Official Site of The State of New Jersey
Morris Hills Regional Choice District Profile for 2027-28 School Year
Morris Hills Regional District
48 Knoll Drive
Rockaway, NJ 07866
Morris County
District grades: 9–12
Approved choice grades: 9–12
Total number of students enrolled in district: 3000
Choice parent information center phone number: 973-664-2293
Name of program contact: Nisha Zoeller
Phone number & email of program contact: 973- 664-2293; nzoeller@mhrd.org
Secondary program contact: Joy White; jwhite@mhrd.org
Morris Hills Regional District Website
Choice Program
Morris Hills Regional is a 9–12 district consisting of two high schools, Morris Hills and Morris Knolls High Schools, with a total population of 3,000 students from Denville, Rockaway Borough, Wharton, and Rockaway Township. The two high schools share both teaching staff, curricula, and rank among the top high schools in New Jersey. Both high schools were recognized on the College Board’s 2025 AP School Honor Roll for access, equity, and excellence.
There are three available programs for School Choice: the General High School Program, the Aviation Program, and the Math and Science Magnet Program.
The General High School Program is our traditional high school program, with over 200 course offerings, including honors and Advanced Placement, art, business, computer science, all academic areas, and 3 world languages. Academic achievement is not a factor in school choice admission to this program.
The Aviation Program allows students to complete a 3-year sequence in a hands-on curriculum developed by the Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association. Students who complete this program have the opportunity to earn their FAA Private Pilot (written) and Part 107 Remote Pilot credential (written). Academic achievement is not a factor in school choice admission to this program; however, students must submit an essay demonstrating interest for admission.
The Math and Science Magnet Program is a specialized four-year program for high-achieving students who are interested in applied mathematics and scientific research. Students must successfully complete Algebra I in the 8th grade and participate in a competitive admissions process to be eligible for admission.
All three programs are available at both Morris Hills and Morris Knolls High Schools. Choice students will be placed at either high school based on available seats and will not be permitted to choose between the two high schools.
Choice Seats Availability
The purpose of the chart below is to inform parents of choice seat availability before the application deadline in. After the deadline, the information will be outdated.
The Department of Education limits the number of choice seats that each district can fill. The “maximum number of new choice students that can be enrolled” tells parents how many new choice students the district can enroll in the next school year. If more than the maximum number of applications is received, a lottery will be held and a waitlist will be developed. Waitlists will be developed for all approved choice grades even if no seats are currently available. NA indicates the district is not accepting choice applications for those grades.
| Grade | Seat availability per grade |
|---|---|
| K | Not Available (no waitlist will be developed) |
| 1 | Not Available (no waitlist will be developed) |
| 2 | Not Available (no waitlist will be developed) |
| 3 | Not Available (no waitlist will be developed) |
| 4 | Not Available (no waitlist will be developed) |
| 5 | Not Available (no waitlist will be developed) |
| 6 | Not Available (no waitlist will be developed) |
| 7 | Not Available (no waitlist will be developed) |
| 8 | Not Available (no waitlist will be developed) |
| 9 | Available |
| 10 | Available |
| 11 | Available |
| 12 | Available |
District Choice Policies
| District Choice Policies | Indicate Yes/No/NA |
|---|---|
| The district accepts Tier 2 students (see definitions of Tier 1 and Tier 2 ). | Yes |
| The district gives enrollment preference to choice applicants who have a sibling currently attending the choice district and who will continue to attend in the following school year, provided there are choice seats available in the choice-approved grades/programs and the students meet any program-specific criteria. | Yes |
| The district gives enrollment preference to choice applicants who have completed the terminal grade of the sending district (i.e., students who attend a choice district with grades that terminate before 12th grade and have a natural progression to this choice district), provided there are choice seats available in the choice-approved grades/programs and the students meet any program-specific criteria. | Yes |
| The district gives enrollment preference to resident students who move before the application deadline. If resident students move and file choice applications for the following year prior to the deadline, the district will give them enrollment preference (i.e., accept them after the enrollment preference students described in b. and c. above, but ahead of other applicants), provided there are choice seats available in the choice-approved grades/programs and the students meet any program-specific criteria. If the district has already reached its approved choice enrollment maximum, this preference will not apply. | Yes |
| The district gives special consideration to resident students who move after the application deadline. Students in this situation may apply as late applicants and be added to the front of the district’s waitlist, provided the students will enroll in a choice-approved grade/program and they meet any program-specific criteria. No additional choice seats above the maximum will be approved by the NJDOE to accommodate these students. | Yes |