Enrollment
458
Idaho · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Caldwell, ID
Van Buren Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Van Buren Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 160051000107
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Van Buren Elementary School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 76% of Idaho schools.
- #1 of 3
- elementary schools in Caldwell · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.5:1
- small classes for Idaho
- 83.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Van Buren Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 76% of Idaho schools. Computed live against every Idaho school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Van Buren Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Caldwell, ID.
School address
District: Caldwell District · Idaho
NCES ID 160051000107 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.5:1
vs 17.1:1 Idaho avg
-21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
83.1%
vs 29.3% Idaho avg
+184% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Van Buren Elementary School compares with Idaho and U.S. medians
What stands out at Van Buren Elementary School
Van Buren Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Caldwell, Idaho, enrolling 458 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of Idaho schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 83.1% of students qualify for free meals, 184% above the Idaho average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 458 puts it in the larger third of Idaho schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 775 scored Idaho schools.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (62%) and White (32%) (diversity index 51/100).
Its district draws 29.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Caldwell District also operates Caldwell Senior High School (1,400 students) and Jefferson Middle School (778 students) alongside Van Buren 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 Van Buren Elementary School compares
Van Buren Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Idaho and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Idaho | Idaho avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.5:1 | ▼ 21% | 17.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 83.1% | ▲ 184% | 29.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 458 | top 31% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.5:1
Leaner classes than 62% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
458
Bigger than 56% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
83.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 184% above the Idaho average of 29.3%
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
13.5:1
students per teacher
- 21% below state mean
Top 24% in Idaho - lower ratio than 76% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Funding equity
$10,769
per pupil, district-wide
- below Idaho avg of $11,939
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
4
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.9 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 62.0%
White 32.3%
Two or More 3.7%
African American 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 62.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.0, Van Buren Elementary School is more mixed than the Idaho school average of 36.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Caldwell District, which includes Van Buren Elementary School.
$10,769
Per student
-10%
vs Idaho
Avg $11,939
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 14.9%
State 55.3%
Federal 29.8%
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 School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caldwell Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jefferson Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Syringa Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Washington Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wilson Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Van Buren Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,400
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 778
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 695
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 481
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 406
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Idaho, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~458 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Van Buren Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Van Buren Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Caldwell 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 Van Buren Elementary School
How many students attend Van Buren Elementary School?
Van Buren Elementary School has 458 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Caldwell, ID.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Van Buren Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Van Buren Elementary School is 13.5:1, which is 21% lower than the Idaho average of 17.1:1 and 14% 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 Van Buren Elementary School?
83.1% of students at Van Buren Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Idaho average of 29.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Van Buren Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Van Buren Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 62.0% of enrollment, in Caldwell, ID. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Van Buren Elementary School?
Van Buren Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does Van Buren Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Caldwell?
By Resource Investment Index, Van Buren Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Caldwell, ID. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Caldwell on the city page.
Is Van Buren Elementary School a good school?
Van Buren Elementary School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 76% of Idaho 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 Caldwell District?
Besides Van Buren Elementary School, Caldwell District also operates Caldwell Senior High School (1,400 students), Jefferson Middle School (778 students), and Syringa Middle School (695 students). See the Caldwell 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.