The Freehold Regional High School District is a public regional school district established in 1953, that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from eight communities in western Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. The district, consisting of six high schools, is the largest regional high school district in the state, as measured by enrollment. The district serves students from Colts Neck Township, Englishtown, Farmingdale, Freehold Borough, Freehold Township, Howell Township, Manalapan Township and Marlboro Township. Each of the six high schools is located in their respective communities: Howell High School in Howell Township, Manalapan High School in Manalapan Township, Marlboro High School in Marlboro Township, Colts Neck High School in Colts Neck Township, Freehold Township High School in Freehold Township & Freehold High School in Freehold Borough, although school boundaries do not match municipal boundaries. As of the 2017-18 school year, the district and its six schools had an enrollment of 10,984 students and 742.7 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 14.8:1. The district is classified by the New Jersey Department of Education as being in District Factor Group "GH", the third-highest of eight groupings. District Factor Groups organize districts statewide to allow comparison by common socioeconomic characteristics of the local districts. From lowest socioeconomic status to highest, the categories are A, B, CD, DE, FG, GH, I and J. The Freehold Regional High School District is home to specialized Magnet Programs. The Magnet Programs provide opportunities for students to engage in academic study related to their individual interests. The 12 Magnet Programs focus on particular topics, ranging from humanities and law to medical sciences and engineering. By joining one of these unique learning communities within the six high schools, students have access to advanced level courses, including Advanced Placement and college level classes. Students also engage in real-world activities with recognized experts in fields related to each program. Students in these programs distinguish themselves on the national and global stages. They earn millions of dollars in scholarships, place at the highest levels in competitions, and attend the nation’s best colleges, universities, and trade schools. Freehold Township High School and Howell High School have both been named IB World Schools. They are two of only 17 schools in New Jersey to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. Every effort is made to keep special education students in the district; a variety of in-class support, resource center, and self-contained programs are conducted to educate those in need of special education.
High schools
Attendance at each of the district's six schools is based on where the student lives in relation to the district's high schools. While many students attend the school in their hometown, others attend a school located outside their own municipality. In order to balance enrollment, district lines are redrawn for the six schools to address issues with overcrowding and spending in regards to transportation. Schools in the district with their attendance zones for incoming students are:
Colts Neck High School - 1,423 students from Colts Neck Township, Howell and Marlboro.
Freehold High School - 1,400 students from Freehold and Freehold Township.
Freehold Township High School - 2,072 students from Freehold Township, Howell, Manalapan.
Howell High School - 2,118 students from Farmingdale and Howell.
Manalapan High School - 1,941 students from Englishtown and Manalapan.
Marlboro High School - 1,871 students from Marlboro.
Effective for entering Freshman, students from each of the municipalities are assigned to attend the specified schools:
Colts Neck to Colts Neck H.S.
Englishtown to Manalapan H.S.
Farmingdale to Howell H.S.
Freehold Borough to Freehold Borough H.S.
Freehold Township to Freehold Borough H.S. or Freehold Township H.S.
Howell to Colts Neck H.S., Freehold Township H.S. or Howell H.S.
Manalapan to Freehold Township H.S. or Manalapan H.S.
Marlboro to Colts Neck H.S. or Marlboro H.S.
Magnet programs
Students may apply to attend one of the district's six specialized learning centers, each histed at one of the district's high schools.
Animal and Botanical Sciences - Freehold Township High School
Board of education
The board of education has nine members, who are elected to three-year terms from each of the constituent districts. Each member is allocated a fraction of a vote that totals to nine points. Members of the board of education are:
Carl Accettola - Colts Neck Township
Jennifer Sutera - Manalapan Township
Peter Bruno - Howell Township
Diana Cappiello - Englishtown Borough
Elizabeth Higley - Freehold Township
Kathie Lavin - Farmingdale Borough
Michael Messinger - Marlboro Township
Heshy Moses - Freehold Borough
Marc Parisi - Howell Township
Administration
Core members of the district's administration are:
Charles B. Sampson, Superintendent
Sean Boyce, Business Administrator / Board Secretary
Sampson was approved as the district's new superintendent at the board meeting on February 15, 2011, and assumed the superintendent duties on June 7, 2011.