Enrollment
514
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Plainfield, 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 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 180897001495
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 68
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Van Buren Elementary School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Indiana median.
- #5 of 5
- elementary schools in Plainfield · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.6:1
- students per teacher
- 30.8%
- 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 #5 of 5 elementary schools in Plainfield, IN.
School address
District: Plainfield Community School Corp · Indiana
NCES ID 180897001495 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.6:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
30.8%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-38% 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 mid-sized elementary school in Plainfield, Indiana, enrolling 514 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Indiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 30.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 514 students, its enrollment sits close to the Indiana median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Among 453 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Indiana schools statewide, it ranks #329, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (81% of enrollment) (diversity index 34/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 514 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
13.0% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Plainfield's elementary schools, it stands alongside Central Elementary School (549 students): Van Buren Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.6:1 vs 17.7:1).
Plainfield Community School Corp also operates Plainfield High School (1,856 students) and Plainfield Community Middle School (1,378 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 | 16.6:1 | ▲ 4% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 30.8% | ▼ 38% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 514 | top 39% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.6:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
514
Bigger than 63% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
30.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 38% below the Indiana average of 49.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.6:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 66% in Indiana - lower ratio than 34% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
13.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$10,630
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 514 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
11
in-school suspensions + 17 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.4 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 80.7%
Hispanic or Latino 9.1%
Two or More 6.4%
African American 2.5%
Asian 1.2%
Largest group: White at 80.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 33.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 33.6, 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 Plainfield Community School Corp, which includes Van Buren Elementary School.
$10,630
Per student
-12%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.7%
State 56.2%
Federal 8.1%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plainfield High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Plainfield Community Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Central Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Clarks Creek Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Guilford Elementary | Similar size | Similar 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
- 1,856
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,378
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 549
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 544
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 434
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar elementary schools in Plainfield
4 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Central Elementary School
Standard public school
549 students 17.7:1 students per teacher
Clarks Creek Elementary
Standard public school
544 students 18.1:1 students per teacher
Guilford Elementary
Standard public school
434 students 15:1 students per teacher
Brentwood Elementary School
Standard public school
420 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
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 (~514 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
- Plainfield Community School Corp'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 514 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Plainfield, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Van Buren Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Van Buren Elementary School is 16.6:1, which is 4% higher than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 6% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Van Buren Elementary School?
30.8% 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 80.7% of enrollment, in Plainfield, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Van Buren Elementary School?
Van Buren Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Plainfield?
By Resource Investment Index, Van Buren Elementary School ranks #5 of 5 elementary schools in Plainfield, 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 Plainfield on the city page.
Is Van Buren Elementary School a good school?
Van Buren Elementary School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Indiana median. 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 Plainfield Community School Corp?
Besides Van Buren Elementary School, Plainfield Community School Corp also operates Plainfield High School (1,856 students), Plainfield Community Middle School (1,378 students), and Central Elementary School (549 students). See the Plainfield Community School Corp 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.