Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy

Q: Is Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy a good school?

Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy ranks 317 th of 434 New Jersey high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

317^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 434 New Jersey High Schools

Better than 27% of New Jersey high schools

Summary

Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy is a public high school in Elizabeth, New Jersey, serving 1,156 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Elizabeth Public Schools district, which is ranked 494 out of 609 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Academically, Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy consistently ranks in the bottom half of New Jersey high schools, with below-average performance on state assessments in both English Language Arts and Mathematics. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, only 53% of 9th graders were proficient in English Language Arts, compared to 54.6% in the district and 49.9% statewide. The school's performance is particularly low in mathematics, with only 17.6% of 10th graders proficient in Algebra I, 10.5% of 9th graders proficient in Geometry, and 11.5% of 9th graders proficient in Algebra II. However, the school's graduation rate has been relatively stable, ranging from 87.9% to 92.7% over the past five years, and its dropout rate has been low, ranging from 1.0% to 2.0%.

Compared to other high schools in the area, Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy performs similarly to Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy and Thomas A. Edison Career and Technical Academy, which also struggle with low academic performance and high rates of chronic absenteeism. However, the nearby Elizabeth High School - Frank J Cicarell Academy outperforms Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy across several metrics, including higher proficiency rates and graduation rates.

1,144

Students ?

14.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,734

Per pupil spending ?

80.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

27 Martin Luther King Jr Plaza
Elizabeth, NJ 07201

(908) 436-6767

District: Elizabeth Public Schools

Feeder schools for Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy:

Elementary:	Abraham Lincoln School No. 14
	Benjamin Franklin School No. 13
	Christopher Columbus School No. 15
	Dr. Antonia Pantoja School No. 27
	More...
	Elmora School No. 12
	George Washington Academy School No. 1
	John Marshal School No. 20
	Joseph Battin School No 4
	Juan Pablo Duarte - Jose Julian Marti School No 28
	Mabel G. Holmes School No. 5
	Madison Monroe School No. 16
	Nicholas Murray Butler Academy School No. 23
	Nicholas S. Lacorte-Peterstown School No. 3
	Robert Morris School No. 18
	Sonia Sotomayor School No 25
	Toussaint L'Ouverture-Marquis de Lafayette School No. 6
	Victor Mravlag School No. 21
	Winfield Scott School No. 2
	Woodrow Wilson School No. 19

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

75.6%

African American:

16.6%

White:

7.0%

See top rated New Jersey high schools

Compare Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 21st percentile in 2015 → 27th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 6 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

!Test scores below the New Jersey average (35% vs 49% meeting standards)

!Algebra II scores 71 pts below the New Jersey average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school35%

District avg36%

New Jersey avg49%

317^th of 434

New Jersey public high schools ?

Bottom 27%▲ up 6 pts since 2015

From bottom 21% (2015) to bottom 27% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of New Jersey High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 7High Schools in the Elizabeth Public Schools

494^th of 609Elizabeth Public Schools among New Jersey districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	28.9	317 of 434	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	30.2	308 of 429	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.7	294 of 422	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	24.1	306 of 415	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	22.2	310 of 405	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	19.9	327 of 416	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	25.8	312 of 415	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	16.3	367 of 411	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	24.4	329 of 409	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	25.4	320 of 406	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	28.7	339 of 411	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	7.3	366 of 396	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	21.0	338 of 388	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	8.3	344 of 378	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	57.0	94 of 283	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	40.6	153 of 282	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	47.1	92 of 250	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	41.5	120 of 256	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	35.7	151 of 247	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	54.0	92 of 254	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	42.7	135 of 266	49.2%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	40.7	111 of 215	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	52.4	71 of 191	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	53.9	42 of 161	73.9%	★★★★☆
2022	41.4	59 of 137	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	35.0	59 of 101	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	41.9	61 of 138	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	45.1	58 of 146	60.3%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	39.4	265 of 426	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.6	293 of 420	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	23.6	303 of 416	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.4	304 of 414	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	20.6	328 of 402	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	23.6	305 of 408	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.6	318 of 403	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	41.4	233 of 406	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.0	217 of 403	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	44.0	170 of 385	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	43.2	180 of 382	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	32.3	257 of 374	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	36.0	220 of 364	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	39.1	206 of 368	44.0%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	47.4	171 of 377	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.2	141 of 358	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	47.3	110 of 344	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.6	111 of 324	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	36.8	212 of 326	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	45.9	146 of 347	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	44.1	168 of 345	51.3%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	24.2	323 of 426	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.2	314 of 419	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.8	248 of 414	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	28.2	260 of 410	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	25.9	296 of 402	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.2	288 of 407	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.5	324 of 405	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	52.1	126 of 359	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.1	159 of 361	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.4	102 of 339	69.9%	★★★★☆
2022	48.1	126 of 344	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	25.9	254 of 333	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	41.9	168 of 349	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	41.7	174 of 355	51.0%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	47.0	185 of 347	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.0	183 of 345	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	51.8	116 of 335	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	29.4	227 of 336	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	33.2	203 of 339	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	26.2	255 of 340	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

African American (2025)67th percentile+40 vs school

Special Education (2025)65th percentile+38 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)55th percentile+28 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)48th percentile+21 vs school

White (2025)47th percentile+20 vs school

Hispanic (2025)43rd percentile+16 vs school

Female (2025)38th percentile+11 vs school

Male (2025)24th percentile-3 vs school

By subject vs New Jersey (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts76%-4 vs state

Mathematics46%-12 vs state

Science11%-20 vs state

Algebra I11%-20 vs state

Geometry10%-45 vs state

Algebra II10%-71 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

Rate Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

What people are saying

by a teacher
Tuesday, July 24, 2018

This school has come a long way. The strands that focus on student interests offer workshops and auditions to be discovered and get noticed. Plenty of afterschool activities to peak your interest. Avid and Apex to push you forward, and they work their hardest not to give up on any student. 17 years and I really love working their, with each graduating class, they give me a reason to keeping loving my job. Close Quote

Schools Near Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				NJGPA English Language Arts (2025)	NJGPA Mathematics (2025)	NJSLA-S Science (2025)	NJSLA English Language Arts (2025)	NJSLA Algebra I (2025)			NJSLA Geometry (2025)		NJSLA Algebra II (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	NJGPA English Language Arts 11th Grade	NJGPA Mathematics 11th Grade	NJSLA-S Science 11th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 9th Grade	NJSLA Algebra I 9th Grade	NJSLA Algebra I 10th Grade	NJSLA Algebra I End of Course	NJSLA Geometry 9th Grade	NJSLA Geometry End of Course	NJSLA Algebra II 9th Grade	NJSLA Algebra II End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy	Public	9-12	27 Martin Luther King Jr Plaza	Elizabeth	07201	Union County	Elizabeth Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(908) 436-6767	1,144	79	14.4	80.5%	80 (7.0%)	190 (16.6%)	865 (75.6%)	6 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	28.9	317^th of 434 public high schools	27.0%		30.2	308^th of 429 public high schools	28.2%	9	76.2	46.0	11.4	53.0	0.0	17.6	11.1	10.5	10.5	8.7	11.5	$11,734	$255	$11,479
Elizabeth High School - Frank J Cicarell Academy	Public	9-12	40 Morrell Street	Elizabeth	07202	Union County	Elizabeth Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(908) 436-5870	1,268	70	18.1	76.8%	134 (10.6%)	106 (8.4%)	971 (76.6%)	53 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	60.7	144^th of 434 public high schools	66.8%		66	119^th of 429 public high schools	72.3%	25			32.3	96.4				59.4	59.4	72.3	71.8	$7,448	$210	$7,238
Admiral William F. Halsey Junior Health & Public Safety Academy	Public	9-12	641 South Street	Elizabeth	07202	Union County	Elizabeth Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(908) 436-6600	1,272	87	14.6	81.4%	71 (5.6%)	202 (15.9%)	981 (77.1%)	13 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	9.3	420^th of 434 public high schools	3.2%		7.9	416^th of 429 public high schools	3.0%	4	44.2	29.1	6.7	28.7	0.0	17.2	12.8	4.1	4.4			$11,135	$272	$10,863
John E. Dwyer Technology Academy	Public	9-12	123 Pearl St	Elizabeth	07202	Union County	Elizabeth Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(908) 436-6565	1,348	94	14.4	82.0%	50 (3.7%)	235 (17.4%)	1,053 (78.1%)	8 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9.5	417^th of 434 public high schools	3.9%		11.4	403^rd of 429 public high schools	6.1%	14	43.4	18.9	2.3	24.9		11.1	10.6	5.7	5.7			$10,732	$231	$10,501
K. Johnson D. Vaughan and M. Jackson STEM Academy	Public	9-12	237 South Broad Street	Elizabeth	07202	Union County	Elizabeth Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	No	(908) 436-5023	740	43	17.2	77.8%	36 (4.9%)	124 (16.8%)	573 (77.4%)	6 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	30.3	311^th of 434 public high schools	28.3%		36.1	274^th of 429 public high schools	36.1%	37	82.7	44.0	22.3	50.0		0.0	0.0	3.7	3.7	30.0	27.3
Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy	Public	9-12	310 Cherry St	Elizabeth	07208	Union County	Elizabeth Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(908) 436-6100	1,015	63	16.1	81.3%	68 (6.7%)	91 (9.0%)	826 (81.4%)	28 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	45.5	231^st of 434 public high schools	46.8%		40.6	255^th of 429 public high schools	40.6%	24		67.5	24.9	79.9				29.8	29.8	15.4	15.4	$9,044	$249	$8,795
Thomas A. Edison Career and Technical Academy	Public	9-12	625 Summer St	Elizabeth	07202	Union County	Elizabeth Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(908) 436-6800	842	59	14.2	86.9%	29 (3.4%)	155 (18.4%)	654 (77.7%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12.8	401^st of 434 public high schools	7.6%		11.5	402^nd of 429 public high schools	6.3%	1	63.8	34.9	3.8	29.4				11.4	11.2			$10,744	$249	$10,495
J. Christian Bollwage Finance Academy	Public	9-12	447 Richmond Street	Elizabeth	07202	Union County	Elizabeth Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(908) 436-6500	415	30	13.8	81.0%	21 (5.1%)	69 (16.6%)	320 (77.1%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	28	321^st of 434 public high schools	26.0%		33.8	286^th of 429 public high schools	33.3%	35	77.7	45.2	4.0	54.9				6.8	7.6			$9,149		$9,149
Simon Youth Academy	Public	9-12	651 Kapkowski Road	Elizabeth	07201	Union County	Union County Vocational-Technical School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(908) 889-2900	4	1	12.0		0 (0.0%)	2 (50.0%)	2 (50.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26.7	328^th of 434 public high schools	24.4%					(n/a)	75.0	16.7										$24,606	$44	$24,562
Hillside High School	Public	9-12	1085 Liberty Ave	Hillside	07205	Union County	Hillside Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(908) 352-7664	911	67	13.5	66.5%	67 (7.4%)	499 (54.8%)	329 (36.1%)	6 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	7 (0.8%)	22.2	347^th of 434 public high schools	20.0%		29.9	311^th of 429 public high schools	27.5%	36	74.8	32.3	11.7	27.9	9.5		9.5					$7,219		$7,219

Frequently Asked Questions about Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy

What schools feed into Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy?

Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Abraham Lincoln School No. 14
Elementary : Benjamin Franklin School No. 13
Elementary : Christopher Columbus School No. 15
Elementary : Dr. Antonia Pantoja School No. 27
Elementary : Elmora School No. 12
Elementary : George Washington Academy School No. 1
Elementary : John Marshal School No. 20
Elementary : Joseph Battin School No 4
Elementary : Juan Pablo Duarte - Jose Julian Marti School No 28
Elementary : Mabel G. Holmes School No. 5
Elementary : Madison Monroe School No. 16
Elementary : Nicholas Murray Butler Academy School No. 23
Elementary : Nicholas S. Lacorte-Peterstown School No. 3
Elementary : Robert Morris School No. 18
Elementary : Sonia Sotomayor School No 25
Elementary : Toussaint L'Ouverture-Marquis de Lafayette School No. 6
Elementary : Victor Mravlag School No. 21
Elementary : Winfield Scott School No. 2
Elementary : Woodrow Wilson School No. 19

How many students attend Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,144 students attended Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy.

What is the racial makeup of Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy?

Students at Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy are 76% Hispanic, 17% African American, 7% White.

Is Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy a good school?

Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy ranks 317^th of 434 New Jersey high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What district is Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy in?

Elizabeth Public Schools

Rate Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

NJNew Jersey High School Rankings

NJNew Jersey District Rankings

Schools in Elizabeth, NJ

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy!

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the New Jersey Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.