North Penn High School: Difference between revisions

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'''North Penn High School''' is a part of the North Penn School District and is located in [[Towamencin Township, Pennsylvania]], about a mile outside of [[Lansdale]] along Valley Forge Road (Pa. Route 363).

{{original research|date = May 2025}}

{{Infobox school

| name = North Penn High School

| logo = NPLogoblue.jpeg

| image = North Penn HS.jpg

| streetaddress = 1340 Valley Forge Road

| city = [[Lansdale, Pennsylvania|Lansdale]]

| state = [[Pennsylvania]]

| zipcode = 19446<ref name=NCES/>

| country = United States

| coordinates = {{coord|40.2351|-75.3153|region:US-PA_type:edu|display=title,inline|format=dms}}

| schoolnumber =

| schoolboard =

| district = [[North Penn School District]]<ref name=NCES/>

| superintendent = Todd Bauer{{cn|date=May 2025}}

| principal = Kyle Hassler{{cn|date=May 2025}}

| ceeb = 392155

| schooltype = [[Public school (government funded)|Public]]

| fundingtype =

| enrollment = 3,210 (As of 2023-2024)<ref name=NCES/>

| teaching_staff = 220.37 [[full-time equivalent|FTEs]]<ref name=NCES/>

| ratio = 14.57<ref name=NCES/>

| us_nces_school_id = 421728005345<ref name=NCES/>

| grades = 10–12

| conference =

| accreditation =

| rival =

| nickname = Knights{{cn|date=May 2025}}

| colors = Navy and Columbia blue{{cn|date=May 2025}}<br>{{color box|navy}} {{color box|#B9D9EB}}

| yearbook = The Accolade{{cn|date=May 2025}}

| publication = ''The Troubadour (literary magazine)''{{cn|date=May 2025}}

| newspaper = Knight Crier{{cn|date=May 2025}}

| opened = 1955 (original building), 1971 (current building)

| status =

| closed =

| homepage = {{url|https://nphs.npenn.org/}}

}}

'''North Penn High School''' is a part of the [[North Penn School District]],<ref name=NCES/> and is located in [[Towamencin Township, Pennsylvania]], about a mile outside of [[Lansdale, Pennsylvania]] and 25 miles northwest of [[Philadelphia]], on Valley Forge Road, also known as [[Pennsylvania Route 363]].{{citation needed lead|date=May 2025}}

When North Penn High School was created in 1955 to serve a newly consolidated school district, it incorporated students from three former schools: Hatfield High School, Lansdale High School, and North Wales High School. The original North Penn High School building was the one that had served as Lansdale High School since the 1930s. The former Hatfield and North Wales buildings were eventually converted to elementary schools. The North Wales building is still used for this purpose today. The Hatfield building, later renamed the Laudenslager School, was eventually replaced by a newer building. The old school was then sold by the North Penn School District, and now serves as the home of the Biblical Theological Seminary.

As of the 2021–22 school year, the school had an enrollment of 3,138 students and 214.8 classroom teachers (on an [[full-time equivalent|FTE]] basis), for a [[student–teacher ratio]] of 14.6:1. There were 785 students (25.0% of enrollment) eligible for [[National School Lunch Act|free lunch]] and 50 (1.6% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.<ref name=NCES>{{cite web | author = IES-NCES Staff | date = 1 May 2025 | title = Search for Public Schools, Directory Information (2023-2024 school year)—School Name: North Penn SHS | work = NCES.ed.gov | url = https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=4217280&ID=421728005345 | access-date = 1 May 2025 | ___location = Washington, DC | publisher = [[Institute of Education Sciences]] (IES)-[[National Center for Education Statistics]] (NCES) | quote = District Name: North Penn SD ... Mailing Address: 1340 S Valley Forge Rd / Lansdale PA, 19446–4798 ...Physical Address: [same]}}</ref>

The current North Penn High School was constructed in 1974 because of severe overcrowding at the original school. The former high school building, located on Penn Street in Lansdale, is now [[Penndale Middle School]]. The students of Penndale Middle School, [[Pennbrook Middle School]], and [[Pennfield Middle School]] graduate to here.

==History==

North Penn High School is among the largest statewide, with student enrollment for the 2005-2006 school year at 3,423[http://www.npenn.org/northpennhs/site/default.asp]. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors are represented at the high school, while freshmen (commonly the first year of high school) are enrolled in one of the three aforementioned middle schools.

{{unreferenced section|date=May 2025}}

North Penn High School was created in 1955 as the result of a consolidation of seven school districts in [[Montgomery County, Pennsylvania|Montgomery County]] (Hatfield Joint Consolidated, Lansdale Borough, Line Lexington Independent, Montgomery Township, North Wales Borough, Towamencin Township and Upper Gwynedd Township) to educate students from three former high schools: Hatfield High School, Lansdale High School, and North Wales High School.<ref name="NPAAA2012">{{cite web |date=2012 |title=NPAAA Scholarship Winners |url=https://www.new.npaaa.org/wp-content/uploads/2012-NPAAA-Program.pdf |access-date=29 May 2025 |publisher=North Penn Alumni Athletic Association}}</ref>

The original North Penn High School building was an expansion of the building that had served as Lansdale High School since the 1930s. The former [[Hatfield, Pennsylvania|Hatfield]] and [[North Wales, Pennsylvania|North Wales]] buildings were eventually converted to elementary schools. The North Wales building is still used for this purpose today. The Hatfield building, later renamed the E.B. Laudenslager Elementary School, was replaced by a newer building in 1971. The current North Penn High School was constructed in 1971 because of severe overcrowding at the original school. The former high school building, located on Penn Street in Lansdale, is now [[Penndale Middle School]].<ref name="MorganLogHouse">{{cite web |title=Back to School In Towamencin |url=https://www.morganloghouse.org/back-to-school-in-towamencin/ |access-date=29 May 2025 |publisher=Morgan Log House}}</ref>

==Honors==

The school will also host the ''National Association of [[Student Council]]s Convention'' in late June of this year (2006).

==Athletics==

North Penn High School and Knapp Elementary School are both celebrating their 50th anniversaries[http://www.npenn.org/557775128142538/site/default.asp] in the year of 2006.

In 2005, 2006, and 2007, ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'' distinguished North Penn as having the best athletic program in [[Pennsylvania]], noting that the school has "won 45 state championships over the last 10 years" and "is a power in football and is also dominant in boys' swimming." The North Penn Football team won the 2003 AAAA State Championship with a 15-0 season record. The school is also prominent in boys' and girls' [[water polo]], and boys' winter track, spring track, [[Cross country running|cross country]], and more recently baseball and softball.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/magazine/05/11/top.high.map0516/1.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050513220551/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/magazine/05/11/top.high.map0516/1.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=May 13, 2005 | title=Best Sports High Schools| author=Doug Huff| author-link=| date=May 1, 2005| publisher=[[Sports Illustrated]]}}</ref>

==In the mediaTheater==

In 2023, North Penn's theatre department won exclusive rights in [[Pennsylvania]] to perform ''[[Frozen (musical)|Frozen]]'' as performed on Broadway. This was a result of the "United States of Frozen" competition, which granted one high school in each state the materials to perform the show for the very first time.<ref>Vitarelli, Alicia. [https://6abc.com/disney-frozen-the-broadway-musical-mount-pleasant-high-eastern-regional-school/12922004/ "3 local schools win chance to perform ''Disney's Frozen: The Broadway Musical''"], [[WPVI-TV]], March 9, 2023. Accessed March 26, 2023. "One high school in each state won 'The United States of Frozen: Love is an Open Door' competition. On Monday, our local winners from Mount Pleasant High School in Wilmington, Delaware; Eastern Regional High School in Voorhees, New Jersey; and North Penn High School in Lansdale, Pennsylvania all gathered on stage together at the Wilma Theater in Center City to show us just how they melted the judge's hearts."</ref>

In 2005, [[Sports Illustrated]] distinguished North Penn as the [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/magazine/05/11/top.high.map0516/1.html best athletic program in Pennsylvania], noting that the school has "won 45 state championships over the last 10 years" and "is a power in football and is also dominant in boys' swimming."

== Notable alumni ==

In 2004 the school made national news and was the subject of a show on [[MTV]] due to the elaborate senior class [[prank]] pulled by Thomas McDonald, Brendan Mulvihill, Martin Sandeen, Andrew Molholt, Jay Habre, and the 50+ participants they recruited over the course of the entire 2003-2004 academic year. On the night of June 6, the rear and cafeteria courtyards of the school's grounds were forked with over 40,000 plastic forks.

{{alumni|date= January 2025}}

*[[Matt Ammendola]], former professional football player, [[Arizona Cardinals]], [[New York Jets]], and [[Houston Texans]]

*[[Andrew Bryniarski]], film and television actor, [[Leatherface]] in the 2003 remake of ''[[The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003 film)|The Texas Chainsaw Massacre]]''

*[[Dan Campbell (singer)|Dan Campbell]], lead vocalist of rock band [[The Wonder Years (band)|The Wonder Years]]

*[[Jay Caufield]], former professional hockey player, [[Minnesota North Stars]], [[New York Rangers]], and [[Pittsburgh Penguins]]

*[[Amie Harwick]] (1981–2020), former Hollywood sex therapist and author<ref>{{Cite web |last=Heffintrayer |first=Keith |date=2023-09-29 |title=California man found guilty of murdering North Penn alum Amie Harwick |url=https://www.thereporteronline.com/2023/09/29/california-man-found-guilty-of-murdering-north-penn-alum-amie-harwick/ |access-date=2025-02-18 |website=thereporteronline |language=en-US}}</ref>

*[[Sharon Little]], singer-songwriter

*[[Edwin Kneedler]], former Deputy Solicitor General of the United States who has argued more [[Supreme Court of the United States|U.S. Supreme Court]] cases than any other living person

*[[Steve Malagari]], Pennsylvania State Representative, [[Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 53]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Representative Steven R. Malagari|url=https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/member_information/House_bio.cfm?id=1832|access-date=January 29, 2023|website=The official website for the Pennsylvania General Assembly}}</ref>

*[[Sean McDermott]], head coach of the [[Buffalo Bills]]

*[[Brandon McManus]], professional football player, [[Green Bay Packers]]

*[[John Oates]], rock musician, [[Hall & Oates]]

*[[Rozes (musician)|Rozes]], musician, singer, and songwriter

*[[Jennifer Strong]], former [[United States women's national soccer team|U.S. women's national soccer team]] member<ref>{{cite news|date=April 1, 2011|title=Jennifer E. Strong|website=[[Legacy.com]]|publisher=[[The Reporter (Lansdale)|The Reporter]]|url=https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thereporteronline/obituary.aspx?n=jennifer-e-strong&pid=149843736|url-status=live|access-date=August 12, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190812192829/https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thereporteronline/obituary.aspx?n=jennifer-e-strong&pid=149843736|archive-date=August 12, 2019}}</ref>

*[[Reece Udinski]], former college football player<ref>{{Cite web |title=Reece Udinski - 2020 - Football |url=https://vmikeydets.com/sports/football/roster/reece-udinski/5781 |access-date=2023-01-21 |website=Virginia Military Institute |language=en}}</ref>

*[[Liza Weil]], actress, [[Paris Geller]] on ''[[Gilmore Girls]]'' and [[Bonnie Winterbottom]] on ''[[How to Get Away with Murder]]''

==Notes and references==

[http://www.temple-news.com/news/2004/09/21/TempleLiving/forking.A.Potential.Threat-725518.shtml Temple University Student Newspaper Article on the Forking]

{{Reflist}}

==Alma mater==

North Penn High School's alma mater shares the same tune as that of the [[Pennsylvania State University]]. The lyrics are as follows

:As Knights, who in the olden times,

:Would pledge their loyalty

:To keep their honor shining,

:and ever true to be.

:We enter here at North Penn High,

:With hearts resolved to dare.

:Our noblest aim to bring to fame

:Our Alma Mater Fair.

==Notable alumni==

[[John Oates]] - Member of the musical duo [[Hall & Oates]].<br>

[[Liza Weil]] - Television and theater actress, [[Paris Geller]] on ''[[Gilmore Girls]]'', with guest appearances on ''[[ER (tv series)|ER]]'' and ''[[The West Wing (television)|The West Wing]]''.<br>

[[Andrew Bryniarski]] - Film and television actor. Appeared as "Leatherface" in the 2003 remake of [[The Texas Chainsaw Massacre]].<br>

==Contact information==

North Penn High School<br>

1340 Valley Forge Road<br>

Lansdale, PA 19446<br>

Phone: [phone]<br>

Fax: [phone]<br>

==Current administration==

<u>Principal</u><br>

Burton T. Hynes<br>

<u>Assistant Principals</u><br>

Shaun M. Dougherty<br>

Karen R. Holmes<br>

Sean O'Sullivan<br>

Amy B. Schwartz<br>

Amy L. Steinhagen<br>

Donald J. Walsh<br>

==External links==

* [http://www.npenn.org/northpennhs/site/default.asp North Penn High School Website]

* [http://www.npenn.org North Penn School District Website]

* [http://www.npfootball.com North Penn Knights Football Website]

* [http://www.npbaseball.org North Penn Knights Baseball Website]

* [http://www.npknightswrestling.org/ North Penn Knights Wrestling Website]

* [http://www.northpennicehockey.org/ North Penn Knights Ice Hockey Website]

* [http://www.nplax.org/ North Penn Knights Lacrosse Website]

* [http://www.marchingknights.com/ North Penn Marching Knights Website]

* [http://www.npvolleyball.org/ North Penn Knights Volleyball Website]

* [http://www.npaaa.org/ North Penn Knights Alumni Athletic Association Website]

* [http://www.northpennswimming.com/ North Penn Swimming and Water Polo Website]

{{PIAA Suburban One League}}

[[Category:High schools in Pennsylvania]]

{{Montgomery County, Pennsylvania School Districts}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Public high schools in Pennsylvania]]

{{Pennsylvania-school-stub}}

[[Category:Eastern Pennsylvania Rugby Union]]

[[Category:Lansdale, Pennsylvania]]

[[Category:Educational institutions established in 1955]]

[[Category:Schools in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania]]

[[Category:1955 establishments in Pennsylvania]]

[[Category:School buildings completed in 1971]]