The school was the 159th-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. The school had been ranked 170th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 229th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed. The magazine ranked the school 231st in 2008 out of 316 schools. The school was ranked 222nd in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state. Schooldigger.com ranked the school tied for 40th out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the mathematics and language arts literacy components of the High School Proficiency Assessment.
History
The current Woodbridge High School was occupied in 1956 and built adjacent to the then new modern football stadium. The old stadium was vacated to make way for the southbound lanes of the New Jersey Turnpike. Prior to 1957, the high school was located on Barron and Grove Avenue, which is the current site of the Woodbridge Middle School. It operated on split sessions for many years: Freshmen and Sophomores attended school in the afternoon; Juniors and Seniors in the morning. The last graduating class of the Barron Avenue "Woodbridge High School" was 1956.
The first school building was erected in 1876 in Woodbridge Township, and was designated PS 1. It was located on School Street in Woodbridge Proper.
The school was built on a budget of $25,000.00. The head mason was William B. Van Voast of New Brunswick, New Jersey. The carpentry work was done by Manning & Rudolph, of Plainfield, C. Graham & Son, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, architects. The clock, bell, and bell tower have since been removed, along with other renovations that have been done to the building. The bell now resides at Parker Press Park. The names of the mentioned mason and carpenters are embossed on the bell, along with other names.
Classes started in January 1877.
High school class were first conducted in PS 1. The building now houses the Woodbridge Board of Education.
In 1883, the first high school students graduated. There were two graduates.
In 1911, high school classes were conducted in the then new building on Barron Avenue. This building now houses Woodbridge Middle School.
In 1948, a football field and stadium building was constructed on the site of an old wooden surfaced auto racetrack called the 'Woodbridge Speedway'. It was dedicated as 'The Stadium'. The field was re-dedicated 'Nick Priscoe Field' in the 1970s after a longtime former head football coach.
In 1956, the current Woodbridge HS building was erected and 'Kelly Street' ran through the HS property. The roadway was later renamed 'Samuel Lupo Place" in the 1980s after another head football coach.
In 1956, WHS graduated 317 students, the final class to graduate from the Barron Avenue building.
Athletics
The Woodbridge High School Barrons compete in the Greater Middlesex Conference, which includes public and private high schools in the greater Middlesex County area and operates under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. With 1,132 students in grades 10-12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2015-16 school year as North II, Group IV for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 1,114 to 4,800 students in that grade range.
The boys' basketball team won the 1975 Group IV New Jersey state championship, defeating Eastside Paterson by a score of 73-58 in the title game, the program's first tournament final in a season they finished with a 29-2 record.
Boys' and girls' bowling team have won 15 state championships between the two. The boys' team won the overall team title in 1981, 1983 and 1992 won the Group III state championship in 2007, 2011, 2012, 2018 and 2019; The eight state titles are the most for any team in the state. The team won the Tournament of Champions in 2012 and 2018. The girls' bowling team won the overall state championship in 1989, 1993, 1998, 1999, 2001 and 2006, and won the Group III state title and the Tournament of Champions in 2007. The seven titles won by the girls' team are the second most in the state.
The football team has won 12 Conference/Divisional Titles, and nine state championships: 1930, 1938, 1939, 1960, 1970, 1971, 1980, 1993 and 1997.
