Enrollment
740
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 340459003519
K. Johnson D. Vaughan and M. Jackson Stem Academy — Elizabeth, NJ
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 33/100.
👥 Class size 41
📚 AP courses 5
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 89
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)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.7:1
vs 11.9:1 New Jersey avg
+24% 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
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
K. Johnson D. Vaughan and M. Jackson Stem Academy reports 740 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 29.0 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: 60.0% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 103% above the New Jersey average and 16% above the national baseline. The school offers 1 Advanced Placement course, a stronger academic pipeline indicator than enrollment alone. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 740 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 4.2% 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 K. Johnson D. Vaughan and M. Jackson Stem 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 | 60.0% | ▲ 103% | 29.6% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 740 | top 81% | — | — |
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
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
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
4.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 10% — strong attendance relative to the post-pandemic national landscape.
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
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
Enrollment 740 Top 81% in New Jersey — larger than 19% of 2,509 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 29.0
Students per teacher 14.7:1 +24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 60.0% +103% vs state
NCES ID 340459003519
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.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 1
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 740:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 4.2%
In-school suspensions 54
Out-of-school suspensions 33
Expulsions 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Elizabeth Public Schools, which includes K. Johnson D. Vaughan and M. Jackson Stem 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
- 1,348
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- 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
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 14.7:1 students per teacher
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
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 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 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 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%. The school serves a diverse student body 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 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.