Enrollment
242
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Scotch Plains, NJ
Academy for Performing Arts
Federal NCES profile for Academy for Performing Arts, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 341804003009
👥 S:T ratio 19
📚 AP courses 15
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 76
📋 Attendance 84
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Academy for Performing Arts earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of New Jersey schools.
- #4 of 7
- high schools in Scotch Plains · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20.2:1
- large classes for New Jersey
- 3.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Academy for Performing Arts has class sizes larger than 98% of New Jersey schools. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Academy for Performing Arts ranks #4 of 7 high schools in Scotch Plains, NJ.
School address
NCES ID 341804003009 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
12.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.2:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
+71% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
3.9%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
-87% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Academy for Performing Arts compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Academy for Performing Arts
Academy for Performing Arts is a lower-poverty, small high school in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, enrolling 242 students.
Class loads run heavy: 20.2:1 is larger than about 98% of New Jersey schools and 71% above the 11.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 3.9% free-meal eligibility runs 87% below the New Jersey average.
Enrollment of 242 puts it in the smaller third of New Jersey schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Among 313 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New Jersey schools statewide, it ranks #245, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (44%) and Hispanic or Latino (31%) (diversity index 68/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 3 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 121 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.6% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Scotch Plains's high schools, it stands alongside Union County Career & Technical Institute (67 students): Academy for Performing Arts is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (20.2:1 vs 3.5:1).
Union County Vocational-Technical School District also operates Union County Tech (502 students) and Academy for Allied Health Sciences (308 students) alongside Academy for Performing Arts.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Academy for Performing Arts compares
Academy for Performing Arts on the metrics families compare, against New Jersey and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs New Jersey | New Jersey avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20.2:1 | ▲ 71% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 3.9% | ▼ 87% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 242 | top 85% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.2:1
Leaner classes than 15% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
242
Bigger than 24% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
3.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 87% below the New Jersey average of 29.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
20.2:1
students per teacher
- 71% above state mean
Top 98% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 2% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
6.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$21,224
per pupil, district-wide
- below New Jersey avg of $24,984
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 121 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 44.4%
Hispanic or Latino 31.2%
African American 15.8%
Asian 4.3%
Two or More 3.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.9%
Largest group: White at 44.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.7, Academy for Performing Arts is more mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
AP courses offered 3
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Union County Vocational-Technical School District, which includes Academy for Performing Arts.
$21,224
Per student
-15%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 51.8%
State 43.9%
Federal 4.3%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Academy for Performing Arts Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union County Tech | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Academy for Allied Health Sciences | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Academy for Information Technology | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Union County Magnet High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Union County Career & Technical Institute | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Academy for Performing Arts's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 502
- Students per teacher
- 21.8:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 308
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 307
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 297
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 67
- Students per teacher
- 3.5:1
- Resource Index
- 86/100
Similar high schools in Scotch Plains
1 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of New Jersey, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~242 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Academy for Performing Arts's federal record.
- Compare Academy for Performing Arts against another school. Compare schools
- Union County Vocational-Technical School District's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Academy for Performing Arts
How many students attend Academy for Performing Arts?
Academy for Performing Arts has 242 students enrolled. It is a high school in Scotch Plains, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Academy for Performing Arts?
The student-teacher ratio at Academy for Performing Arts is 20.2:1, which is 71% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 29% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Academy for Performing Arts?
3.9% of students at Academy for Performing Arts are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Academy for Performing Arts?
The largest demographic group at Academy for Performing Arts is White at 44.4% of enrollment, in Scotch Plains, NJ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Academy for Performing Arts?
Academy for Performing Arts has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Academy for Performing Arts rank among high schools in Scotch Plains?
By Resource Investment Index, Academy for Performing Arts ranks #4 of 7 high schools in Scotch Plains, NJ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Scotch Plains on the city page.
Is Academy for Performing Arts a good school?
Academy for Performing Arts earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of New Jersey schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Union County Vocational-Technical School District?
Besides Academy for Performing Arts, Union County Vocational-Technical School District also operates Union County Tech (502 students), Academy for Allied Health Sciences (308 students), and Academy for Information Technology (307 students). See the Union County Vocational-Technical School District district page for the complete list.
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Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.