Emerson High School (Union City, New Jersey)

Emerson High School
Main building, with the eastern terminus of the bridge connecting it to the gym building visible at left
Location
318 18th Street Union City, NJ 07087
Coordinates	40°45′46″N 74°01′58″W / 40.762831°N 74.032682°W / 40.762831; -74.032682Coordinates: 40°45′46″N 74°01′58″W / 40.762831°N 74.032682°W / 40.762831; -74.032682
Information
Type	Public
Closed	2008
School district	Union City School District
Grades	9–12
Color(s)	Blue and White
Athletics conference	Hudson County Interscholastic Athletic Association
Nickname	Bulldogs

Emerson High School was a public high school located in Union City, New Jersey, United States, operated as part of the Union City Board of Education. The school was originally one of two high schools in Union City, along with Union Hill High School, that served the city's students. With the merger of both schools into the new Union City High School in 2008 and the opening of that school's new campus in 2009, both of the former high schools were converted to serve sixth, seventh, and eighth graders. The former Emerson High School is now Emerson Middle School.

Emerson High School was originally the sole high school to serve the town of West Hoboken, New Jersey. In 1925, the town merged with its neighbor to the north, Union Hill, New Jersey, which had been served by Union Hill High School, to form the city of Union City, New Jersey. As the city was now served by two high schools, students who lived north of the Route 495 overpass (which previously divided the two towns) would attend Union Hill, while those who lived south of it would attend Emerson, though that boundary was shifted in later years to keep the school enrollments roughly equal.

By 2007, both Union Hill and Emerson, which are separated by one mile, had close to 1,500 students and offered the same schedule, courses and after-school sports, and their test scores and student demographics were comparable. Unlike Emerson, Union Hill did not have an R.O.T.C. program, though Union Hill had a stronger arts program than Emerson, and both schools had different career education programs that allowed students to pursue interests like child care, hospitality and fashion (the city was once known for its embroidery factories). Superintendent of Schools Stanley M. Sanger stated in 2007 that he received 25 to 40 requests a year from students who want to switch to the rival high school due to a particular academic interest or a family connection. Most such requests were granted.