Enrollment
414
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Van Buren, AR
Rena Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Rena Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 051341000061
👥 S:T ratio 21
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 17
📋 Attendance 11
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Rena Elementary School earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of Arkansas schools.
- #2 of 3
- elementary schools in Van Buren · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.7:1
- large classes for Arkansas
- 27.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Rena Elementary School has class sizes larger than 95% of Arkansas schools. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Rena Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Van Buren, AR.
School address
District: Van Buren School District · Arkansas
NCES ID 051341000061 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.7:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
+45% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
27.1%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
-54% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Rena Elementary School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Rena Elementary School
Rena Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Van Buren, Arkansas, enrolling 414 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.7:1 is larger than about 95% of Arkansas schools and 45% above the 13.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 27.1% free-meal eligibility runs 54% below the Arkansas average.
With 414 students, its enrollment sits close to the Arkansas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 93% of the 1,066 Arkansas schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 184 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Arkansas schools statewide, it ranks #173, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and Hispanic or Latino (15%) (diversity index 50/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 414 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 35.7% 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.
Among Van Buren's elementary schools, it stands alongside Oliver Springs Elementary School (441 students): Rena Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.7:1 vs 18.4:1).
Van Buren School District also operates Van Buren High School (1,232 students) and Northridge Middle School (713 students) alongside Rena Elementary 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 Rena Elementary School compares
Rena Elementary 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 | 19.7:1 | ▲ 45% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 27.1% | ▼ 54% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 414 | top 46% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.7:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
414
Bigger than 50% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
27.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 54% below the Arkansas average of 59.2%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
19.7:1
students per teacher
- 45% above state mean
Top 95% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 5% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
35.7%
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 414 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
34
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.7 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 67.4%
Hispanic or Latino 15.2%
Two or More 13.3%
Asian 1.7%
African American 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Largest group: White at 67.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.4, Rena Elementary 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 Rena Elementary 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 Rena Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Van Buren High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Northridge Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Butterfield Junior High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Van Buren Freshman Academy | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| J. J. Izard Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Rena Elementary 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 elementary schools in Van Buren
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~414 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Rena Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Rena Elementary 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 Rena Elementary School
How many students attend Rena Elementary School?
Rena Elementary School has 414 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Van Buren, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Rena Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Rena Elementary School is 19.7:1, which is 45% higher than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 25% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Rena Elementary School?
27.1% of students at Rena Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Rena Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Rena Elementary School is White at 67.4% of enrollment, in Van Buren, AR. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Rena Elementary School?
Rena Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (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 Rena Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Van Buren?
By Resource Investment Index, Rena Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 elementary 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 elementary schools in Van Buren on the city page.
Is Rena Elementary School a good school?
Rena Elementary School earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% 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 Rena Elementary 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.