Enrollment
740
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Elizabeth, NJ
K. Johnson D. Vaughan and M. Jackson Stem Academy
Federal NCES profile for K. Johnson D. Vaughan and M. Jackson Stem Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 340459003519
👥 S:T ratio 0
📚 AP courses 5
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 89
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
K. Johnson D. Vaughan and M. Jackson Stem Academy earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of New Jersey schools.
- #7 of 8
- high schools in Elizabeth · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 25.5:1
- large classes for New Jersey
- 60.0%
- free-lunch eligible
K. Johnson D. Vaughan and M. Jackson Stem Academy has class sizes larger than 99% of New Jersey schools. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, K. Johnson D. Vaughan and M. Jackson Stem Academy ranks #7 of 8 high schools in Elizabeth, NJ.
School address
District: Elizabeth Public Schools · New Jersey
NCES ID 340459003519 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.5:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
+116% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
60.0%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+103% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How K. Johnson D. Vaughan and M. Jackson Stem Academy compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at K. Johnson D. Vaughan and M. Jackson Stem Academy
K. Johnson D. Vaughan and M. Jackson Stem Academy is a higher-need, mid-sized high school in Elizabeth, New Jersey, enrolling 740 students.
Class loads run heavy: 25.5:1 is larger than about 99% of New Jersey schools and 116% above the 11.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 60.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 740 puts it in the larger third of New Jersey schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 96% of the 2,501 New Jersey schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 237 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New Jersey schools statewide, it ranks #188, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (77%) and African American (17%) (diversity index 37/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 1 Advanced Placement course.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 740 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 4.2% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Elizabeth's high schools, it stands alongside John E. Dwyer Technology Academy (1,348 students): K. Johnson D. Vaughan and M. Jackson Stem Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (25.5:1 vs 13.8:1).
Elizabeth Public Schools also operates John E. Dwyer Technology Academy (1,348 students) and Admiral William F. Halsey Jr. Health & Public Safety Academy (1,272 students) alongside K. Johnson D. Vaughan and M. Jackson Stem Academy.
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 K. Johnson D. Vaughan and M. Jackson Stem Academy compares
K. Johnson D. Vaughan and M. Jackson Stem Academy 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 | 25.5:1 | ▲ 116% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 60.0% | ▲ 103% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 740 | top 19% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.5:1
Leaner classes than 4% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
740
Bigger than 83% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
60.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 103% 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
25.5:1
students per teacher
- 116% above state mean
Top 99% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 1% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
4.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$24,380
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 740 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
54
in-school suspensions + 33 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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
Hispanic or Latino 77.4%
African American 16.8%
White 4.9%
Asian 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 77.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 37.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 37.0, K. Johnson D. Vaughan and M. Jackson Stem Academy is less mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
AP courses offered 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Elizabeth Public Schools, which includes K. Johnson D. Vaughan and M. Jackson Stem Academy.
$24,380
Per student
-2%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+47%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
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.
How K. Johnson D. Vaughan and M. Jackson Stem Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| John E. Dwyer Technology Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Admiral William F. Halsey Jr. Health & Public Safety Academy | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Elizabeth High School - Frank J Cicarell Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| William F. Halloran School No.22 | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to K. Johnson D. Vaughan and M. Jackson Stem Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,348
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 1,272
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,268
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 1,144
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,140
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
Similar high schools in Elizabeth
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
John E. Dwyer Technology Academy
Standard public school
1,348 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
Admiral William F. Halsey Jr. Health & Public Safety Academy
Standard public school
1,272 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy
Standard public school
1,144 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy
Standard public school
1,015 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
Thomas a. Edison Career and Technical Academy
Standard public school
842 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
J. Christian Bollwage Finance Academy
Standard public school
415 students
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 (~740 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on K. Johnson D. Vaughan and M. Jackson Stem Academy's federal record.
- Compare K. Johnson D. Vaughan and M. Jackson Stem Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Elizabeth Public Schools'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 K. Johnson D. Vaughan and M. Jackson Stem Academy
How many students attend K. Johnson D. Vaughan and M. Jackson Stem Academy?
K. Johnson D. Vaughan and M. Jackson Stem Academy has 740 students enrolled. It is a high school in Elizabeth, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at K. Johnson D. Vaughan and M. Jackson Stem Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at K. Johnson D. Vaughan and M. Jackson Stem Academy is 25.5:1, which is 116% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 62% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at K. Johnson D. Vaughan and M. Jackson Stem Academy?
60.0% of students at K. Johnson D. Vaughan and M. Jackson Stem Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of K. Johnson D. Vaughan and M. Jackson Stem Academy?
The largest demographic group at K. Johnson D. Vaughan and M. Jackson Stem Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 77.4% of enrollment, in Elizabeth, NJ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for K. Johnson D. Vaughan and M. Jackson Stem Academy?
K. Johnson D. Vaughan and M. Jackson Stem Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (lower 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 K. Johnson D. Vaughan and M. Jackson Stem Academy rank among high schools in Elizabeth?
By Resource Investment Index, K. Johnson D. Vaughan and M. Jackson Stem Academy ranks #7 of 8 high schools in Elizabeth, 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 Elizabeth on the city page.
Is K. Johnson D. Vaughan and M. Jackson Stem Academy a good school?
K. Johnson D. Vaughan and M. Jackson Stem Academy earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% 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 Elizabeth Public Schools?
Besides K. Johnson D. Vaughan and M. Jackson Stem Academy, Elizabeth Public Schools also operates John E. Dwyer Technology Academy (1,348 students), Admiral William F. Halsey Jr. Health & Public Safety Academy (1,272 students), and Elizabeth High School - Frank J Cicarell Academy (1,268 students). See the Elizabeth Public Schools district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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.