Enrollment
408
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Janesville, WI
Van Buren Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Van Buren Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 550702000774
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 18
📋 Attendance 63
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Van Buren Elementary earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Wisconsin median.
- #15 of 18
- schools in Janesville · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.6:1
- students per teacher
- 44.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Van Buren Elementary has class sizes near the Wisconsin median. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Van Buren Elementary ranks #15 of 18 schools in Janesville, WI.
School address
District: Janesville School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 550702000774 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.6:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
44.4%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
+15% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Van Buren Elementary compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at Van Buren Elementary
Van Buren Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Janesville, Wisconsin, enrolling 408 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Wisconsin schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 44.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 408 puts it in the larger third of Wisconsin schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,202 scored Wisconsin schools.
Among 416 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Wisconsin schools statewide, it ranks #307, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (75%) and Hispanic or Latino (10%) (diversity index 42/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 408 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
15.0% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Janesville's public schools, it stands alongside Roosevelt Elementary (412 students): Van Buren Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.6:1 vs 15.3:1).
Janesville School District also operates Craig High (1,400 students) and Parker High (1,272 students) alongside Van Buren Elementary.
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 compares
Van Buren Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Wisconsin and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Wisconsin | Wisconsin avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.6:1 | ▲ 1% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 44.4% | ▲ 15% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 408 | top 32% | - | - |
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.
408
Bigger than 49% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
44.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 15% above the Wisconsin average of 38.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.6:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 67% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
15.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,579
per pupil, district-wide
- below Wisconsin avg of $14,919
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 408 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
12
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.7 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 75.0%
Hispanic or Latino 10.0%
Two or More 9.1%
African American 4.4%
Asian 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 75.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 41.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 41.7, Van Buren Elementary is more mixed than the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Janesville School District, which includes Van Buren Elementary.
$13,579
Per student
-9%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $14,919
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.2%
State 49.8%
Federal 11.0%
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 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Craig High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Parker High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Marshall Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Edison Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Franklin Middle | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Van Buren Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,400
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,272
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 747
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 587
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 486
- Students per teacher
- 10.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar other schools in Janesville
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Roosevelt Elementary
Standard public school
412 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Washington Elementary
Standard public school
410 students 15.2:1 students per teacher
Kennedy Elementary
Standard public school
404 students 15:1 students per teacher
Monroe Elementary
Standard public school
376 students 14.5:1 students per teacher
Preschool 4 Janesville
Standard public school
345 students 20.3:1 students per teacher
Jackson Elementary
Standard public school
339 students 9.7:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Wisconsin, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~408 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Van Buren Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Van Buren Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Janesville School 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
How many students attend Van Buren Elementary?
Van Buren Elementary has 408 students enrolled. It is a public school in Janesville, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Van Buren Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Van Buren Elementary is 14.6:1, which is 1% higher than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 and 7% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Van Buren Elementary?
44.4% of students at Van Buren Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Van Buren Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Van Buren Elementary is White at 75.0% of enrollment, in Janesville, WI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Van Buren Elementary?
Van Buren Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 rank among schools in Janesville?
By Resource Investment Index, Van Buren Elementary ranks #15 of 18 schools in Janesville, WI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Janesville on the city page.
Is Van Buren Elementary a good school?
Van Buren Elementary earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Wisconsin 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 Janesville School District?
Besides Van Buren Elementary, Janesville School District also operates Craig High (1,400 students), Parker High (1,272 students), and Marshall Middle (747 students). See the Janesville School 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.