Enrollment
79
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 051341001650 Charter school
River Valley Virtual Academy — Van Buren, AR
Federal NCES profile for River Valley Virtual Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 49/100.
👥 Class size 77
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Van Buren School District · Arkansas
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
5.7:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
-58% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
46.6%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
-21% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How River Valley Virtual Academy compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
River Valley Virtual Academy reports 79 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 26.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 5.7:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 58% below the Arkansas state mean of 13.6:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 64% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 46.6% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 21% below the Arkansas average and 10% below the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 45.6% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Van Buren School District spends $13,458 per pupil district-wide, below the Arkansas average of $14,269 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 28.9% from local sources (property taxes), 49.4% from the state, and 21.6% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (D), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How River Valley Virtual Academy compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Arkansas state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Arkansas | Arkansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 5.7:1 | ▼ 58% | 13.6:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 46.6% | ▼ 21% | 59.2% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 79 | top 3% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
46.6%
free-lunch eligible
— 21% 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
5.7:1
students per teacher
— 58% below state mean
Top 7% in Arkansas — lower ratio than 93% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
45.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$13,458
per pupil, district-wide
— below Arkansas avg of $14,269
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 79 Top 3% in Arkansas — larger than 97% of 1,069 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 26.0
Students per teacher 5.7:1 -58% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 46.6% -21% vs state
NCES ID 051341001650
Student demographics
White 86.1%
Two or More 8.9%
Hispanic or Latino 2.5%
African American 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.3%
Largest group: White at 86.1% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 2
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 45.6%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Van Buren School District, which includes River Valley Virtual Academy.
$13,458
Per student
-6%
vs Arkansas
Avg $14,269
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,232
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Enrollment
- 713
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Enrollment
- 557
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Enrollment
- 468
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Enrollment
- 466
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
Similar other schools in Van Buren
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about River Valley Virtual Academy
How many students attend River Valley Virtual Academy?
River Valley Virtual Academy has 79 students enrolled. It is a other school in VAN BUREN, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at River Valley Virtual Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at River Valley Virtual Academy is 5.7:1, which is 58% lower than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 64% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at River Valley Virtual Academy?
46.6% of students at River Valley Virtual Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of River Valley Virtual Academy?
The largest demographic group at River Valley Virtual Academy is White at 86.1%. The school serves a diverse student body in VAN BUREN, AR.
What is the Resource Investment Index for River Valley Virtual Academy?
River Valley Virtual Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (D) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.