Magazine: Moorestown No. 1 High School in SJ

is No. 1 in South Jersey and No. 27 in the state, according to the latest rankings from New Jersey Monthly magazine.

The magazine formulates the rankings by weighting a variety of factors, including graduation rates and test results, among other things. Moorestown jumped 12 spots from its previous 39th place ranking in 2010—the last time the magazine published the list. There are a total of 328 high schools ranked.

Moorestown is the highest-ranked school in South Jersey, with Haddonfield Memorial coming in next at 33.

While administrators acknowledged the list certainly isn’t the only measuring stick for judging the the high school’s performance, they said it’s a nice feather in the district’s cap.

“To try to hang our hat on any one of these rankings is misguided,” said Principal Andrew Seibel. “But it’s a testament to the energies and efforts of our students and our staff, and the community.”

Assistant Superintendent Kate Burke Reilly was also pleased by the ranking, saying, “What it tells me is we’re definitely on the right track … It’s a wonderful recognition. It’s also just one feature of many that describes the high school.”

Seibel said he immediately shared the good news with the rest of the high school staff, as evidence of the school's commitment to its mantra of "High Expectations, High Support, High Achievement."

“It is important for us to know and celebrate when we get these kinds of accomplishments,” he said. “But it doesn’t mean that the work is done, and that’ll also be part of my message … Striving for perfection is always something I believe in.

Check out the attached PDF to see the full list of high schools and visit New Jersey Monthly's website to read more about the magazine's ranking formula.

Moorestown High School will begin the school year on Thursday, Sept. 6. .