The Union County Academy for Performing Arts is a full-time four-year public magnet high school located in Scotch Plains, in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, on the Union County Vocational Technical Schools Campus. Its first year was the 2008–2009 school year. The school offers majors in theatre, dance, and technical theatre. The school is part of the Union County Vocational Technical Schools (UCVTS). The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 2017.[3]
| Academy for Performing Arts | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Address | |
 | |
1776 Raritan Road , , 07076 United States | |
| Coordinates | 40°37′01″N 74°21′34″W / 40.6170°N 74.3595°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Magnet public high school |
| Established | 2008 |
| School district | Union County Vocational Technical Schools |
| NCES School ID | 341804003009[2] |
| Principal | Kelly Douglas-Jackson[1] |
| Faculty | 12.7 FTEs[2] |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Enrollment | 231 (as of 2022–23)[2] |
| Student to teacher ratio | 18.2:1[2] |
| Color(s) | Black, White, Silver |
| Accreditation | Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools[3] |
| Website | www |
Enrollment
editAs of the 2022–23 school year, the school had an enrollment of 231 students and 12.7 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 18.2:1. There were 9 students (3.9% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 2 (0.9% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.[2]
Recognition and rankings
editIn 2016, the Academy for Performing Arts was one of ten schools in New Jersey, and one of two high school programs in the state, recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School by the United States Department of Education.[4]
In its 2013 report on "America's Best High Schools", The Daily Beast ranked the school 962nd in the nation among participating public high schools and 71st among schools in New Jersey.[5] In Newsweek's listing of "America's Best High Schools 2016", the school was ranked 203rd out of 500 best high schools in the country; it was ranked 32nd among all high schools in New Jersey.[6]
Partnership with Kean University
editThe students are on the Union County Vocational Technical Schools Campus for the first three years of high school; their senior year is spent at Kean University. While attending Kean, their courses follow the program for the first year in the performing arts concentration.[7]
References
edit- ^ Principal's Message, Academy for Performing Arts. Accessed February 17, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e School data for Academy For Performing Arts, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 1, 2024.
- ^ a b Union County Academy for Performing Arts, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed February 12, 2022.
- ^ 2016 National Blue Ribbon Schools All Public and Non-Public, National Blue Ribbon Schools Program. Accessed November 13, 2016.
- ^ Streib, Lauren. "America's Best High Schools", The Daily Beast, May 6, 2013. Accessed May 9, 2013.
- ^ Staff. "America's Best High Schools 2016", Newsweek. Accessed November 11, 2016.
- ^ Overview, Academy for Performing Arts. Accessed November 8, 2020. "The culmination of the program allows students to complete their senior year by taking college-level courses and receiving college credit at Kean University."