Enrollment
473
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Stockton, CA
Van Buren Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Van Buren Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 21/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063801006436
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 53
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Van Buren Elementary earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of California schools.
- #32 of 83
- elementary schools in Stockton · Resource Index
- 21
- Resource Index · Lower
- 24.9:1
- large classes for California
- 89.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Van Buren Elementary has class sizes larger than 79% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Van Buren Elementary ranks #32 of 83 elementary schools in Stockton, CA.
School address
District: Stockton Unified · California
NCES ID 063801006436 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
89.6%
vs 55.5% California avg
+61% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Van Buren Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Van Buren Elementary
Van Buren Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Stockton, California, enrolling 473 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.9:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 89.6% of students qualify for free meals, 61% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 473 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,477 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #1,023.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (67%) and African American (18%) (diversity index 51/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 237 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 79.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Stockton's elementary schools, it stands alongside Great Valley Elementary (983 students): Van Buren Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (24.9:1 vs 27.3:1).
Stockton Unified also operates Edison High (2,355 students) and Franklin High (2,065 students) alongside Van Buren Elementary.
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 Van Buren Elementary compares
Van Buren Elementary on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 24.9:1 | ▲ 16% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 89.6% | ▲ 61% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 473 | top 49% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.9:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
473
Bigger than 58% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
89.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 61% above the California average of 55.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
24.9:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 79% in California - lower ratio than 21% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
79.7%
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
$16,374
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 237 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 35 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.2 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
Hispanic or Latino 67.4%
African American 18.3%
Asian 6.2%
Two or More 4.7%
White 1.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 67.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.6, Van Buren Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Stockton Unified, which includes Van Buren Elementary.
$16,374
Per student
-1%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.1%
State 69.6%
Federal 12.3%
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 Van Buren Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edison High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Franklin High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Cesar Chavez High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Stagg Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Commodore Stockton Skills | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Van Buren Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,355
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 2,065
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 2,021
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 1,677
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 971
- Students per teacher
- 24.9:1
- Resource Index
- 11/100
Similar elementary schools in Stockton
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Great Valley Elementary
Standard public school
983 students 27.3:1 students per teacher
Commodore Stockton Skills
Standard public school
971 students 24.9:1 students per teacher
King Elementary
Standard public school
942 students 24.2:1 students per teacher
Wilhelmina Henry Elementary
Standard public school
881 students 25.9:1 students per teacher
John C. Fremont Elementary
Standard public school
813 students 24.6:1 students per teacher
Manlio Silva Elementary
Standard public school
799 students 26.6:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of California, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~473 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Van Buren Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Van Buren Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Stockton Unified'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 Van Buren Elementary
How many students attend Van Buren Elementary?
Van Buren Elementary has 473 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Stockton, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Van Buren Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Van Buren Elementary is 24.9:1, which is 16% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 59% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Van Buren Elementary?
89.6% of students at Van Buren Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Van Buren Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Van Buren Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 67.4% of enrollment, in Stockton, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Van Buren Elementary?
Van Buren Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 21/100 (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 Van Buren Elementary rank among elementary schools in Stockton?
By Resource Investment Index, Van Buren Elementary ranks #32 of 83 elementary schools in Stockton, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Stockton on the city page.
Is Van Buren Elementary a good school?
Van Buren Elementary earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of California 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 Stockton Unified?
Besides Van Buren Elementary, Stockton Unified also operates Edison High (2,355 students), Franklin High (2,065 students), and Cesar Chavez High (2,021 students). See the Stockton Unified 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.