Van Buren County Comm School District

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Keosauqua, Iowa - 3 schools

An equity score of 90/100 ranks Van Buren County Comm School District #3 of 303 districts in Iowa (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $13,838 per pupil, Van Buren County Comm School District ranks #61 of 327 Iowa districts by per-pupil spending (Iowa districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

867
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$13,838
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Van Buren County Comm School District operates 3 public schools serving 867 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Iowa. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 combined schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Van Buren County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,838 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 327 Iowa districts by per-pupil spending. See how Iowa compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 35.0% local, 49.0% state, and 16.0% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 90/100, ranked #3 of 303 in Iowa against a state average of 50, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

a 428.2:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 21.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 94.3% White, 2.9% Hispanic or Latino, 0.8% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Van Buren County Community School District Harmony Center, with a diversity index of 13.1/100.

Its largest campus is Van Buren County Community Middle & High School, enrolling 354 students (43% of the district's total enrollment).

Van Buren County Community Middle & High School accounts for 40.8% of all Van Buren County Comm School District student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Van Buren County Comm School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: combined. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Van Buren County Comm School District school enrollment varies 2.0× across entities

Van Buren County Comm School District school enrollment ranges from 175 students (lowest) to 354 students (highest), a spread of 179 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Van Buren County Comm School District has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 53.3% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch

free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Van Buren County Comm School District student-counselor ratio is 428:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Van Buren County Comm School District chronic absenteeism rate is 21.6% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Variation between sub-units within Van Buren County Comm School District is typically wider than the Van Buren County Comm School District-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

16.0%
Federal
49.0%
State
35.0%
Local

Funding Equity

90
Equity Score
3 / 303
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores well on funding equity, with balanced funding sources and good resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 3 schools in Van Buren County Comm School District.

White 94.3%
Hispanic or Latino 2.9%
African American 0.8%
Multiracial 1.9%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 10.9/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Van Buren County Comm School District's schools, below the Iowa average of 33.8.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Van Buren County Community School District Harmony Center 13.1
  2. 2 Van Buren County Community Middle & High School 9.9
  3. 3 Van Buren County Community School District Douds Center 9.8

Programs & Resources

428.2:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
21.6%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Van Buren County Comm School District

How Van Buren County Comm School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Iowa districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Hudson Comm School District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Northeast Comm School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
West Branch Comm School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Aplington-Parkersburg Comm School District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
West Central Valley Comm School District Similar size Lower spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Van Buren County Comm School District's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Iowa

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Compare Van Buren County Comm School District

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Des Moines Independent Comm School District →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Van Buren County Comm School District?

Van Buren County Comm School District has 3 schools, including 3 combined. Total enrollment is 867 students.

How much does Van Buren County Comm School District spend per student?

Van Buren County Comm School District spends $13,838 per student. The district has an equity score of 90/100, ranking #3 in Iowa.

What is the demographic composition of Van Buren County Comm School District?

Van Buren County Comm School District students are 94.3% White, 2.9% Hispanic or Latino, 0.8% African American, 0.2% Asian, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Van Buren County Comm School District?

Van Buren County Comm School District has an equity score of 90/100, ranking #3 out of 303 districts in Iowa.