Van Buren ISD

LAWRENCE, Michigan — 3 schools

591
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$391,725
Per-Pupil Spending
Other, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Van Buren ISD operates 3 public schools serving 591 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Michigan. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 other, 1 high schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 156 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Van Buren County County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $391,725 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 55.9% local, 32.7% state, and 11.4% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. The district's equity score — 75/100, ranked #52 of 756 in Michigan against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.

and 66.2% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 69.8% White, 13.8% Hispanic or Latino, 9.3% African American across the district's schools.

Bert Goens Learning Center accounts for 44.9% of all Van Buren ISD student enrollment

That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Van Buren ISD-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: other. 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 ISD school enrollment varies 2.1× across entities

Van Buren ISD school enrollment ranges from 33 students (lowest) to 70 students (highest), a spread of 37 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 ISD has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 50.5% 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 ISD chronic absenteeism rate is 66.2% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)

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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

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

Where does the funding come from?

11.4%
Federal
32.7%
State
55.9%
Local

Funding Equity

75
Equity Score
52 / 756
State Rank
50
State Average

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

Local Rent Costs

Fair Market Rents in Van Buren County county, where this district is located.

$701
Studio/mo
$774
1 BR/mo
$1,016
2 BR/mo
$1,338
3 BR/mo
$1,396
4 BR/mo

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 3 schools in Van Buren ISD.

White 69.8%
Hispanic or Latino 13.8%
African American 9.3%
Multiracial 4.6%
Other 2.5%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

66.2%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Van Buren ISD

School Enrollment
Bert Goens Learning Center
70
Communitybased Transition Center
53
Maple Creek Education Center
33

Nearby Districts in Michigan

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

Detroit Public Schools Community District
48,548 students · 107 schools · $22,228/pupil
Compare vs Van Buren ISD →
Utica Community Schools
25,744 students · 38 schools · $13,844/pupil
Compare vs Van Buren ISD →
Dearborn City School District
20,128 students · 37 schools · $17,609/pupil
Compare vs Van Buren ISD →
Ann Arbor Public Schools
17,026 students · 32 schools · $22,548/pupil
Compare vs Van Buren ISD →
Plymouth-Canton Community Schools
16,294 students · 25 schools · $16,462/pupil
Compare vs Van Buren ISD →

Compare Van Buren ISD

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

Compare vs Detroit Public Schools Community District →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Van Buren ISD?

Van Buren ISD has 3 schools, including 2 other, 1 high. Total enrollment is 591 students.

How much does Van Buren ISD spend per student?

Van Buren ISD spends $391,725 per student. The district has an equity score of 75/100, ranking #52 in Michigan.

What is the average rent near Van Buren ISD?

The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Van Buren County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.

What is the demographic composition of Van Buren ISD?

Van Buren ISD students are 69.8% White, 13.8% Hispanic or Latino, 9.3% African American, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Van Buren ISD?

Van Buren ISD has an equity score of 75/100, ranking #52 out of 756 districts in Michigan. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.

Federal data Last updated 2026 Free public data

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50 states + DC

Full national footprint

Update cadence

Quarterly

Refreshed within 30 days of upstream release

Source agency

Federal

Authoritative data, no third-party aggregation

Page reliability score 94.0%
Industry baseline

Composite score weighing source authority, update freshness, and methodological transparency. 1.0 = full federal-source coverage with documented methodology and recent update.