Enrollment
842
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Elizabeth, NJ
Thomas a. Edison Career and Technical Academy
Federal NCES profile for Thomas a. Edison Career and Technical Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 340459003045
👥 S:T ratio 45
📚 AP courses 15
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 66
📋 Attendance 19
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Thomas a. Edison Career and Technical Academy earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of New Jersey schools.
- #6 of 8
- high schools in Elizabeth · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.8:1
- large classes for New Jersey
- 75.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Thomas a. Edison Career and Technical Academy has class sizes larger than 84% of New Jersey schools. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Thomas a. Edison Career and Technical Academy ranks #6 of 8 high schools in Elizabeth, NJ.
School address
District: Elizabeth Public Schools · New Jersey
NCES ID 340459003045 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
61.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.8:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
+17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
75.8%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+156% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thomas a. Edison Career and Technical Academy compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Thomas a. Edison Career and Technical Academy
Thomas a. Edison Career and Technical Academy is a high-poverty, large high school in Elizabeth, New Jersey, enrolling 842 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 13.8:1 puts it in the larger third of New Jersey schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 75.8% of students qualify for free meals, 156% above the New Jersey average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 842 puts it in the larger third of New Jersey schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Against 150 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #56.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (78%) and African American (19%) (diversity index 36/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 3 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 168 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 239 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 842 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 5 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Elizabeth's high schools, it stands alongside John E. Dwyer Technology Academy (1,348 students): Thomas a. Edison Career and Technical Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.8:1 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 Thomas a. Edison Career and Technical 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 Thomas a. Edison Career and Technical Academy compares
Thomas a. Edison Career and Technical 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 | 13.8:1 | ▲ 17% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 75.8% | ▲ 156% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 842 | top 14% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.8:1
Leaner classes than 59% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
842
Bigger than 87% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
75.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 156% above the New Jersey average of 29.6%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.8:1
students per teacher
- 17% above state mean
Top 84% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 16% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
32.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
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
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 168 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 239 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 28.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 5 expulsions.
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 77.9%
African American 18.5%
White 3.5%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 77.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.8, Thomas a. Edison Career and Technical Academy is less mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
AP courses offered 3
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Elizabeth Public Schools, which includes Thomas a. Edison Career and Technical 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 Thomas a. Edison Career and Technical Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| John E. Dwyer Technology Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Admiral William F. Halsey Jr. Health & Public Safety Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Elizabeth High School - Frank J Cicarell Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| William F. Halloran School No.22 | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Thomas a. Edison Career and Technical 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
K. Johnson D. Vaughan and M. Jackson Stem Academy
Standard public school
740 students 25.5:1 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 (~842 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Thomas a. Edison Career and Technical Academy's federal record.
- Compare Thomas a. Edison Career and Technical 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 Thomas a. Edison Career and Technical Academy
How many students attend Thomas a. Edison Career and Technical Academy?
Thomas a. Edison Career and Technical Academy has 842 students enrolled. It is a high school in Elizabeth, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thomas a. Edison Career and Technical Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Thomas a. Edison Career and Technical Academy is 13.8:1, which is 17% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 12% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Thomas a. Edison Career and Technical Academy?
75.8% of students at Thomas a. Edison Career and Technical Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thomas a. Edison Career and Technical Academy?
The largest demographic group at Thomas a. Edison Career and Technical Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 77.9% of enrollment, in Elizabeth, NJ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thomas a. Edison Career and Technical Academy?
Thomas a. Edison Career and Technical Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 Thomas a. Edison Career and Technical Academy rank among high schools in Elizabeth?
By Resource Investment Index, Thomas a. Edison Career and Technical Academy ranks #6 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 Thomas a. Edison Career and Technical Academy a good school?
Thomas a. Edison Career and Technical Academy earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% 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 Thomas a. Edison Career and Technical 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.