About Academy
The Performing Arts Academy is a four-year comprehensive public high school administered by the Ocean County Vocational Technical School district. Our program opened its doors in September 2001 for students entering the ninth grade. The Performing Arts Academy is designed to provide performing arts curricula focused in dance, vocal music, acting, and audio engineering, along with a four-year rigorous academic program. At the Performing Arts Academy, students are exposed to a college preparatory program. Additionally, they have the opportunity to register in Ocean County College embedded classes for dual credit, opening up the opportunity to earn a dual degree.
The Performing Arts Academy is located at Ocean County Vocational Technical School’s Performing Arts Center, located on the Ocean County College Campus in Toms River near the Grunin Art Center. We are excited to share that in the very near future, we are moving from this location to a brand new, state-of-the art building on the Ocean County College campus in Toms River, NJ. This move not only results in the Performing Arts Academy becoming more centrally located in Ocean County, it presents advanced learning opportunities for our students.
PAA Quick Facts
Type of School: Public
Grades Included: 9-12
Total Enrollment: 262 (as of September 2019)
CEEB Code: 310683
PAA Mission
The mission of the Performing Arts Academy of the Ocean County Vocational Technical School district is to provide a rigorous curriculum for creatively gifted and academically driven high school students. Our challenging coursework empowers graduates with the experience, knowledge, and 21st Century skills necessary to succeed in the academia and arts industry. Our students will develop critical thinking skills to propel them into the global landscape of interconnectivity. The Performing Arts Academy exists to provide a unique, nurturing and challenging learning environment for students gifted in the performing arts.
Academy Background
The Performing Arts Academy (PAA) is a four-year comprehensive public high school administered by the Ocean County Vocational Technical School. The Academy opened in September, 2001 for students entering the ninth grade. The Academy is designed to provide performing arts curricula focused in dance, voice, theater and audio technology along with a rigorous college-preparatory academic program. The school exists to provide a unique, nurturing and challenging learning environment for students living in Ocean County who are gifted in the performing arts.
Located in Toms River, New Jersey, the Performing Arts Academy is centrally located to the south of New York City, north of Atlantic City and east of Philadelphia.
The Ocean County Vocational Technical School District is responsible for recruitment, admissions, and the instructional program. The Performing Arts Academy is a competitive, specialized high school that selects its 9th grade class each year from applicants found within the public and private schools of Ocean County. All students apply and participate in a selective admissions process that considers middle school grades, standardized test scores, an admissions test, and an audition in a specified discipline.
