James Caldwell High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades in West Caldwell, in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as the lone secondary school of the Caldwell-West Caldwell Public Schools, which serves students from both Caldwell and West Caldwell.James Caldwell High School 2015 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed May 27, 2016. "James Caldwell High School is fortunate to be located in a community with heart-felt traditions. As such, it is our responsibility to prepare our students for this unfolding century, while we stand on the foundations of the traditional values that continue to be embraced by the communities of Caldwell and West Caldwell." The school is named after American Revolutionary War figure Reverend James Caldwell. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1928.James Caldwell High School , Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed February 8, 2018.
As of the 2024–25 school year, the school had an enrollment of 749 students and 75.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.0:1. There were 75 students (10.0% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 11 (1.5% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.School data for James Caldwell High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed January 15, 2026.
History The original Caldwell High School was built in 1910, at which time it served students from Essex Fells, Fairfield Township, Hanover Township, Livingston, North Caldwell, Roseland and Verona, who attended as part of sending/receiving relationships with their home school districts. It was replaced in 1925 by Grover Cleveland High School.
As the high school became increasingly overcrowded, a 1957 referendum was held to consider the establishment of a regional high school district to serve all of the communities attending school in Caldwell; Caldwell and West Caldwell residents voted against the regionalization, while Essex Fells, Fairfield, North Caldwell and Roseland all voted in favor of the creation of the West Essex Regional School District. In 1960, James Caldwell High School replaced Grover Cleveland High School, which was repurposed as a junior high school.A Brief History, Caldwell-West Caldwell Public Schools. Accessed January 9, 2022. "Six years later, a new Caldwell High School was erected on Prospect Street between Central School and the cemetery. Tuition students from Hanover, Roseland, Livingston, Essex Fells, Verona, North Caldwell and Fairfield (Caldwell Township) all attended the school.... The center portion of Grover Cleveland High School was built on Academy Road in 1925.... On May 16, 1957, residents voted on the proposition by the Caldwell-West Caldwell, North Caldwell and Roseland Boards of Education to consolidate and become one school district. Caldwell-West Caldwell residents voted against the proposition, resulting in the creating of the West Essex Regional School system and the construction of the James Caldwell High School in West Caldwell. Students transferred to the new high school in 1960, freeing the Grover Cleveland School for use by the junior high classes."
Awards and recognition The school was the 52nd-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 46th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 45th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed November 30, 2012. The magazine ranked the school 57th in 2008 out of 316 schools.Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed March 5, 2011. The school was ranked 43rd in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which included 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 124th out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (an increase of 26 positions from the 2010 ranking) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the mathematics (86.6%) and language arts literacy (93.7%) 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 March 4, 2012.
Athletics James Caldwell High School's teams, nicknamed the Chiefs and Lady Chiefs respectively,James Caldwell High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. compete in the Super Essex Conference, which is comprised of public and private high schools in Essex County and was established following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by 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. James Caldwell had been part of the Northern Hills Conference prior to the 2010 realignment.Home Page, Northern Hills Conference, backed up by the Internet Archive, as of August 31, 2009. Accessed November 19, 2014. With 595 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.NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020. The football team competes in the National 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 II North for football for 2024–2026, which included schools with 484 to 683 students.NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2024–2026, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024. The school has had past successes in its football and baseball programs, and has been a perennial contender in girls' volleyball and softball.
The school participates as the host school / lead agency in a joint ice hockey team with West Essex High School. 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.
Football The football team has won state sectional championships in North II Group III in 1981, in North II Group II in 1991, 1997, 1998 and 2008, the North I Group II regional title in 2021.NJSIAA Football History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 1, 2022. The team won the first ever overall Group II championship in 2022.
The 1981 team finished the season with an 11-0 record, marking the first time the program completed a season unbeaten, after winning the North II Group III state sectional title by scoring 17 unanswered points for a 17-6 comeback win against Rahway High School in the championship game."Seton Hall Prep Downs Bergen Catholic", The New York Times, December 6, 1981. Accessed January 11, 2021. "Caldwell (11-0) scored all its points in the second half and defeated Rahway (8-1-2), 17-6, in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 game. Caldwell, which completed its first undefeated season, came back from a 6-0 deficit in the third quarter when Ed Dean kicked a 28-yard field goal and Tom Bryant scored on a 1-yard burst."
Down 7-0 and then 14-7, the 1991 team came back to defeat Dover High School by a score of 21-14 in the championship game to win the North II Group II title and finish the season with an 11-0 mark.Lesnik, Jon. "Caldwell rally cancels Dover title dreams", Daily Record, December 8, 1991. Accessed March 17, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "As the Caldwell players and fans celebrated at midfield following their 21-14 come-from-behind victory over Dover in the Section 2, Group II Championship, Dover halfback Bruce Ryans turned his back on the celebration unable to watch."
In 2008, the Caldwell Chiefs football team won the North II, Group II state sectional title with a 22–7 win over Governor Livingston at Giants Stadium, to earn the program's first state sectional title since 1998 and fifth overall.Staff. "Caldwell 22, Gov. Livingston 7 (High school Football scores & results)", The Star-Ledger, December 6, 2008. Accessed August 23, 2011. "Caldwell's performance in the NJSIAA/Gatorade North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2 championship game mirrored its season: a slow start followed by one heck of a finish. Caldwell spotted Gov. Livingston an early touchdown, then reeled off three unanswered scores of its own to forge a 22-7 victory last night at Giants Stadium and claim its fifth title and first since 1998."
The 2021 team became the first team to finish 12-0 in school history, beating Jefferson 42-21 to win the North Group II regional title, also for the first time in program history.Shwiff, Kathy. "Chiefs win state regional title with 42-21 defeat of Jefferson", The Progress, November 14, 2021. Accessed April 6, 2022. "The James Caldwell High School football team remained undefeated for 2021 with its 42-21 defeat of Jefferson in the North 2 regional championship."