mariners were a special football team with a chance to become history makers. On Sunday, Dec. 4, they did just that, winning the first-ever Group 5 state title over Passaic Tech 28-7 at Rutgers University." The 1979 team finished the season with a 9–2 record after using a successful two-point conversion to provide the 15–14 winning margin in the South Jersey Group IV championship game at Giants Stadium against a Brick Township High School team that came into the game undefeated and had beaten Toms River North 24–15 a week earlier in a conference playoff game.Schoening, Gary. "Mariners disdain tie nip Brick, win title", Asbury Park Press, December 3, 1979. Accessed February 22, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "By electing to go for a two-point conversion and disdaining an extra point that could have meant overtime, the Mariners scored their 14th and 15th points of the game. It marked the second time in as many weekends they had scored 15 against Brick Township, but this time it was enough to propel North to the NJSIAA South Jersey Group IV championship, 15-14.... By winning. North, 9-2, kept the SJ IV crown in Toms River (Toms River South won it last year), avenged its 24-15 loss last Saturday to the Green Dragons for the Class A South championship, won its second straight 15-14 NJSIAA playoff game (having beaten Pennsauken by the same score Nov. 17), and handed Brick (9-1-1) its only loss of the year." The 2007 team won the South Jersey Group IV sectional title with a 22–19 win against Mainland Regional High School to finish the season 12–0."High school football: Toms River North wants to keep streak alive", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, September 12, 2008, updated August 26, 2019. Accessed December 8, 2020. "Toms River North enjoyed a magical season in 2007, running the table on a 12-0 masterpiece that culminated with a 22-19 victory over Mainland in the NJSIAA South Jersey, Group 4 playoff final." After a 1–9 record in 2013, the team finished the 2015 season with an 11–1 record after winning the South Jersey Group V state championship, defeating Williamstown High School by a score of 14–7 in the tournament final.Evans, Bill. "From 1-9 to Group 5 champions in 2 years: The Toms River North story", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, December 5, 2015. Accessed November 3, 2017. "Toms River North wasn't just 1-9.... That was two years ago when the Mariners won just once, a 28-0 consolation game victory against Egg Harbor.... On Saturday night, Toms River North capped an amazing turnaround with a 14-7 victory over Williamstown in the South Jersey Group 5 final that completed an 11-1 season with the school's sixth championship."