Enrollment
598
Ohio · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Kettering, OH
Van Buren Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Van Buren Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 390441801114
👥 S:T ratio 37
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 40
📋 Attendance 50
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Van Buren Middle School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Ohio median.
- #5 of 12
- public schools in Kettering · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.7:1
- students per teacher
- 29.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Van Buren Middle School has class sizes near the Ohio median. Computed live against every Ohio school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Van Buren Middle School ranks #5 of 12 public schools in Kettering, OH.
School address
District: Kettering City School District · Ohio
NCES ID 390441801114 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.7:1
vs 18.2:1 Ohio avg
-14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
29.7%
vs 31.6% Ohio avg
-6% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Van Buren Middle School compares with Ohio and U.S. medians
What stands out at Van Buren Middle School
Van Buren Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Kettering, Ohio, enrolling 598 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of Ohio schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 29.7% lands close to the Ohio typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 598 puts it in the larger third of Ohio schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,574 scored Ohio schools.
Against 709 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #77.
Its student body is led by White (78%) and Two or More (8%) (diversity index 37/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 299 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 15.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 149 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 598 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Kettering's middle schools, it stands alongside Kettering Middle School (982 students): Van Buren Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.7:1 vs 15.6:1).
Kettering City School District also operates Kettering Fairmont High School (2,445 students) and Kettering Middle School (982 students) alongside Van Buren Middle 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 Middle School compares
Van Buren Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Ohio and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Ohio | Ohio avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.7:1 | ▼ 14% | 18.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 29.7% | ▼ 6% | 31.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 598 | top 22% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.7:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
598
Bigger than 72% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
29.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 6% below the Ohio average of 31.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.7:1
students per teacher
- 14% below state mean
Top 34% in Ohio - lower ratio than 66% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
20.1%
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
$15,725
per pupil, district-wide
- above Ohio avg of $14,655
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 299 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
75
in-school suspensions + 74 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 12.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 24.9 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 78.3%
Two or More 7.7%
Hispanic or Latino 6.5%
African American 5.2%
Asian 1.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 78.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 37.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 37.4, Van Buren Middle School is more mixed than the Ohio school average of 35.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Kettering City School District, which includes Van Buren Middle School.
$15,725
Per student
+7%
vs Ohio
Avg $14,655
-5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 63.7%
State 21.2%
Federal 15.0%
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 Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kettering Fairmont High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Kettering Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| J F Kennedy Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Southdale Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Indian Riffle Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Van Buren Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,445
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 982
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 602
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 530
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 521
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar middle schools in Kettering
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Ohio, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~598 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Van Buren Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Van Buren Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Kettering City 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 Middle School
How many students attend Van Buren Middle School?
Van Buren Middle School has 598 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Kettering, OH.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Van Buren Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Van Buren Middle School is 15.7:1, which is 14% lower than the Ohio average of 18.2:1 and 0% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Van Buren Middle School?
29.7% of students at Van Buren Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Ohio average of 31.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Van Buren Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Van Buren Middle School is White at 78.3% of enrollment, in Kettering, OH.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Van Buren Middle School?
Van Buren Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (higher 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 Middle School rank among public schools in Kettering?
By Resource Investment Index, Van Buren Middle School ranks #5 of 12 public schools in Kettering, OH. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Kettering on the city page.
Is Van Buren Middle School a good school?
Van Buren Middle School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Ohio 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 Kettering City School District?
Besides Van Buren Middle School, Kettering City School District also operates Kettering Fairmont High School (2,445 students), Kettering Middle School (982 students), and J F Kennedy Elementary School (602 students). See the Kettering City 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.