Enrollment
468
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 051341001631
Van Buren Freshman Academy — Van Buren, AR
Federal NCES profile for Van Buren Freshman Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 25/100.
👥 Class size 44
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
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: Van Buren School District · Arkansas
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)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.8%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
-29% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Van Buren Freshman Academy compares with Arkansas 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 Freshman Academy reports 468 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 33.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 3% above the Arkansas state mean of 13.6:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 12% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 41.8% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 29% below the Arkansas average and 19% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 571 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 57.3% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Van Buren School District spends $13,458 per pupil district-wide, below the Arkansas average of $14,269 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 28.9% from local sources (property taxes), 49.4% from the state, and 21.6% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (F), calculated from 5 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 Freshman Academy compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Arkansas state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Arkansas | Arkansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14:1 | ▲ 3% | 13.6:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.8% | ▼ 29% | 59.2% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 468 | top 63% | — | — |
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
41.8%
free-lunch eligible
— 29% below the Arkansas average of 59.2%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14:1
students per teacher
— 3% above state mean
Top 49% in Arkansas — lower ratio than 51% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
57.3%
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
$13,458
per pupil, district-wide
— below Arkansas avg of $14,269
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.8 FTE
Per 571 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
117
in-school suspensions + 80 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 25.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 42.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 468 Top 63% in Arkansas — larger than 37% of 1,069 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 33.0
Students per teacher 14:1 +3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 41.8% -29% vs state
NCES ID 051341001631
Student demographics
White 61.8%
Hispanic or Latino 20.1%
Two or More 11.3%
Asian 2.6%
African American 2.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 61.8% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.8
Students per counselor 571:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 57.3%
In-school suspensions 117
Out-of-school suspensions 80
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Van Buren School District, which includes Van Buren Freshman Academy.
$13,458
Per student
-6%
vs Arkansas
Avg $14,269
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 28.9%
State 49.4%
Federal 21.6%
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
- 1,232
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Enrollment
- 713
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Enrollment
- 557
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Enrollment
- 466
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Enrollment
- 459
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
Similar high schools in Van Buren
1 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
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 Freshman Academy
How many students attend Van Buren Freshman Academy?
Van Buren Freshman Academy has 468 students enrolled. It is a high school in VAN BUREN, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Van Buren Freshman Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Van Buren Freshman Academy is 14:1, which is 3% higher than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 12% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Van Buren Freshman Academy?
41.8% of students at Van Buren Freshman Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Van Buren Freshman Academy?
The largest demographic group at Van Buren Freshman Academy is White at 61.8%. The school serves a diverse student body in VAN BUREN, AR.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Van Buren Freshman Academy?
Van Buren Freshman Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (F) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.