[10] The name David Brearley Regional High School was chosen in March 1964 by the Regional District to honor David Brearley, one of four New Jersey residents to sign the Constitution of the United States, along with Jonathan Dayton and William Livingston, who had already had high schools in the district named for them.

Brearley had shown a sixty percent decrease in enrollment since its opening, making it a prime candidate for closure.

A Save our Schools campaign was quickly formed by concerned parents with the goal of keeping Brearley open.

Despite pleas from parents, students, and community members, the Regional Board of Education voted 7-2 on November 17, 1992 to close Brearley in June 1993.

[21][22] In recent years, the Brearley Annex was completed to house the Alternate Education Program, the instructional media center was converted to a makerspace, library, and e-sports lab, and a $14.6 bond referendum was approved for renovations and expansion of the building.

The exhibit was presented at Kean University, and was viewed together with local Holocaust survivors and concentration camp liberators.

[29] The David Brearley High School Bears[2] compete in the Union County Interscholastic Athletic Conference, which is comprised of public and private high schools in Union County and was established following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).

[39] The team won the Group I state championship in 2015 with a 1–0 victory over Arthur P. Schalick High School in the playoff finals.

[41] The 1981 team finished the season with an 11–0 record after defeating Abraham Clark High School of Roselle by a score of 17-15 in the North II Group I sectional championship game.

[42] Down 13-0 in the championship game's fourth quarter, the 1991 team mounted a comeback to defeat Mountain Lakes High School by a final score of 14-13 to win the North II Group I sectional title and finish the season with a record of 10-1.

[43] The 2006 team defeated Verona High School by a score of 21-20 at Giants Stadium to win the North II Group I state sectional title.

[44] David Brearley wrestling, operating in combination with Jonathan Dayton High School, won the 2011 Group II state championship at the Poland Spring Center in Toms River.