Enrollment
204
Maine · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 231101001059
Van Buren Elementary School — Van Buren, ME
Federal NCES profile for Van Buren Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 49/100.
👥 Class size 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 36
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: Rsu 88/Msad 24 · Maine
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)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.6:1
vs 11.3:1 Maine avg
+29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 34.0% Maine avg
+194% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Van Buren Elementary School compares with Maine 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 Elementary School reports 204 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 14.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.6:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 29% above the Maine state mean of 11.3:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 8% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 100.0% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 194% above the Maine average and 93% above the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 25.5% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Rsu 88/Msad 24 spends $20,388 per pupil district-wide, below the Maine average of $23,827 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 13.8% from local sources (property taxes), 70.9% from the state, and 15.3% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (D), calculated from 3 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 Elementary School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Maine state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Maine | Maine avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.6:1 | ▲ 29% | 11.3:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 194% | 34.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 204 | top 42% | — | — |
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
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
— 194% above the Maine average of 34.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.6:1
students per teacher
— 29% above state mean
Top 94% in Maine — lower ratio than 6% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
25.5%
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
$20,388
per pupil, district-wide
— below Maine avg of $23,827
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
16
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 204 Top 42% in Maine — larger than 58% of 570 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 14.0
Students per teacher 14.6:1 +29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 100.0% +194% vs state
NCES ID 231101001059
Student demographics
White 92.2%
African American 4.9%
Hispanic or Latino 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Two or More 0.5%
Largest group: White at 92.2% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 25.5%
In-school suspensions 16
Out-of-school suspensions 12
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rsu 88/Msad 24, which includes Van Buren Elementary School.
$20,388
Per student
-14%
vs Maine
Avg $23,827
+5%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 13.8%
State 70.9%
Federal 15.3%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 58
- Students per teacher
- 9.3:1
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 Elementary School
How many students attend Van Buren Elementary School?
Van Buren Elementary School has 204 students enrolled. It is a other school in Van Buren, ME.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Van Buren Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Van Buren Elementary School is 14.6:1, which is 29% higher than the Maine average of 11.3:1 and 8% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Van Buren Elementary School?
100.0% of students at Van Buren Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maine average of 34.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Van Buren Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Van Buren Elementary School is White at 92.2%. The school serves a diverse student body in Van Buren, ME.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Van Buren Elementary School?
Van Buren Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (D) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.