New Providence High School was opened on September 8,1958, and its first graduating class was on June 23, 1960. It was founded since half of the children living in New Providence went to Summit High School while the rest went to Governor Livingston. 

Mr. Tracey was hired in 1990, and started working here in 1991. Mr. Tracey said that when he got the job at NPHS he “got lucky, got a good job.” For the first 24 years he worked here, he was the throwing coach for the track and field team.. It was fun, but it took up a large amount of his time, so he felt he was done with it all, and wanted to enjoy the school breaks. 

Mr. Tracey said that at the time he started working here New Providence was  “a very small, tiny school, with a small graduating class.” Mr. Tracey finds it a little strange that some of his former students that were in the 1991 graduating class are now teaching at the high school along with him. 

When he first arrived at NPHS, there were student fights at least once a week. Over the years, character ed has helped students by stomping out bullying and creating a safer environment for children. Now it’s a great place to work and the teachers and students have changed thanks to the character ed program which has ended the weekly fights. 

Thanks to social media Mr. Tracey is able to keep in touch with students that reach out. In the old days, “they graduated and then they just were gone, I mean you heard something about them but that was it.” 

In general, it seems that life at NPHS has changed a lot over the years that Mr. Tracey has been here.