Enrollment
245
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 293075002122
Van Buren Elem. — Van Buren, MO
Federal NCES profile for Van Buren Elem., including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 51/100.
👥 Class size 54
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 76
📋 Attendance 46
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 R-I · Missouri
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)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.6:1
vs 12.9:1 Missouri avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
59.1%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
+28% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Van Buren Elem. compares with Missouri 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
Van Buren Elem. reports 245 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 25.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 11.6:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 10% below the Missouri state mean of 12.9:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 27% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 59.1% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 28% above the Missouri average and 14% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 123 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 21.6% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Van Buren R-I spends $11,657 per pupil district-wide, below the Missouri average of $15,248 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 40.6% from local sources (property taxes), 39.5% from the state, and 19.9% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (C-), calculated from 4 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 Van Buren Elem. compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Missouri state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Missouri | Missouri avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.6:1 | ▼ 10% | 12.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 59.1% | ▲ 28% | 46.1% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 245 | top 38% | — | — |
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
59.1%
free-lunch eligible
— 28% above the Missouri average of 46.1%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11.6:1
students per teacher
— 10% below state mean
Top 32% in Missouri — lower ratio than 68% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
21.6%
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
$11,657
per pupil, district-wide
— below Missouri avg of $15,248
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 123 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
25
in-school suspensions + 21 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 10.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 18.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 3 expulsions.
Overview
Enrollment 245 Top 38% in Missouri — larger than 62% of 2,321 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 25.0
Students per teacher 11.6:1 -10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 59.1% +28% vs state
NCES ID 293075002122
Student demographics
White 96.7%
Hispanic or Latino 1.2%
African American 0.8%
Asian 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Two or More 0.4%
Largest group: White at 96.7% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 123:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 21.6%
In-school suspensions 25
Out-of-school suspensions 21
Expulsions 3
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Van Buren R-I, which includes Van Buren Elem..
$11,657
Per student
-24%
vs Missouri
Avg $15,248
-40%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 40.6%
State 39.5%
Federal 19.9%
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
- 221
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
Similar other schools in Van Buren
1 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 Van Buren Elem.
How many students attend Van Buren Elem.?
Van Buren Elem. has 245 students enrolled. It is a other school in VAN BUREN, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Van Buren Elem.?
The student-teacher ratio at Van Buren Elem. is 11.6:1, which is 10% lower than the Missouri average of 12.9:1 and 27% 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 Van Buren Elem.?
59.1% of students at Van Buren Elem. are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Van Buren Elem.?
The largest demographic group at Van Buren Elem. is White at 96.7%. The school serves a diverse student body in VAN BUREN, MO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Van Buren Elem.?
Van Buren Elem. has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (C-) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.