Enrollment
79
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Van Buren, AR
River Valley Virtual Academy
Federal NCES profile for River Valley Virtual Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 051341001650Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 88
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
River Valley Virtual Academy earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of Arkansas schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Arkansas.
- #1 of 3
- schools in Van Buren · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 3:1
- small classes for Arkansas
- 46.6%
- free-lunch eligible
River Valley Virtual Academy has class sizes smaller than 99% of Arkansas schools. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, River Valley Virtual Academy ranks #1 of 3 schools in Van Buren, AR.
School address
District: Van Buren School District · Arkansas
NCES ID 051341001650 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
3:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
-78% 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
What stands out at River Valley Virtual Academy
River Valley Virtual Academy is a small charter combined-grade school in Van Buren, Arkansas, enrolling 79 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 3:1, River Valley Virtual Academy is leaner than roughly 99% of Arkansas schools and 78% under the state's 13.6:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 46.6% lands close to the Arkansas typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 97% of Arkansas schools, with 79 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,066 scored Arkansas schools.
Its student body is predominantly White (86% of enrollment) (diversity index 25/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 45.6% 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 River Valley Virtual Academy.
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 River Valley Virtual Academy compares
River Valley Virtual Academy on the metrics families compare, against Arkansas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arkansas | Arkansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 3:1 | ▼ 78% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 46.6% | ▼ 21% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 79 | top 97% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
3:1
Leaner classes than 99% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
79
Bigger than 8% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
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
3:1
students per teacher
- 78% below state mean
Top 1% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 99% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
45.6%
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
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
- 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 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.
Student-body diversity index 25.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 25.0, River Valley Virtual Academy is less mixed than the Arkansas school average of 40.4.
Programs
AP courses offered 2
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Van Buren School District, which includes River Valley Virtual Academy.
$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 River Valley Virtual Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Van Buren High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northridge Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Butterfield Junior High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Van Buren Freshman Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| J. J. Izard Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to River Valley Virtual Academy'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 (~79 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on River Valley Virtual Academy's federal record.
- Compare River Valley Virtual Academy 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 River Valley Virtual Academy
How many students attend River Valley Virtual Academy?
River Valley Virtual Academy has 79 students enrolled. It is a public 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 3:1, which is 78% lower than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 81% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. 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% of enrollment, 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 53/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does River Valley Virtual Academy rank among schools in Van Buren?
By Resource Investment Index, River Valley Virtual Academy ranks #1 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 River Valley Virtual Academy a good school?
River Valley Virtual Academy earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of Arkansas schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Arkansas. 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 River Valley Virtual Academy, 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.