Enrollment
204
Maine · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Van Buren, ME
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 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 231101001059
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 36
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Van Buren Elementary School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of Maine schools.
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.6:1
- large classes for Maine
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
- 204
- students enrolled
Van Buren Elementary School has class sizes larger than 94% of Maine schools. Computed live against every Maine school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Rsu 88/Msad 24 · Maine
NCES ID 231101001059 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.6:1
vs 11.1:1 Maine avg
+32% 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
What stands out at Van Buren Elementary School
Van Buren Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Van Buren, Maine, enrolling 204 students.
Class loads run heavy: 14.6:1 is larger than about 94% of Maine schools and 32% above the 11.1:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 100.0% of students qualify for free meals, 194% above the Maine average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 204 students, its enrollment sits close to the Maine median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 569 scored Maine schools.
Its student body is predominantly White (92% of enrollment) (diversity index 15/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Its district, Rsu 88/Msad 24, also runs Van Buren District Secondary Sch (58 students).
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 Maine and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Maine | Maine avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.6:1 | ▲ 32% | 11.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 194% | 34.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 204 | top 58% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.6:1
Leaner classes than 51% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
204
Bigger than 20% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 194% above the Maine average of 34.0%
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
14.6:1
students per teacher
- 32% above state mean
Top 94% in Maine - lower ratio than 6% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
25.5%
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
$19,468
per pupil, district-wide
- below Maine avg of $20,083
Somewhat 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
- 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 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.
Student-body diversity index 14.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 14.7, Van Buren Elementary School is less mixed than the Maine school average of 20.6.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rsu 88/Msad 24, which includes Van Buren Elementary School.
$19,468
Per student
-3%
vs Maine
Avg $20,083
+17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
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.
How Van Buren Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Van Buren District Secondary Sch | Smaller | 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
- 58
- Students per teacher
- 9.7:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Maine, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~204 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Van Buren Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Van Buren Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Rsu 88/Msad 24'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 204 students enrolled. It is a public 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 32% higher than the Maine average of 11.1:1 and 7% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
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% of enrollment, 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 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
Is Van Buren Elementary School a good school?
Van Buren Elementary School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of Maine 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 Rsu 88/Msad 24?
Besides Van Buren Elementary School, Rsu 88/Msad 24 also operates Van Buren District Secondary Sch (58 students). See the Rsu 88/Msad 24 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.