House Speaker Mike Johnson issued the following statement on the death of Rep. Donald Payne, Jr.:

“We are saddened to be informed of the passing today of Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr., who had been serving New Jersey’s 10th Congressional District since 2012, and who succeeded his father in the same position. Our prayers are offered today for his family and friends, and especially his wife, Bea, and their three children.”

This story originally appeared on 6abc.

Crews are on the scene of a wildfire burning in New Jersey’s Wharton State Forest.

It started Wednesday morning and is burning in Waterford Township, Camden County and Shamong Twp., Burlington County.

Chopper video showed a large plume of smoke rising up from the forest.

U.S. News and World Report recently released its rankings of high schools in 2024, nationally and by state.

Eight New Jersey high schools made the list of the 100 best high schools in the United States in 2024.

The highest New Jersey school on the list is High Technology High School in Lincroft which came it at No. 24 with a 100% graduation rate, a 100 score for college readiness, and an enrollment of 285 students.

A few local North Jersey schools that made the national top 100 include Bergen County Academies in Hackensack which landed in spot 63 with a 99% graduation rate, a score of 95.7 college readiness, and an enrollment of 1,116 students.

Also from Bergen County is Bergen County Technical High School in Teterboro which has an enrollment of 675, a 100% graduation rate, and a 93.3 college readiness score. Bergen County Technical High School was ranked at 90 nationally.

To put together its lists of best high schools around the country U.S. News and World Report considers six factors including college readiness (30%), state assessment proficiency (20%), state assessment performance (20%), underserved student performance (10%), college curriculum breadth (10%), and graduation rate (10%).

The 10 best public high schools in New Jersey

These are the 10 best public high schools in New Jersey in 2024 per U.S. News and World Report.

High Technology High School in Lincroft

• National ranking: No. 24
• Graduation rate: 100%
• College readiness: 100
• Enrollment: 285

Edison Academy Magnet School in Edison

• National ranking: No. 42
• Graduation rate: 100%
• College readiness: 93.8
• Enrollment: 175

Middlesex County Academy for Allied Health in Woodbridge

• National ranking: No. 58
• Graduation rate: 100%
• College readiness: 97.6
• Enrollment: 286

Bergen County Academies in Hackensack

• National ranking: No. 62
• Graduation rate: 99%
• College readiness: 95.7
• Enrollment: 1,116

Biotechnology High School in Freehold

• National ranking: No. 72
• Graduation rate: 100%
• College readiness: 98.4
• Enrollment: 317

Dr. Ronald E. McNair High School in Jersey City

• National ranking: No. 79
• Graduation rate: 100%
• College readiness: 88.0
• Enrollment: 701

Bergen County Technical High School in Teterboro

• National ranking: No. 90
• Graduation rate: 100%
• College readiness: 93.3
• Enrollment: 675

Union County Magnet High School in Scotch Plains

• National ranking: No. 95
• Graduation rate: 100%
• College readiness: 86.6
• Enrollment: 303

Academy for Information Technology in Scotch Plains

• National ranking: No. 111
• Graduation rate: 100%
• College readiness: 88.5
• Enrollment: 297

Academy for Allied Health Sciences in Scotch Plains

• National ranking: No. 193
• Graduation rate: 100%
• College readiness: 74.1
• Enrollment: 303

The 40 top public high schools in New Jersey

These are the rest of the top 40 public high schools in New Jersey per U.S. News and World Report.

• Glen Ridge High School: Glen Ridge, No. 198 nationally
• Marine Academy of Science and Technology: Highlands, No. 207 nationally
• Stem Innovation Academy of the Oranges: South Orange, No. 253 nationally
• Hunterdon Central Regional High School: Flemington, No. 258 nationally
• West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South: West Windsor, No. 313 nationally
• Monmouth County Academy of Allied Health and Science: Neptune, No. 323 nationally
• West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North: Plainsboro, No. 339 nationally
• Union County Tech: Scotch Plains, No. 346 nationally
• Millburn High School: Millburn, No. 358 nationally
• Livingston High School: Livingston, No. 405 nationally
• Chatham High School: Chatham, No. 424 nationally
• Diana C. Lobosco Stem Academy: Wayne, No. 427 nationally
• Elizabeth High School: Elizabeth, No. 436 nationally
• Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest: Demarest, No. 440 nationally
• Ridge High School: Basking Ridge, No. 454 nationally
• Central Jersey College Prep Charter School: Somerset, No. 498 nationally
• John P. Stevens High School: Edison, No. 522 nationally
• Passaic Academy for Science and Engineering: Passaic, No. 545 nationally
• Summit Senior High School: Summit, No. 549 nationally
• Montgomery High School: Skillman, No. 556 nationally
• Tenafly High School: Tenafly, No. 597 nationally
• Infinity Institute: Jersey City, No. 603 nationally
• Princeton High School: Princeton, No. 617 nationally
• Communications High School: Wall, No. 645 nationally
• Northern Highlands Regional High School: Allendale, No. 693 nationally
• Mountain Lakes High School: Mountain Lakes, No. 732 nationally
• Ridgewood High School: Ridgewood, No. 764 nationally
• Thomas Edison Energysmart Charter School: Somerset, No. 786 nationally
• Science Park High School: Newark, No. 851 nationally
• Westfield Senior High School: Westfield, No. 863 nationally