Enrollment
459
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Van Buren, AR
James R. Tate Elem. School
Federal NCES profile for James R. Tate Elem. School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 051341001369
👥 S:T ratio 24
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 8
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
James R. Tate Elem. School earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Arkansas schools.
- #3 of 3
- schools in Van Buren · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.1:1
- large classes for Arkansas
- 54.7%
- free-lunch eligible
James R. Tate Elem. School has class sizes larger than 92% of Arkansas schools. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, James R. Tate Elem. School ranks #3 of 3 schools in Van Buren, AR.
School address
District: Van Buren School District · Arkansas
NCES ID 051341001369 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.1:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
+40% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
54.7%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
-8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How James R. Tate Elem. School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at James R. Tate Elem. School
James R. Tate Elem. School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Van Buren, Arkansas, enrolling 459 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.1:1 is larger than about 92% of Arkansas schools and 40% above the 13.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 54.7% lands close to the Arkansas typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 459 students, its enrollment sits close to the Arkansas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 97% of the 1,066 Arkansas schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 258 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Arkansas schools statewide, it ranks #252, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (70%) and Hispanic or Latino (19%) (diversity index 47/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 459 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 43.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Van Buren School District also operates Van Buren High School (1,232 students) and Northridge Middle School (713 students) alongside James R. Tate Elem. School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How James R. Tate Elem. School compares
James R. Tate Elem. School on the metrics families compare, against Arkansas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arkansas | Arkansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.1:1 | ▲ 40% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 54.7% | ▼ 8% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 459 | top 39% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.1:1
Leaner classes than 19% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
459
Bigger than 56% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
54.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 8% below the Arkansas average of 59.2%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19.1:1
students per teacher
- 40% above state mean
Top 92% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
43.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$11,226
per pupil, district-wide
- below Arkansas avg of $12,251
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 459 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 69.5%
Hispanic or Latino 18.5%
Two or More 8.9%
African American 1.5%
Asian 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: White at 69.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.4, James R. Tate Elem. School is more mixed than the Arkansas school average of 40.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Van Buren School District, which includes James R. Tate Elem. School.
$11,226
Per student
-8%
vs Arkansas
Avg $12,251
-32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.9%
State 49.4%
Federal 21.6%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How James R. Tate Elem. School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Van Buren High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Northridge Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Butterfield Junior High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Van Buren Freshman Academy | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| J. J. Izard Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to James R. Tate Elem. School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,232
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 713
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 557
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 468
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 466
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 14/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Arkansas, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~459 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on James R. Tate Elem. School's federal record.
- Compare James R. Tate Elem. School against another school. Compare schools
- Van Buren School District's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about James R. Tate Elem. School
How many students attend James R. Tate Elem. School?
James R. Tate Elem. School has 459 students enrolled. It is a public school in Van Buren, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at James R. Tate Elem. School?
The student-teacher ratio at James R. Tate Elem. School is 19.1:1, which is 40% higher than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 22% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at James R. Tate Elem. School?
54.7% of students at James R. Tate Elem. School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of James R. Tate Elem. School?
The largest demographic group at James R. Tate Elem. School is White at 69.5% of enrollment, in Van Buren, AR.
What is the Resource Investment Index for James R. Tate Elem. School?
James R. Tate Elem. School has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does James R. Tate Elem. School rank among schools in Van Buren?
By Resource Investment Index, James R. Tate Elem. School ranks #3 of 3 schools in Van Buren, AR. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Van Buren on the city page.
Is James R. Tate Elem. School a good school?
James R. Tate Elem. School earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Arkansas schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Van Buren School District?
Besides James R. Tate Elem. School, Van Buren School District also operates Van Buren High School (1,232 students), Northridge Middle School (713 students), and Butterfield Junior High School (557 students). See the Van Buren School District district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.