The Hanover Park Regional High School District is comprised of two high schools. Hanover Park High School is located in East Hanover, receives students from East Hanover and Florham Park, and has an enrollment of 831 students. Whippany High School is located in Hanover Township, receives students from Hanover Township and has an enrollment of 656 students. The district enjoys a tradition of excellence with an ongoing commitment to academics, the arts, athletics and community service.
Both schools continue to rank as one of the Top 100 High Schools in the New Jersey Monthly magazine. Combined, the schools administered 305 Advanced Placement exams with an average of 84% scoring a 3 or higher. Many district students achieved honors status from the College Board Advanced Placement Scholar Awards recognition program: one Advanced Placement National Scholar, twelve Advanced Placement Scholars with Distinction, seven Advanced Placement Scholars with Honors and twenty-five Advanced Placement Scholars. The schools recognized three National Merit Finalists; eleven National Merit Commended Scholars; one Presidential Scholar; one National Hispanic Recognition; six New Jersey Scholars; four New Jersey Governor’s School; two Presidential Academic Scholars; forty-five Presidential Academic Award of Excellence and one hundred forty-one National Honor Society Inductees. Ninety-two percent of graduates will continue formal education. SAT scores continue to surpass the state and national average in both schools. Students continue to compete in the Academic Decathlon Competition achieving amazing results-Hanover Park placed first in the North Jersey Division 2 Regional Competition and seventh overall in the State competition. Whippany Park High School placed fifth in the North Jersey Division 3 Regional Competition and advanced to the State competition earning one Silver, two Bronze and six Honorable Mention awards.

The Fine and Performing Art recognitions are also significant accomplishments. In fine arts, nineteen students’ artwork/photographs were accepted in the Blackwell Street Art Show; five students’ artwork were exhibited in the Art Start Power Art Gallery at William Paterson University; eleven students had their artwork accepted into the Sixth Annual Caldwell College Teen Arts Jam. Hanover Park High School’s Choirs performed at a festival at Hershey Park. The Women’s Chorus rated Excellent and Men’s Chorus rated Superior; the Chamber Singers rated Superior in Jazz/Swing Choir and Excellent in Mixed Choir. They also had two students selected for New Jersey All State Chorus and nine students selected for the North Jersey Regional Chorus. One student was accepted into the 2011 All Eastern Honor Choir and one student was accepted into the National Men’s Honor Choir. Whippany Park High School had two students selected to the North Jersey Region One Symphonic Band; three students accepted to the Junior Region Band; one student selected to the Region Jazz Ensemble. Whippany Park High School Madrigal Singers, for the eighth consecutive year, performed at Carnegie Hall. Whippany Park High School’s spring musical production, The Wedding Singer, received a nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Design and an Honorable Mention for Outstanding Achievement in Graphic Design from the Papermill Playhouse Rising Stars.

The two schools fared well in the Future Business Leaders of America competition. Hanover Park High School-thirteen students placed in the Northern New Jersey Regional Competition; five students competed at the State level; two qualified to compete at the National level. Hanover Park received first place in the category of Largest Local Chapter-Northern Region. Whippany Park High School-fifteen students placed in the Northern New Jersey Regional Competition; fifteen students competed at the State level where three students placed first, one student placed second, one student placed third, six students placed fourth and one student placed ninth. At the National level, three students placed fifth and two students placed seventh. Participating students also received sixth place honors for the FBLA Big Ten and honors for membership expansion.

Both schools earned honors for their publications. Hanover Park High School’s newspaper, The Forum, received a First Place Award by the American Scholastic Press Association; and, The Hornet Sting literary magazine won a First Place Award by the American Scholastic Press Association for four consecutive years. Whippany Park High School’s literary magazine, Etcetera, earned a First Place Award from the American Scholastic Press Association and the honor rating of First Class with One Mark of Distinction from the National Scholastic Press Association.
Athletically, both schools won championships. Hanover Park High School-the Girls’ Basketball Team was North II Group II State Sectional Champions; the Wrestling Team, Baseball Team, and Boys’ Spring Track were crowned Conference Champions. Girls’ Winter Track had one Morris County Champion; Girls’/Boys’ Spring Track each had one Morris County Champion; and, Boys’ Spring Track had one State Champion. The Girls’ Volleyball Team was awarded the Sportsmanship Award for the NJAC Conference, Freedom Division and the Boys’ Soccer Team received the NJAC Sportsmanship Award. Whippany Park High School- the Girls’ Basketball Team, Girls’ Softball Team and Boys’ Spring Track Team were awarded Conference Champions. The Girls’ Cross Country Team and Girls’ Softball Team won second consecutive State Sectional Championships and the Girls’ Softball Team won the North Jersey Group I State Championship. The Girls’ Track Team won a Morris County Relays Division Championship. The Park Ice Hockey Team was awarded the Haas Cup and the Park Golf Team was recognized with a Conference Championship.

Community service, service learning and character development complement each other at the schools. The Character Counts program supports the six pillars of character: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. Students who exemplify these values are selected and recognized throughout the year. Many clubs and activities encourage and support student volunteerism such as: cleaning parks, partnering with senior citizens, partaking in hunger walks, sponsoring food drives, collecting educational supplies and clothing for the needy, organizing blood drives, and tutoring students. The staff and students maintain the school climate of a caring environment by initiating new community service projects each year while keeping with those that have become “tradition.”

Hanover Park High School was awarded a Learn and Serve America Grant for $14,000 which was used for the development of a “Living Outdoor Campus.” This Service Learning Project involved students, staff, parents and community members. Many teachers and students have enjoyed classes hosted in this new environment.

The professional staff of the Hanover Park Regional High School District continues to inspire students to be the best they can be. The district supports teachers with meaningful professional development that encourages them to learn strategies that foster the development of critical thinking and problem solving skills as they prepare the students with the 21st century skills needed to succeed in a global society.