Enrollment
275
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Brazil, IN
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 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 180084000164
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 62
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Van Buren Elementary School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Indiana median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Indiana schools.
- #2 of 3
- elementary schools in Brazil · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.2:1
- students per teacher
- 59.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Van Buren Elementary School has class sizes near the Indiana median. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Van Buren Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Brazil, IN.
School address
District: Clay Community Schools · Indiana
NCES ID 180084000164 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.2:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
+2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
59.8%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
+21% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Van Buren Elementary School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Van Buren Elementary School
Van Buren Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Brazil, Indiana, enrolling 275 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Indiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 59.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 275 puts it in the smaller third of Indiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Against 267 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #181.
Its student body is predominantly White (94% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 11/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 550 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
15.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Brazil's elementary schools, it stands alongside Staunton Elementary School (373 students): Van Buren Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.2:1 vs 21.9:1).
Clay Community Schools also operates Northview High School (863 students) and North Clay Middle School (734 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 Indiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Indiana | Indiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.2:1 | ▲ 2% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 59.8% | ▲ 21% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 275 | top 82% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.2:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
275
Bigger than 29% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
59.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 21% above the Indiana average of 49.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.2:1
students per teacher
- 2% above state mean
Top 61% in Indiana - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
15.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,999
per pupil, district-wide
- below Indiana avg of $12,079
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.7 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 94.2%
Two or More 2.9%
Hispanic or Latino 2.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
Largest group: White at 94.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 11.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 11.1, Van Buren Elementary School is less mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Clay Community Schools, which includes Van Buren Elementary School.
$11,999
Per student
-1%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.0%
State 64.5%
Federal 14.5%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northview High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| North Clay Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Clay City Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Staunton Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Clay City Jr-Sr High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower 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
- 863
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 734
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 385
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 373
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 366
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
Similar elementary schools in Brazil
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Indiana, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~275 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
- Clay Community Schools'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 275 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Brazil, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Van Buren Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Van Buren Elementary School is 16.2:1, which is 2% higher than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 3% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Van Buren Elementary School?
59.8% of students at Van Buren Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Van Buren Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Van Buren Elementary School is White at 94.2% of enrollment, in Brazil, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Van Buren Elementary School?
Van Buren Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (typical 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 School rank among elementary schools in Brazil?
By Resource Investment Index, Van Buren Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Brazil, IN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Brazil on the city page.
Is Van Buren Elementary School a good school?
Van Buren Elementary School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Indiana median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Indiana 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 Clay Community Schools?
Besides Van Buren Elementary School, Clay Community Schools also operates Northview High School (863 students), North Clay Middle School (734 students), and Clay City Elementary School (385 students). See the Clay Community Schools 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.