Enrollment
287
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Tucson, AZ
Van Buskirk Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Van Buskirk Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 040880000897
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 43
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Van Buskirk Elementary School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% of Arizona schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Arizona schools.
- #38 of 131
- schools in Tucson · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.5:1
- small classes for Arizona
- 77.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Van Buskirk Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 82% of Arizona schools. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Van Buskirk Elementary School ranks #38 of 131 schools in Tucson, AZ.
School address
District: Tucson Unified District (4403) · Arizona
NCES ID 040880000897 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.5:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
-26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
77.8%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
+61% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Van Buskirk Elementary School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Van Buskirk Elementary School
Van Buskirk Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Tucson, Arizona, enrolling 287 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of Arizona schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 77.8% of students qualify for free meals, 61% above the Arizona average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 287 students, its enrollment sits close to the Arizona median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Against 173 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #47.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (93% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 13/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 287 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 59.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 23.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Tucson's public schools, it stands alongside Craycroft Elementary School (586 students): Van Buskirk Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.5:1 vs 21.7:1).
Tucson Unified District (4403) also operates Tucson Magnet High School (2,938 students) and Pueblo High School (1,821 students) alongside Van Buskirk Elementary 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 Buskirk Elementary School compares
Van Buskirk Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Arizona and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arizona | Arizona avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.5:1 | ▼ 26% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 77.8% | ▲ 61% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 287 | top 63% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.5:1
Leaner classes than 71% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
287
Bigger than 30% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
77.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 61% above the Arizona average of 48.3%
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
12.5:1
students per teacher
- 26% below state mean
Top 18% in Arizona - lower ratio than 82% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
59.2%
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
$11,545
per pupil, district-wide
- below Arizona avg of $13,145
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 287 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.3 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
Hispanic or Latino 93.4%
White 3.5%
African American 1.4%
Two or More 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 93.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 12.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 12.6, Van Buskirk Elementary School is less mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tucson Unified District (4403), which includes Van Buskirk Elementary School.
$11,545
Per student
-12%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 41.8%
State 34.7%
Federal 23.6%
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.
How Van Buskirk Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tucson Magnet High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pueblo High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cholla High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sahuaro High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Catalina Online Learning Experience | Larger | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Van Buskirk Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,938
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,821
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,575
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,250
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,184
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 15/100
Similar other schools in Tucson
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Arizona, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~287 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Van Buskirk Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Van Buskirk Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Tucson Unified District (4403)'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 Buskirk Elementary School
How many students attend Van Buskirk Elementary School?
Van Buskirk Elementary School has 287 students enrolled. It is a public school in Tucson, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Van Buskirk Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Van Buskirk Elementary School is 12.5:1, which is 26% lower than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 20% lower 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 Buskirk Elementary School?
77.8% of students at Van Buskirk Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Van Buskirk Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Van Buskirk Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 93.4% of enrollment, in Tucson, AZ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Van Buskirk Elementary School?
Van Buskirk Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Buskirk Elementary School rank among schools in Tucson?
By Resource Investment Index, Van Buskirk Elementary School ranks #38 of 131 schools in Tucson, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Tucson on the city page.
Is Van Buskirk Elementary School a good school?
Van Buskirk Elementary School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% of Arizona schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Arizona 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 Tucson Unified District (4403)?
Besides Van Buskirk Elementary School, Tucson Unified District (4403) also operates Tucson Magnet High School (2,938 students), Pueblo High School (1,821 students), and Cholla High School (1,575 students). See the Tucson Unified District (4403) 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.