Academy For Performing Arts

As an one-room-style 9-12 campus in SCOTCH PLAINS, New Jersey, Academy For Performing Arts enrolls 242 students from grades 9 through 12, one of the schools within Union County Vocational-Technical School District. Enrollment runs roughly 74% smaller than the state mean of about 929.

Within Union County Vocational-Technical School District, which oversees 8 schools and 1,737 students, Academy For Performing Arts is one campus in the system.

Looking at the student body, Academy For Performing Arts shows that the largest single group is White at 43%, but no single group is in the majority. Beyond that, the school logs 30% Hispanic, 15% Black, 4% Asian, 3% multiracial. That composition is broadly in line with Union County as a whole.

Looking at the economic backdrop, On paper, Academy For Performing Arts has 15 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 16.1:1. The state averages around 12.7:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. An estimated 5% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. Set against Union County (around 52%), the school's rate is noticeably below typical.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Academy For Performing Arts performs roughly as the BeatsExpectations model predicts for a school with this FRL share. The predicted value is around 63.5%, the actual is 68.3%, a residual of +4.9 points.

In the broader community, census data for Union County shows median household income runs about $103,202, 39% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 7%. Academy For Performing Arts is one of 180 public schools in Union County (combined enrollment of about 99,046 students).

The closest other public school is Union County Tech, roughly 0.0 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Academy For Performing Arts. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Academy For Performing Arts at 6th of 9; the average score across the group is 75.8%.

The campus sits in a suburban setting.

Trend over the last 7 years. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Academy For Performing Arts has ticked up 8%, going from 224 students in 2018 to 242 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 47% to 43% across the same window.

On allk12, the feed for Academy For Performing Arts typically covers open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.