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Elizabeth

Union County · 41 schools · 26,708 students
Grades PK–12 · was K–12 in 1998
Updated June 2026

Enrollment, by grade

In 2025-26 it enrolled 26,708 students across grades PK–12. That is 8,000 more than in 1998-99 (18,708) — the district has grown. Its biggest cohort is pre-K.

students 07,00014,00021,00028,000121110987654321KPK1998200320082013201820232025

Students enrolled in each grade each fall, stacked to the total — so the top edge is total enrollment. Bands run from the lowest grade (light) to the highest (dark); a band that appears or disappears is a grade the school added or dropped. “Other” is students with no grade level (mostly special education), so the bands always sum to total. Source: NJDOE Fall Enrollment.

What the district looks like

The largest group in both 1998-99 and 2025-26 was Hispanic students — 56% then, 77% now.

% of students 050100race categories: 5 → 777%15%6%1998200320082013201820232025
WhiteBlackHispanicAsianTwo or moreNative Am.

Each group’s share of enrollment over time, or its head count — toggle above. New Jersey expanded race and ethnicity reporting from five to seven categories in 2006-07 (dashed line), so “two or more races” appears only after; Asian here includes Pacific Islander. Source: NJDOE Fall Enrollment.

How much the mix changed

Between 2021-22 and 2025-26 the makeup of this district barely moved.

That’s a smaller shift than 86% of Union County districts. The biggest moves, in percentage points:
Hispanic +2.7·White −1.2·Black −1.2

The index is half the sum of every group’s change in share, on a 0–100 scale (how it works). Compare any two years in the explorer →

Free or reduced-price lunch

In 2025-26, 82.5% of students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch.

% eligible 050100notreportednotreported82.5%49.5%1998200320082013201820232025
This districtUnion County

Share of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals. The lighter line shows Union County, for comparison. Not reported by the state in some years (shaded). Since 2014, some districts provide free meals to all students regardless of household income, which can lift the eligible share. Source: NJDOE Fall Enrollment.

Budget

In 2025-26, Elizabeth proposed a $676.4 million General Fund operating budget.

Operating revenue

  • Local sources$63.9 million
  • State sources$601.4 million
  • Federal sources$200,743
  • Fund balance / other$10.9 million

Operating spending

  • Instruction and day-to-day operations$343.7 million
  • School-level allocations$329.6 million
  • Charter and Renaissance transfers$1.8 million
  • Buildings, equipment, and other capital costs$1.3 million
  • Special schools$33,000

These are proposed NJDOE User-Friendly Budget planning rows—not audited actuals, household tax bills, or all-funds totals.

Open the full budget report →

Test scores

Growth measures how much students progressed over the year against peers who scored the same the year before — 50 is a typical year. In 2024-25, this district’s median growth percentile was 56 in English and 51 in math — NJ calls this “typical” growth.

median student growth percentile · 50 = typical50ELA56Math51
1 · did not meet2 · partially met3 · approached4 · met5 · exceeded

English language arts: 46.7% met or exceeded expectations in 2024-25 (state 53%), up from 42.4% in 2021-22.

By grade, year to year

Each panel is one grade — watch its mix of levels shift across 2021–2024.

Grade 3
29%30%20212024
Grade 4
36%36%20212024
Grade 5
40%40%20212024
Grade 6
44%53%20212024
Grade 7
51%56%20212024
Grade 8
42%54%20212024
Grade 9
52%55%20212024

By grade cohort, lined up across years

Each panel lines up aggregate grade results one grade higher each year. It approximates a class cohort, but does not track individual students; enrollment can change.

Grade 3 in 2021 → Grade 6 in 2024
29%53%Grade 3Grade 6
Grade 3 in 2022 → Grade 5 in 2024
27%40%Grade 3Grade 5
Grade 4 in 2021 → Grade 7 in 2024
36%56%Grade 4Grade 7
Grade 5 in 2021 → Grade 8 in 2024
40%54%Grade 5Grade 8
Grade 6 in 2021 → Grade 9 in 2024
44%55%Grade 6Grade 9
Grade 7 in 2021 → Grade 9 in 2023
51%56%Grade 7Grade 9

Math: 28.4% met or exceeded expectations in 2024-25 (state 42%), up from 19.4% in 2021-22.

By grade, year to year

Each panel is one grade — watch its mix of levels shift across 2021–2024.

Grade 3
30%37%20212024
Grade 4
20%32%20212024
Grade 5
21%33%20212024
Grade 6
18%26%20212024
Grade 7
15%21%20212024
Grade 8
withheld20212024
Algebra I
16%21%20212024
Geometry
15%21%20212024
Algebra II
37%38%20212024

By grade cohort, lined up across years

Each panel lines up aggregate grade results one grade higher each year. It approximates a class cohort, but does not track individual students; enrollment can change.

Grade 3 in 2021 → Grade 6 in 2024
30%26%Grade 3Grade 6
Grade 3 in 2022 → Grade 5 in 2024
33%33%Grade 3Grade 5
Grade 4 in 2021 → Grade 7 in 2024
20%21%Grade 4Grade 7
Grade 5 in 2021 → Grade 8 in 2024
21%21%Grade 5Grade 8

In each panel the flat line is the proficiency boundary: levels 4–5 (met or exceeded) fill the area above it, levels 1–3 below — so a smaller reported share in levels 4–5 makes the area above the line shrink (it isn’t a misleading upward slope). Light = level 1 (did not yet meet expectations), dark = level 5 (exceeded); the % marks the proficient share at the first and last points. The first set of panels follows each grade across the years; the second lines up aggregate grade results one grade higher each year. It approximates a class cohort, not linked individual students. Growth is the median Student Growth Percentile (50 = a typical year), reported only through grade 8. The NJSLA was not given in spring 2020 and was disrupted the next year. Source: NJ School Performance Reports.

Graduation rate

In 2024-25, 88.4% of students graduated within four years — up from 82% in 2020-21.

% graduating 708510091.8%88.4%20202021202220232024
This districtNew Jersey

Four-year graduation rate — the share of a class that finishes within four years of entering ninth grade (New Jersey’s state calculation). The lighter line shows New Jersey, for comparison. New Jersey also reports a federal four-year rate (87.5% for 2024-25); the two use slightly different cohort rules. Source: NJ School Performance Reports, 2024-25.

Chronic absenteeism

In 2024-25, 14.3% of students were chronically absent — missing at least 10% of school days — down from 19.4% in 2021-22.

% chronically absent 0102014.4%14.3%2021202220232024
This districtNew Jersey

Chronic absenteeism — the share of students who missed 10% or more of the days they were enrolled (roughly 18 days across a full school year). The lighter line shows New Jersey, for comparison. Source: NJ School Performance Reports, 2024-25.

Schools in this district

The district’s 41 schools on record. Open any for its full profile.

Elizabeth High School - Frank J Cicarell Academy High school · Grades 9–12 · 1,265 studentsJohn E. Dwyer Technology Academy High school · Grades 9–12 · 1,221 studentsWilliam F. Halloran School No.22 K–8 school · Grades PK–8 · 1,170 studentsTerence C. Reilly School No 7 Elementary school · Grades PK–8 · 1,140 studentsAdmiral William F. Halsey Jr. Health & Public Safety Academy High school · Grades 9–12 · 1,114 studentsThomas Jefferson Arts Academy High school · Grades 9–12 · 1,066 studentsAlexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy High school · Grades 9–12 · 1,034 studentsToussaint L’Ouverture-Marquis De Lafayette School No. 6 K–8 school · Grades PK–8 · 928 studentsDr. Antonia Pantoja School No. 27 K–8 school · Grades PK–8 · 872 studentsJuan Pablo Duarte - Jose Julian Marti School No 28 K–8 school · Grades PK–8 · 840 studentsThomas A. Edison Career And Technical Academy High school · Grades 9–12 · 823 studentsNo 17 T Roosevelt K–8 school · Grades K–8 · 813 students · closed after 2009-10Jerome Dunn Academy No 9 K–8 school · Grades K–8 · 800 studentsDr. Albert Einstein Academy School No. 29 K–8 school · Grades PK–8 · 767 studentsAbraham Lincoln School No. 14 K–8 school · Grades K–8 · 759 studentsMabel G. Holmes School No. 5 K–8 school · Grades PK–8 · 759 studentsK. Johnson, D. Vaughan, And M. Jackson Stem Academy High school · Grades 9–12 · 752 studentsNicholas S. Lacorte-Peterstown School No. 3 K–8 school · Grades K–8 · 732 studentsDr. Orlando Edreira Academy School No. 26 K–8 school · Grades PK–8 · 729 studentsNo 72 Hamilton Middle Sch Middle school · Grades 6–8 · 721 students · closed after 2007-08Chessie Dentley Roberts Academy School No. 30 K–8 school · Grades PK–8 · 721 studentsJoseph Battin School No 4 K–8 school · Grades PK–8 · 693 studentsNicholas Murray Butler Academy School No. 23 K–8 school · Grades K–8 · 679 studentsElmora School No. 12 K–8 school · Grades K–8 · 621 studentsMadison Monroe School No. 16 K–8 school · Grades PK–8 · 603 studentsGeorge Washington Academy School No. 1 K–8 school · Grades PK–8 · 597 studentsWinfield Scott School No. 2 K–8 school · Grades PK–8 · 579 studentsChristopher Columbus School No. 15 K–8 school · Grades K–8 · 578 studentsVictor Mravlag School No. 21 K–8 school · Grades PK–8 · 576 studentsSonia Sotomayor School No 25 K–8 school · Grades K–8 · 511 studentsWoodrow Wilson School No. 19 K–8 school · Grades PK–8 · 510 studentsJ. Christian Bollwage Finance Academy High school · Grades 9–12 · 412 studentsIprep Academy School No 8 K–8 school · Grades K–8 · 407 studentsRobert Morris School No. 18 K–8 school · Grades K–8 · 400 studentsBenjamin Franklin School No. 13 K–8 school · Grades K–8 · 399 studentsNo 70 Cleveland Mid Sch Middle school · Grades 6–8 · 383 students · closed after 2007-08No 77 Mcauliffe Mid Sch Middle school · Grades 6–8 · 378 students · closed after 2007-08John Marshal School No. 20 K–8 school · Grades K–8 · 374 studentsDonald Stewart Early Childhood Center No 51 Early childhood center · Grades PK · 303 studentsFrances C. Smith Early Childhood Center No 50 Early childhood center · Grades PK · 298 studentsDr. Martin Luther King Jr. Early Childhood Center No 52 Early childhood center · Grades PK · 298 students

Profile built from New Jersey Department of Education Fall Enrollment data, 1998-99 through 2025-26. How this data works →