Mercer County Technical School Culinary Arts Academy

Summary:

Mercer County Technical School Culinary Arts Academy is a public high school in Pennington, New Jersey, serving 109 students in grades 9-12 as part of the Area Vocational Technical School District of Mercer County. While the district is ranked 160 out of 613 school districts in the state, the Culinary Arts Academy has consistently low academic performance, ranking 225 out of 426 New Jersey high schools in the 2023-2024 school year with a 2-star rating.

The school's performance varies across different student groups, with female and Hispanic students performing better than their male and overall school counterparts. However, English Language Learners and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds perform very poorly, ranking in the bottom 10% of state high schools. The school also has a relatively high four-year graduation rate, ranging from 90.9% to 96.9% over the past few years, but a higher-than-average dropout rate and a concerning chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 16.6% to 25.2%.

Interestingly, the Mercer County Technical School STEM Academy, a neighboring school, is ranked 28 out of 426 New Jersey high schools in 2023-2024 and has much higher test scores and graduation rates. The Culinary Arts Academy's lower performance may be due to its vocational focus, which could prioritize career-oriented training over traditional academic subjects. Addressing the underlying causes of chronic absenteeism and equity concerns for underperforming student groups will be crucial for the school to improve and better serve its diverse student population.

Detail:

Public 9-12

129 Bull Run Road
Pennington, NJ 08534

(609) 737-9784

District: Area Vocational Technical School District of Mercer County

SchoolDigger Rank:
225^th of 426 New Jersey High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $6,008

Student/teacher ratio: 14.7

Number of students: 107

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

61.7%

White:

21.5%

African American:

16.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 42.1%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Mercer County Technical School Culinary Arts Academy ranks worse than 52.8% of high schools in New Jersey. It also ranks last among 3 ranked high schools in the Area Vocational Technical School District of Mercer County. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 37.88. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Mercer County Technical School Culinary Arts Academy who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Mercer County Technical School Culinary Arts Academy is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (61.7%), White (21.5%), African American (16.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 42.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Mercer County Technical School Culinary Arts Academy is 14.7. 2 high schools in the Area Vocational Technical School District of Mercer County have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Mercer County Technical School Culinary Arts Academy employs 7.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Mercer County Technical School Culinary Arts Academy is $6,008. 3 high schools in the Area Vocational Technical School District of Mercer County spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Mercer County Technical School Culinary Arts Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks Mercer County Technical School Culinary Arts Academy 225^th of 426 New Jersey public high schools. (See Mercer County Technical School Culinary Arts Academy in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

Area Vocational Technical School District of Mercer County:

SchoolDigger ranks Area Vocational Technical School District of Mercer County 160^th of 613 New Jersey school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Mercer County Technical School Culinary Arts Academy

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Rank History for all students at Mercer County Technical School Culinary Arts Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NJ State Percentile
2019	17.85	340^th	416	18.3%
2021	21.26	321^st	405	20.7%
2022	17.36	353^rd	415	14.9%
2023	13.90	370^th	422	12.3%
2024	37.88	225^th	426	47.2%

See the entire list of New Jersey High School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Mercer County Technical School Culinary Arts Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NJ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	22.08	149^th	161	7.5%

See the entire list of Best New Jersey High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Mercer County Technical School Culinary Arts Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NJ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	17.62	312^th	344	9.3%

See the entire list of Best New Jersey High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Mercer County Technical School Culinary Arts Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NJ State Percentile
2022	10.75	382^nd	414	7.7%
2023	15.22	353^rd	416	15.1%
2024	45.86	178^th	416	57.2%

See the entire list of Best New Jersey High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Mercer County Technical School Culinary Arts Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NJ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	8.15	398^th	414	3.9%
2024	25.61	287^th	415	30.8%

See the entire list of Best New Jersey High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Mercer County Technical School Culinary Arts Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NJ State Percentile
2022	23.31	300^th	382	21.5%
2023	12.94	365^th	385	5.2%
2024	41.02	195^th	394	50.5%

See the entire list of Best New Jersey High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: New Jersey Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: New Jersey Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Mercer County Technical School Culinary Arts Academy

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	Two or More Races	Total
2018	11	9	0	11	0	31
2019	16	15	0	14	1	46
2020	19	18	0	24	0	61
2021	19	16	0	26	0	61
2022	21	16	1	44	0	82
2023	22	22	1	64	0	109
2024	23	18	0	66	0	107

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Mercer County Technical School Culinary Arts Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2018	31	2.8	10.8	45.2
2019	46	2.8	16.2	34.8
2020	61	4.0	14.9	31.1
2021	61	5.0	11.9	29.5
2022	82	5.8	14.0	17.1
2023	109	6.3	17.1	33.9
2024	107	7.2	14.7	42.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Mercer County Technical School Culinary Arts Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2018	31	2.8	10.8	45.2
2019	46	2.8	16.2	34.8
2020	61	4.0	14.9	31.1
2021	61	5.0	11.9	29.5
2022	82	5.8	14.0	17.1
2023	109	6.3	17.1	33.9
2024	107	7.2	14.7	42.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Mercer County Technical School Culinary Arts Academy

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$6,008

Data source: New Jersey Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Mercer County Technical School Culinary Arts Academy

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 340^th of 416 High schools	Ranks 370^th of 422 High schools	5.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
9th Grade English Language Arts (Mercer County Technical School Culinary Arts Academy)	38.9	28.2	10.7%
9th Grade English Language Arts (Area Vocational Technical School District of Mercer County)	63.7	59.8	3.9%
9th Grade English Language Arts (New Jersey)	55.9	52.1	3.8%
9th Grade Algebra I (Mercer County Technical School Culinary Arts Academy)	16.7	2.8	13.9%
9th Grade Algebra I (Area Vocational Technical School District of Mercer County)	31.3	23.2	8.1%
9th Grade Algebra I (New Jersey)	27.2	19.2	8%
End of Course Algebra I (Mercer County Technical School Culinary Arts Academy)	16.7	2.3	14.4%
End of Course Algebra I (Area Vocational Technical School District of Mercer County)	32.6	21.1	11.5%
End of Course Algebra I (New Jersey)	43.3	35.1	8.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	46	109	137%
African American	15	22	46.7%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	0	1
Hispanic	14	64	357.1%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	16	22	37.5%
Two or More Races	1	0	100%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	34.8%	33.9%	0.8%

Schools Near Mercer County Technical School Culinary Arts Academy

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				NJSLA-S Science (2024)		NJSLA English Language Arts (2024)				NJSLA Mathematics (2024)			NJSLA Algebra I (2024)			NJSLA Geometry (2024)		NJSLA Algebra II (2024)		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 (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	NJSLA-S Science 8th Grade	NJSLA-S Science 11th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 6th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 7th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 8th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 9th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 6th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 7th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 8th 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
MCVS Arthur R. Sypek Center	Public	10-12	129 Bull Run Road	Pennington	08534	Mercer County	Area Vocational Technical School District of Mercer County	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(609) 737-9784	0	18	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)																	$11,242	$843	$10,399
Mercer County Technical School Culinary Arts Academy	Public	9-12	129 Bull Run Road	Pennington	08534	Mercer County	Area Vocational Technical School District of Mercer County	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(609) 737-9784	107	7	14.7	42.1%	23 (21.5%)	18 (16.8%)	66 (61.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37.9	225^th of 426 public high schools	47.2%		13.9	370^th of 422 public high schools	12.3%	145		11.1				64.0				25.0		25.0					$6,008		$6,008
Mercer County Technical School STEM Academy	Public	9-12	129 Bull Run Road	Pennington	08534	Mercer County	Area Vocational Technical School District of Mercer County	No	(n/a)	No	No	(609) 737-9784	125	7	18.5	34.4%	33 (26.4%)	17 (13.6%)	53 (42.4%)	21 (16.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	86.3	28^th of 426 public high schools	93.4%		69.5	79^th of 422 public high schools	81.3%	51		69.3				92.3				46.2		46.2	34.8	34.8			$4,422		$4,422
Lawrence High School	Public	9-12	2525 Princeton Pike	Lawrenceville	08648	Mercer County	Lawrence Township Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(609) 671-5510	1,206	97	12.4	31.7%	455 (37.7%)	193 (16.0%)	289 (24.0%)	202 (16.7%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	63 (5.2%)	45.6	187^th of 426 public high schools	56.1%		52.5	147^th of 422 public high schools	65.2%	40		36.6				66.3				14.2		14.2	33.8	33.8	88.3	88.3	$14,745	$110	$14,635
Trenton Stem-to-Civics Charter School	Public, Charter	6-12	1555 Pennington Raod	Ewing	08618	Mercer County	Trenton Stem-to-Civics Charter School	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(609) 619-2000	591	21	28.8	35.5%	3 (0.5%)	375 (63.5%)	194 (32.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (2.9%)	15.5	373^rd of 426 public high schools	12.4%		16.3	357^th of 422 public high schools	15.4%	16	6.3	3.3	19.5	21.3	25.4	36.9	8.6	4.9	1.6		1.2	4.4					$8,463	$1,091	$7,372
Ewing High School	Public	9-12	900 Parkway Ave	Ewing	08618	Mercer County	Ewing Township School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(609) 538-9800	1,120	91	12.2	51.3%	221 (19.7%)	524 (46.8%)	286 (25.5%)	38 (3.4%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	44 (3.9%)	20.2	336^th of 426 public high schools	21.1%		23.8	315^th of 422 public high schools	25.4%	21		17.1				32.1				9.9		9.7	32.4	30.8			$14,002	$194	$13,808
Marie H Katzenbach High School	Public	9-12	320 Sullivan Way	Trenton	08628	Mercer County	Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf	No	(n/a)	No	No	(609) 530-3130	35	17	2.4	22.9%	9 (25.7%)	7 (20.0%)	19 (54.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Hopewell Valley Central High School	Public	9-12	259 Pennington Titusville Rd	Pennington	08534	Mercer County	Hopewell Valley Regional School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(609) 737-4003	1,080	109	9.9	4.5%	760 (70.4%)	36 (3.3%)	66 (6.1%)	160 (14.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (5.1%)	67.7	95^th of 426 public high schools	77.7%		68.9	81^st of 422 public high schools	80.8%	14		46.5				70.8				37.6		37.3	66.3	62.6	80.9	77.5	$11,670		$11,670
Trenton Psychiatric Hospital	Public	10-12	100 Sullivan Way	Trenton	08625	Mercer County	Office Of Education Department Of Children And Families	No	(n/a)	No	No	(609) 633-1500																			(n/a)
Daylight/Twilight High School	Public	9-12	135 E. Hanover Street	Trenton	08618	Mercer County	Trenton Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(609) 256-8190	617	38	16.4	31.3%	7 (1.1%)	152 (24.6%)	452 (73.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.8%)	8.5	415^th of 426 public high schools	2.6%		10.2	405^th of 422 public high schools	4.0%	10										0.0		0.0					$13,864	$2,099	$11,765

Frequently Asked Questions about Mercer County Technical School Culinary Arts Academy

What district is Mercer County Technical School Culinary Arts Academy in?

Area Vocational Technical School District of Mercer County

Is Mercer County Technical School Culinary Arts Academy a good school?

Mercer County Technical School Culinary Arts Academy ranks 225^th of 426 New Jersey high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Mercer County Technical School Culinary Arts Academy?

In the 2023-24 school year, 107 students attended Mercer County Technical School Culinary Arts Academy.

What is the racial makeup of Mercer County Technical School Culinary Arts Academy?

Students at Mercer County Technical School Culinary Arts Academy are 62% Hispanic, 21% White, 17% African American.

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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.