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Pingry School

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The Pingry School is a coeducational, independent, college preparatory country day school in New Jersey, with a Lower School (K–5) campus in the Short Hills neighborhood of Millburn, a Middle (6–8) and Upper School (9–12) campus in the Basking Ridge section of Bernards Township, and a campus for experiential learning in Pottersville. The school was founded in 1861 by John F. Pingry.<ref name="Lurie Siegel Mappen 2004">Template:Cite book</ref> The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.

Student bodyEdit

The school currently enrolls 1,129 students; 288 at Short Hills and 841 at Basking Ridge; 270 in the Middle School and 571 in the Upper School. Students come from 100 area communities in twelve counties and over 90 municipalities in New Jersey.<ref>Admission, Pingry School. Accessed April 1, 2021.</ref>

As of the 2017–18 school year, the middle and upper schools had an enrollment of 841 students and 118 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 7.1:1. The school's student body was 48.5% (408) White, 22.0% (185) two or more races, 18.1% (152) Asian, 9.0% (76) Black and 2.1% (18) Hispanic.<ref name="NCES">School data for The Pingry School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed September 1, 2020.</ref>

In 2022, the SAT and ACT scores for the middle 50% of students were 1290-1540 and 30-34, respectively.<ref>Pingry School Profile, Pingry School.</ref>

The school claims an acceptance rate across all of its grades of 12%.<ref>At a Glance, Pingry School. Accessed May 16, 2024. "1300 applications received, with a 12% acceptance rate."</ref>

Awards and recognitionEdit

Niche ranks Pingry 1st on its list of 2023 Best Private K-12 Schools in New Jersey and 2nd on its list of Best College Prep Private High Schools in New Jersey. Over the years, Pingry has been frequently ranked by Niche in the top 3 in New Jersey and in the top 1% nationally.<ref>Niche Pingry School, Niche. Accessed April 19, 2023.</ref>

HistoryEdit

Pingry School was founded by John Francis Pingry, a Presbyterian minister, in 1861 to provide both scholastic training and moral education for boys.<ref>van Tassel, Priscilla. "Private Schools Wrestling With Diversity and Identities", The New York Times, October 13, 1991. Accessed March 1, 2024. "The most recent entries on the valedictorian plaque at the Pingry School in Martinsville would probably surprise John Francis Pingry, a Presbyterian minister who founded the school in 1861 for the sons of wealthy Elizabeth business leaders."</ref> The outbreak of the American Civil War that year caused enrollment to dry up at the Pingry Select School for Boys, an academy Pingry had founded in 1854 in Roseville. After learning that the only professional educator in Elizabeth, New Jersey, had decided to enlist in the Union Army, Pingry moved to Elizabeth in 1861 where he founded the Pingry School.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Although Pingry gave talks on Proverbs and used the Bible for instructional purposes, the school has never been affiliated with any church or denomination.Template:Citation needed

The school moved from the Elizabeth schoolhouse to the Parker Road campus in 1893. After Pingry's death in 1893,<ref>Elizabeth Through The Ages, The Historical Society; Elizabeth, New Jersey. Accessed January 8, 2025.</ref> several headmasters with relatively short tenures held his position.

C. Mitchell Froelicher was headmaster from 1917 to 1920. He was succeeded by Charles Bertram Newton who focused on the Country Day School philosophy and served until 1936.<ref>via Associated Press. "Charles B. Newton", The Press of Atlantic City, June 11, 1936. Accessed March 1, 2024., via Newspapers.com. "Charles Bertram Newton, 64, headmaster of Pingry School since 1920, died at his home today. Illness had forced him to withdraw from active school duty last September. He was recognized as one of the founders of the country Day School movement in this country and was associated with secondary schools since his graduation from Princeton in 1893."</ref> From 1936 to 1961, E. Laurence Springer was headmaster, and his tenure was the longest in Pingry's history.<ref>"Pingry Head Will Retire", Courier News, January 27, 1960. Accessed March 1, 2024, via Newspapers.com. "Dr. E. Laurence Springer, headmaster of the Pingry School for the last 25 years, will retire in June, 1961, according to Chester F. Smith, president of the school s board of trustees."</ref> He oversaw the 1953 move from Elizabeth to Hillside, New Jersey, and a new facility constructed at a cost of $1.6 million (equivalent to $Template:Inflation million in Template:Inflation/year).<ref>"New Pingry School In Jersey Dedicated", The New York Times, February 15, 1953. Accessed March 1, 2024. "Set behind a grove of trees, the new $1,600,000 home of Pingry School, an early American-style brick structure in North Avenue here, was dedicated today. The exercises capped the transfer of the institution, one of the oldest country day schools for boys in New Jersey, from its former quarters in near-by Elizabeth."</ref>

Early in the 1970s, Pingry began the transition to a coeducational school. The first female students, who graduated in 1976, were succeeded by other young women who today represent half the student body. Pingry grew with its 1974 merger with the Short Hills Country Day School to become a school with grades from kindergarten through grade 12.<ref>"Pingry Merger Doesn't Alter Township Plan", Bernardsville News, February 28, 1974. Accessed January 8, 2025, via Newspapers.com. "Long-range plans of Pingry School to construct a now campus in Bernards Township remain unaffected by the school's recent merger with short Hills Country Day School, the board of trustees has announced. After deciding to become coeducational, Pingry trustees merged Feb. 1 with Short Hills to form a single coeducational school. Short Hills Country Day School will continue to operate under its present name until July 1. The new school will be known as The Pingry School. It will educate all grades from pre-kindergarten through 12. The school will start immediately to consider qualified girls as well as boy candidates for the 1974–75 school year."</ref> In this period of about twenty years, David C. Wilson and H. Wescott Cunningham each served as headmaster.

In 1983, the school moved to Martinsville, a rural area in the Watchung and Somerset Hills. The campuses are approximately 25 minutes apart, and both are located near the New York metropolitan area, which continues to provide many outside resources to supplement the classroom.<ref>History of The Pingry School. Accessed October 12, 2006.</ref>Template:Primary source inline The old campus in Hillside is now used as a campus of Kean University. In 2013, the Martinsville location was renamed to "Basking Ridge" in an effort to make it easier to locate the campus using automated mapping tools.<ref>History, Pingry School. Accessed July 9, 2013. "In 2013, the Martinsville Campus made another move...of sorts. We exchanged our former Martinsville P.O. Box mailing address for a numbered street address in Basking Ridge. This change finally made our campus location compatible with satellite navigation services, online mapping sites, and overnight mail delivery requirements."</ref>Template:Primary source inline

In 1987, John Hanly became headmaster. He served until 2000. Today, the Hanly Lecture on Ethics and Morality holds his name. John Neiswender became headmaster after Hanly, and served until 2005.<ref>Yang, Wesley. "Pingry chooses new headmaster", Courier News, January 6, 2000. Accessed January 2, 2025. ""An educator from California has been named headmaster of The Pingry School in Bernards. Jihn L.Nieswander, 51, will replace John Hanly on July 1, the school's board of trustees announced."</ref> Nathaniel Conard was headmaster from July 2005 to mid-2019. In late 2018, the school announced that Matt Levinson, of University Prep in Seattle, would be Head of School after Conard retired in mid-2019.<ref>"New Head of School announced at The Pingry School in Basking Ridge", The Bernardsville News, December 5, 2018. Accessed January 2, 2025. "Matt Levinson of the state of Washington has been named the new Head of School at The Pingry School, beginning on July 1, 2019. He replaces Headmaster Nat Conrad, who will complete his tenure at the end of the 2018–2019 school year."</ref> Since Pingry's day, there have been 16 headmasters.

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In April 2020, the school received an unspecified amount in federally backed small business loans as part of the Paycheck Protection Program. The school received scrutiny over this loan, which was meant to protect small and private businesses. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin tweeted that the schools should return the money, but Levinson stated they were keeping it, despite having an $80-million-plus endowment, due to the "significant challenges to our ability to serve our community" caused by the pandemic.<ref name="nyti_Elit">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="nyti_Thin">Template:Cite news</ref>

In February 2021, Purnell School announced that it would cease operations upon the completion of the 2020–2021 academic year.<ref>Makin, Cheryl. "Pingry plans to open campus at former Purnell School in Bedminster", Courier News, June 21, 2021. Accessed July 26, 2022. "The Pingry School, an independent, co-educational, K-12 day school with campuses in Basking Ridge and Short Hills, announced Thursday that it is in the final stages of acquiring the campus of Purnell School in the Pottersville section of the township.... The acquisition comes after Purnell School's February announcement that it will cease operations after 57 years upon the completion of the 2020–2021 academic year.... The 82-acre Pottersville campus — a 20-minute drive from Pingry's Basking Ridge campus and a 40-minute drive from its Short Hills campus — includes 22 buildings."</ref> Later that year, Pingry School paid $5 million for the Template:Convert campus in Pottersville in Somerset County, which will be used as an extension of its existing campuses.<ref>"Pingry completes Purnell purchase in Bedminster for $5M", The Bernardsville News, October 26, 2021. Accessed July 26, 2022. "The purchase of the 82-acre former Purnell School campus in Pottersville by the Pingry School has been completed for $5 million. million. The sale price was included in records filed on Sept. 20 in the Somerset County Clerk's Office as recorded by NJ Property Records, a property database company."</ref>

AthleticsEdit

The Pingry School Big Blue<ref name="NJSIAAprofile">Pingry School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.</ref> competes in the Skyland Conference, which is comprised of public and private high schools in Essex, Morris, and Somerset counties in west central New Jersey, and operates under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association.<ref>League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.</ref> Pingry is also a member of the New Jersey Independent School Athletic Association. Prior to the NJSIAA's 2010 realignment, the school had previously participated in the Colonial Hills Conference which included public and private high schools covering Essex County, Morris County and Somerset County in west Central Jersey.<ref>Home Page, Colonial Hills Conference, backed up by the Internet Archive, as of November 19, 2010. Accessed December 15, 2014.</ref> With 435 students in grades 10-12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Non-Public A for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 381 to 1,454 students in that grade range (equivalent to Group I for public schools).<ref>NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.</ref> The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Non-Public Group B (equivalent to Group I/II for public schools) for football for 2024–2026, which included schools with 140 to 686 students.<ref>NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2024–2026, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.</ref>

The school offers 33 varsity teams, with a total of over 70 teams covering seventh to twelfth grade. Many of the school's athletes have been recognized as athletic scholars, and many have gone on to play for college teams. In addition, the school's facilities include two full-court gymnasiums, a 25-meter indoor pool, a state of the art weight and aerobics room with full-time trainers, athletic training room with full-time staff, full locker rooms for women, men and visiting teams, The Miller Bugliari '52 World Cup Field (which has hosted World Cup practices for the '95 Italian National team, the '02 United States National team, and the '13 Ecuadorian National Team) for soccer and baseball, Parsons Field ( which offers stadium seating, a press-box and a scoreboard with a sound system) for football, lacrosse and track and field events, Template:Convert total that allow for a cross-country course, 12 tennis courts, and numerous practice fields including the John Taylor Babbitt '07 Memorial Field. The Miller A. Bugliari Athletic Complex was opened in 2017 and includes eight squash courts, two basketball gyms and a weight room.<ref>Miller A. Bugliari '52 Athletics Center, Pingry School. Accessed February 3, 2021.</ref>

Pingry's soccer program has been led by Coach Miller Bugliari, who has coached the team for more than 60 years.<ref>Gay, Jason. "He's Coached the Same Team for 63 Years, and He's Not Retiring. He Has a Playoff Game. An afternoon on the pitch with the New Jersey high school soccer legend Miller Bugliari", The Wall Street Journal, November 3, 2022. Accessed March 1, 2024.</ref> His 765 wins through 2011 ranked him as the second-winningest boys' soccer coach in the nation.<ref>Shealer, Sheldon. "All-Time Winningest Boys' Soccer Coaches", ESPN, March 13, 2012. Accessed February 3, 2021. "765, Miller Bugliari, Pingry School (Martinsville, N.J.), 1960-2011 (active) [765-92-48]"</ref> Bugliari was inducted into the National High School Hall of Fame in 2018, in recognition of his 58-year career coaching record of 850–116–75.<ref>Knego, Lauren. "Soccer: Pingry's Bugliari to be inducted into National HS Hall of Fame", Courier News, June 30, 2018. Accessed February 3, 2021. "The Pingry School's Miller Bugliari, the nation's winningest high school soccer coach, will be inducted into the National High School Hall of Fame on Monday.... Bugliari, who ranks second nationally in boys soccer coaching victories, has been at the helm of Pingry's boys soccer program for 58 years and has compiled a record of 850–116–75. Under Bugliari, the Big Blue have won 15 Prep A championships, three Non-Public A titles, three Non-Public B championships and 27 county titles, including a record-setting five consecutive championships from 2004 to 2008."</ref> The boys soccer team won the Non-Public Group B state championship in 1995 (defeating Bishop Eustace in the finals), 1996 (vs. Wildwood Catholic High School) and 2014 (vs. Hawthorne Christian Academy), and won the Non-Public A title in 2001 (vs. Christian Brothers Academy), 2006 (vs. Christian Brothers), 2008 (vs. St. Augustine Preparatory School).<ref>NJSIAA History of Boys Soccer, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.</ref> The 2006 team finished the season with a 16-2-2 record after winning the Parochial A state title by beating Christian Brothers Academy by a score of 1–0 in the tournament final;<ref>Chodan, Melissa. "Pingry wins state title on rare goal by Fechter", Courier News, November 15, 2006. Accessed February 3, 2021. "He finally answered it Tuesday in the Pingry School's New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Non-Public A boys soccer championship-game victory over Christian Brothers Academy. rechter s hrst-halt goal stood up in the Big Blue's 1–0 victory at The College of New Jersey."</ref> during the season, the team also beat Don Bosco Prep, Delbarton School and Seton Hall Prep along the way, which (together with Christian Brothers) accounted for each of the previous four years' playoff losses. In 2007 the men's team climbed to fifth nationally. The girls' soccer team won the 2001 Parochial North A state sectional championship with a 1–0 win vs. Immaculate Heart Academy.<ref>2001 Girls' Soccer – Parochial North A, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 30, 2007.</ref>

The baseball team won the Non-Public Group B state championship in 1994, defeating St. Augustine Preparatory School in the tournament final.<ref name=NJSIAABaseball>Baseball Championship History: 1959–2024, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.</ref>

The boys cross country running team won the Non-Public Group B state championship in 1989-1992, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2012 and 2013. The program's nine state titles are tied for sixth-most in the state.<ref>NJSIAA Boys Cross Country State Group Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.</ref> In the 2005 and 2006 school years, the team won the conference championship as well as the Non-Public B state championship.

The girls tennis team won the Non-Public Group B state championship in 1991 (defeating Moorestown Friends School in the final match of the tournament), and won the Non-Public A title in 2002 (vs. Paul VI High School), 2003 (vs. Red Bank Catholic High School), 2004 (vs. Notre Dame High School), 2012 (vs. Kent Place School), 2013 (vs. Academy of the Holy Angels) and 2016 (vs. Kent Place). The program's seven state titles are tied for tenth-most in the state.<ref>History of NJSIAA Girls Team Tennis Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.</ref> In 2003, the team didn't lose a single set in a 5–0 win in the finals against Red Bank Catholic.<ref>Staff. "Pingry, Bernards take group championships", Courier News, October 24, 2003. Accessed March 3, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "The Bernards High School and Pingry School tennis teams reached the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Tournament of Champions by winning group titles Thursday at Mercer County Park.... Pingry stormed past Red Bank Catholic 5–0 in the Parochial A finals without losing a set."</ref> The 2016 team won the Non-Public A title with a 3–2 win against Kent Place in the finals played at Mercer County Park.<ref>Mendelowitz, Andy. "Tennis: Pingry, Ridge and New Providence win Group titles", Courier News, October 20, 2016. Accessed January 19, 2021. "New Providence High School and Pingry each gutted out 3-2 victories to respectively capture NJSIAA Group I and the Non-Public A crowns.... In the Public A final—there were no semifinals—Pingry defeated Kent Place 3-2. The Big Blue got wins from both doubles and third singles."</ref>

The girls soccer team won the Group I state championship in 1996 (as co-champion with Glen Rock High School), 1998 (vs. Glen Rock), and won the Non-Public A title in 2001 (vs. St. John Vianney High School), 2004 (vs. St. John Vianney), 2006 (vs. Red Bank Catholic High School), 2011 (vs. Red Bank Catholic), 2012 (vs. Immaculate Heart Academy), 2018 (vs. Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child) and 2019 (vs. DePaul Catholic High School) The program's 10 state titles are ranked fourth in the state.<ref>NJSIAA History of Girls Soccer, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.</ref>

The wrestling team won the Non-Parochial B North state sectional championship in 1998.<ref>NJSIAA Wrestling Team Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.</ref>

The girls cross country running team won the Non-Public Group A state championship in 1999, and won the Non-Public A title in 2004, 2005, 2008 and 2010.<ref>NJSIAA Girls Cross Country State Group Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.</ref>

The field hockey team won the North II Group I state sectional title in 2000, 2001, 2004 and 2005, and won the North I/II combined Group I title in 2003. The team won the Group I state championship in 2000 (defeating runner-up Gloucester City High School in the tournament final), 2001 (vs. Shore Regional High School), 2003 (vs. New Egypt High School) and 2004 (vs. New Egypt).<ref>History of the NJSIAA Field Hockey Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.</ref> The 2000 team finished the season with a 25–0 record after winning the Group I title with a 4–0 win in the championship game against a Gloucester City team that had only lost once all season and hadn't been shut out all year.<ref>Schnatz, Pete. "Gloucester shut out in title game; The Lions were mauled by the Pingry School, 4-0, for the NJSIAA state Group 1 field hockey championship.", The Philadelphia Inquirer, November 20, 2000. Accessed March 8, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "It was a number foreign to the Gloucester field hockey team, whose high-octane attack had scorched opposing defenses en route to yesterday's NJSIAA state Group 1 championship match.... Using a voracious ball-control offense to control play throughout the game, the Pingry School dominated and beat Gloucester, 4-0, in frigid conditions at the College of New Jersey, in losing for just the second time this season Gloucester dropped a 3-2 decision to eventual state Group 3 champion Cumberland last month the Lions (16–2–2) suffered their first shutout.... Pingry (25-0) jumped on top with 19 minutes, 8 seconds remaining in the first half."</ref> The 2003 field hockey team won the Group I state championship with a 2–1 win over New Egypt High School in the tournament's final match.<ref>2003 Field Hockey – Semi-finals / Group Finals, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed July 29, 2007.</ref> The 2004 team repeated as Group I champion, defeating New Egypt High School in the tournament final.<ref>2004 Field Hockey – Semis/Finals, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed July 29, 2007.</ref>

The girls' outdoor track and field team won the Non-Public Group B state championship in 2001-2007. The program's seven state titles are tied for fifth among all schools in the state.<ref>Summary of Group Titles Girls, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 1, 2020.</ref>

The boys' lacrosse team won the Non-Public Group B state championship in 2006 (defeating Morristown-Beard School in the final of the playoffs), 2015 (vs. Morristown-Beard), 2016 (vs. Montclair Kimberley Academy), 2017 (vs. Eustace Preparatory School) and 2018 (vs. Immaculata High School) The program's five state title are tied for seventh-most in the state.<ref>NJSIAA Boys Lacrosse Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.</ref>

The boys track team won the Non-Public Group B spring / outdoor track state championship in 2007, 2009 and 2012.<ref>NJSIAA Spring Track Summary of Group Titles Boys, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 1, 2020.</ref>

The boys swimming team won the Non-Public B state title in 1995-1997 and 2008-2020. The program's 16 state titles are ranked fifth in the state while the streak of 13 titles from 2008 to 2020 is the state's longest.<ref name="NJSIAAswimming">NJSIAA Boys And Girls Team Swimming History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.</ref> The 2013 boys team won all 11 events in the meet and defeated Newark Academy 131–39 in the Non-Public B finals.<ref>Kelly, Carol J. "Pingry dominant in swim to title", Courier News, February 25, 2013. Accessed January 25, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "After the first few races, it was clear that the top-seeded Pingry School was in command of the NJSIAA Non-Public B boys swimming team final at The College of New Jersey on Sunday. Pingry, the five-time defending champions, ended up winning all 11 events, crushing Newark Academy to claim a sixth straight state title with a score of 131 to 39."</ref> In 2015, the team won the Non-Public B title with a 119–51 win against Gloucester Catholic High School in the tournament's final match.<ref>Deakyne, Brian. "Boys' Swimming: No. 6 Pingry secures eighth straight Non-Public B title with win over Gloucester Catholic", NJ Advance Media, February 21, 2015. Accessed May 5, 2015. "Behind a number of impressive performances and dropped times, Pingry, No. 6 in the NJ.com Top 20, defeated Gloucester Catholic, 119-51, to win its eighth consecutive NJSIAA Non-Public B championship at The College of New Jersey."</ref>

The girls swimming team won the Non-Public B state championship in 1997, 1998, 2010, 2014 and 2015.<ref name="NJSIAAswimming" />

The girls spring / outdoor track team won the Non-Public B state championship in 2001-2007; the program's seven group titles are tied for seventh in the state and the seven-year streak is tied for second-longest.<ref name="NJSIAAGirlsSpringTrack">NJSIAA Girls Spring Track Summary of Group Titles, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.</ref>

The boys track team won the indoor track Non-Public Group B state championship in 2009.<ref>Boys Winter Track and Field Championship History: 1922-2023, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated November 2023. Accessed February 1, 2024.</ref> The girls team won the Non-Public B title in 2017.<ref>Girls Winter Track and Field Championship History: 1922-2023, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated November 2023. Accessed February 1, 2024.</ref>

The boys tennis team won the Non-Public Group A state championship in 2014, against runner-up Delbarton School in the final match of the tournament.<ref>History of Boys Team Tennis Championship Tournament, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.</ref>

The girls track team won the Non-Public Group B state indoor relay championship in 2017.<ref>History of the NJSIAA Indoor Relay Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 1, 2020.</ref>

The girls fencing team was the épée team winner in 2020.<ref>NJSIAA History of Girls Fencing Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 1, 2020.</ref>

The Pingry Middle School squash team won the 2013 Middle School Nationals, after reaching their previous best of sixth place overall in 2012. Pingry won their first two rounds by scores of 5–0 vs. Bala Cynwyd / Welsh Valley and Greenwich Country Day School, then defeated second-seeded The Haverford School A team by a score of 3–2 in the semis. In the finals, the team played Brunswick School, the top-ranked middle school team in the country and defending champion. After winning the first two matches, the team held on to win the championship by a 3–2 margin.<ref>National Championship for Middle School Squash, Pingry School. Accessed May 17, 2024. "Pingry's club team upset the No. 1 seed and four-time defending national champions from the Brunswick School to claim this historic win for our squash program. The best finish Pingry previously had in the Middle School National Team Championships was a sixth-place finish in 2012."</ref>

The boys' ski team won the NJSIAA state title in 2024.<ref>Epstein, Craig. "Skiing Team Championships: Pingry boys, Vernon girls capture state titles", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, February 27, 2024. Accessed May 17, 2024. "Ironically enough, its skill of going down a hill led Pingry to victory as it finished with a score of 11:38.15, beating out Delbarton (11:45.28) and Pope John (12:53.47)."</ref>

AccreditationEdit

The Pingry School is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools,<ref name="CSS-MSA">The Pingry School, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed December 5, 2011.</ref> the National Association of Independent Schools, the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools<ref>List of Member Schools, New Jersey Association of Independent Schools. Accessed August 9, 2016.</ref> and the New Jersey Department of Education. The Pingry School is a member of the National Association for College Admission Counseling.

Sexual abuse scandalEdit

Initial allegationsEdit

On March 29, 2016, The Pingry School sent a letter to "parents of current students, the entire alumni and school trustees" informing them that the School had "recently learned from a few of our alumni that students were sexually abused by Thad Alton, an employee of Short Hills Country Day School from 1972 to 1974 and, following the merger of the two institutions, an employee of the Pingry School from 1974 to 1978."<ref name="NJ.com">Template:Cite news</ref> The letter stated that Pingry had hired a security firm to conduct an investigation on behalf of the school.<ref name="NJ.com" /> The letter was signed by Headmaster Nathaniel E. Conard and Jeffrey N. Edwards, chair of the board of trustees.<ref name="NJ.com" />

At that time, Crew Janci LLP,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> "a law firm that specializes in suing schools and youth organizations for their negligent handling of sexual abuse[,] announced it has been investigating Alton's tenure at Pingry for over a year."<ref name="ReferenceA">Template:Cite news</ref> Crew Janci LLP's investigation on behalf of the victims was "credited with persuading the 166-year-old [Pingry] school to launch its own investigation[.]"<ref name="charlotteobserver">Template:Cite news</ref> Crew Janci's website made clear that its investigation on behalf of the victims would continue, despite the announcement of the Pingry School's commissioning of an investigation.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

On April 1, 2016, The Star-Ledger revealed court documents indicating that Alton had previously been convicted for his sexual abuse of Pingry students.<ref name="ReferenceA" /> The spokesperson for the Pingry School was quoted as responding to this information by saying: "I'm afraid such a conviction is news to us" and that "[i]t wasn't until recently that the [Pingry] school's current administration knew anything about this situation in the '70s, which prompted us to act[.]"<ref name="ReferenceA" />

A news article published on April 8, 2016, detailed how Alton moved from Pingry School in 1978 to The Peck School, "10 miles away in Morristown."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Peck School sent a letter to its alumni explaining "that Alton had nothing but 'positive job references' when he was hired, fresh from six years at the Short Hills Country Day School, which merged with Pingry."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

After leaving the Peck School in 1979, Alton continued on as an educator at Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York until he was arrested in December 1989 in relation to his sexual abuse of more than 50 children.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

On April 27, 2016, The Star- Ledger ran a report of interviews with several of the victims.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Then, on April 28, "Pingry Survivors" – a group of individuals who were sexually abused as children while at Pingry— posted an open letter to the "Pingry Community."<ref name="Pingry Survivors">Template:Cite news</ref>

In their open letter, the Pingry Survivors stated their goals as follows: "(1) For the Pingry Community to learn the whole truth about the extent of the problem of child sexual abuse at the Pingry School – including a complete and accurate disclosure about the School's response at the time of the abuse (and since); (2) For The Pingry School to hear, understand, and acknowledge the suffering of each victim and to make meaningful amends; and, (3) For The Pingry School to dedicate itself to ensuring that this history can never be repeated (including an independent review of policies, practices, and culture, as well as implementation of meaningful changes)."<ref name="Pingry Survivors" /> The Pingry Survivors went on to say that they "hope that we and the current Pingry School leadership – with the support of the greater Pingry Community – can find a path forward that is collaborative and allows for true healing and reconciliation."<ref name="Pingry Survivors" />

OutcomeEdit

During the year following Pingry's announcement of its investigation in March 2016, the school's child sexual abuse scandal was mentioned in multiple national media reports on private schools with pervasive sexual abuse in their pasts, including Vanity Fair<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and The New York Times.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

On March 28, 2017, The Pingry School released a letter announcing that it had concluded its "independent investigation into the sexual abuse allegations and circumstances surrounding Thad Alton's tenure." The school posted a "Report to the Pingry Community" on a website other than its official page called "www.pingryresponse.org."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It is unclear whether the school received a more comprehensive investigative report. The "Report to the Pingry Community" substantiated 27 victims of child sexual abuse by Alton, as well as abuse by other former Pingry faculty and staff.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The school announced that their investigator's report "affirms the abuse by former Pingry teacher and assistant Lower School principal Thad Alton.<ref name="The Pingry School">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Pingry's investigative report revealed that at least one "school board member learned of Alton's activities in 1979," but that the Pingry School "never shared the information with its faculty, alumni or the family of its students."<ref name="charlotteobserver" />

The school acknowledged in its letter that "the culture, structure, and policies of the school... allowed such atrocities to occur in the past."<ref name="The Pingry School" /> The school asserted:

"[W]e are deeply sorry for the pain the survivors have suffered, and are grateful to them for coming forward. In our commitment to ongoing efforts to fully understand and address these troubling events in Pingry's past, we will be engaging with survivors to learn how we can best support them. Our hope is to heal as a community and continue to foster the culture of safety and well-being that our students deserve. This healing requires our continued partnership, collaboration, and candor."<ref name="The Pingry School" />

In the days after the release of the Pingry School's report, victims of abuse at Pingry went to the media with their stories about the abuse and the impact it had on their lives.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In some of those media reports, the "Pingry Survivors" group asserted "their school knew what was going on" with the abuse at the time it was occurring.<ref name="charlotteobserver" />

Alton has never been criminally prosecuted for his sexual abuse of most of the Pingry victims. He lives in Manhattan and is a registered sex offender in the State of New York.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

On December 4, 2017, an article appeared on the front page of The New York Times detailing Pingry's attempts to invoke to statute of limitations to avoid compensating former students who were victims of sexual abuse at the school.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Notable alumniEdit

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|CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>"Class Notes: 1964", The Pingry Review, Fall / Winter 2010. Accessed July 16, 2019. "Adam Goldstein decided to start a new flight search company after graduating from MIT.... It's online at hipmunk.com."</ref>

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Notable facultyEdit

ReferencesEdit

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External linksEdit

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