Enrollment
1,348
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 340459003071
John E. Dwyer Technology Academy — Elizabeth, NJ
Federal NCES profile for John E. Dwyer Technology Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 33/100.
👥 Class size 41
📚 AP courses 65
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 27
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Elizabeth Public Schools · New Jersey
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
98.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.7:1
vs 11.9:1 New Jersey avg
+24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
68.2%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+130% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How John E. Dwyer Technology Academy compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
John E. Dwyer Technology Academy reports 1,348 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 98.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.7:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 24% above the New Jersey state mean of 11.9:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 8% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 68.2% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 130% above the New Jersey average and 32% above the national baseline. The school offers 13 Advanced Placement courses, a stronger academic pipeline indicator than enrollment alone. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 674 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 29.2% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Elizabeth Public Schools spends $26,936 per pupil district-wide, below the New Jersey average of $29,189 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 10.8% from local sources (property taxes), 80.6% from the state, and 8.7% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (F), calculated from 5 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How John E. Dwyer Technology Academy compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against New Jersey state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs New Jersey | New Jersey avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.7:1 | ▲ 24% | 11.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 68.2% | ▲ 130% | 29.6% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 1,348 | top 95% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
68.2%
free-lunch eligible
— 130% above the New Jersey average of 29.6%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.7:1
students per teacher
— 24% above state mean
Top 91% in New Jersey — lower ratio than 9% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
29.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$26,936
per pupil, district-wide
— below New Jersey avg of $29,189
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 674 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
19
in-school suspensions + 235 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 18.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 16 expulsions.
Overview
Enrollment 1,348 Top 95% in New Jersey — larger than 5% of 2,509 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 98.0
Students per teacher 14.7:1 +24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 68.2% +130% vs state
NCES ID 340459003071
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 78.2%
African American 17.4%
White 3.7%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 78.2% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 13
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 674:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 29.2%
In-school suspensions 19
Out-of-school suspensions 235
Expulsions 16
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Elizabeth Public Schools, which includes John E. Dwyer Technology Academy.
$26,936
Per student
-8%
vs New Jersey
Avg $29,189
+38%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 10.8%
State 80.6%
Federal 8.7%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,272
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Enrollment
- 1,268
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Enrollment
- 1,144
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Enrollment
- 1,140
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Enrollment
- 1,130
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
Similar high schools in Elizabeth
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Admiral William F. Halsey Jr. Health & Public Safety Academy
Standard public school
1,272 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy
Standard public school
1,144 students 12.4:1 students per teacher
Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy
Standard public school
1,015 students 16.6:1 students per teacher
Thomas a. Edison Career and Technical Academy
Standard public school
842 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
K. Johnson D. Vaughan and M. Jackson Stem Academy
Standard public school
740 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
J. Christian Bollwage Finance Academy
Standard public school
415 students
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about John E. Dwyer Technology Academy
How many students attend John E. Dwyer Technology Academy?
John E. Dwyer Technology Academy has 1,348 students enrolled. It is a high school in Elizabeth, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at John E. Dwyer Technology Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at John E. Dwyer Technology Academy is 14.7:1, which is 24% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.9:1 and 8% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at John E. Dwyer Technology Academy?
68.2% of students at John E. Dwyer Technology Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of John E. Dwyer Technology Academy?
The largest demographic group at John E. Dwyer Technology Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 78.2%. The school serves a diverse student body in Elizabeth, NJ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for John E. Dwyer Technology Academy?
John E. Dwyer Technology Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (F) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.