Enrollment
487
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Rensselaer, NY
Van Rensselaer Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Van Rensselaer Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 24/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 362445003342
👥 S:T ratio 37
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 3
📋 Attendance 27
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Van Rensselaer Elementary School earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of New York schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most New York schools.
- #3 of 3
- schools in Rensselaer · Resource Index
- 24
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.7:1
- large classes for New York
- 70.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Van Rensselaer Elementary School has class sizes larger than 90% of New York schools. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Van Rensselaer Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 schools in Rensselaer, NY.
School address
District: Rensselaer City School District · New York
NCES ID 362445003342 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.7:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
+33% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
70.0%
vs 56.2% New York avg
+25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Van Rensselaer Elementary School compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at Van Rensselaer Elementary School
Van Rensselaer Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Rensselaer, New York, enrolling 487 students.
Class loads run heavy: 15.7:1 is larger than about 90% of New York schools and 33% above the 11.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 70.0% of students eligible for free meals.
With 487 students, its enrollment sits close to the New York median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 4,801 scored New York schools.
Against 748 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #523.
Its student body is led by White (42%) and Two or More (17%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 74/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 487 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 17.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Its district, Rensselaer City School District, also runs Rensselaer Junior/Senior High School (462 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 Rensselaer Elementary School compares
Van Rensselaer Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against New York and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs New York | New York avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.7:1 | ▲ 33% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 70.0% | ▲ 25% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 487 | top 40% | - | - |
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.
487
Bigger than 60% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
70.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 25% above the New York average of 56.2%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.7:1
students per teacher
- 33% above state mean
Top 90% in New York - lower ratio than 10% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
29.2%
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
$21,807
per pupil, district-wide
- below New York avg of $26,410
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 487 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.8 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 42.1%
Two or More 17.0%
Hispanic or Latino 16.2%
Asian 13.1%
African American 11.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 42.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 73.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 73.8, Van Rensselaer Elementary School is more mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rensselaer City School District, which includes Van Rensselaer Elementary School.
$21,807
Per student
-17%
vs New York
Avg $26,410
+31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.3%
State 52.3%
Federal 17.4%
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 Rensselaer Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rensselaer Junior/Senior High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Van Rensselaer Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 462
- Students per teacher
- 9.6:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of New York, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~487 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Van Rensselaer Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Van Rensselaer Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Rensselaer 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 Rensselaer Elementary School
How many students attend Van Rensselaer Elementary School?
Van Rensselaer Elementary School has 487 students enrolled. It is a public school in Rensselaer, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Van Rensselaer Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Van Rensselaer Elementary School is 15.7:1, which is 33% higher than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 0% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Van Rensselaer Elementary School?
70.0% of students at Van Rensselaer Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Van Rensselaer Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Van Rensselaer Elementary School is White at 42.1% of enrollment, in Rensselaer, NY. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 73.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Van Rensselaer Elementary School?
Van Rensselaer Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (lower 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 Rensselaer Elementary School rank among schools in Rensselaer?
By Resource Investment Index, Van Rensselaer Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 schools in Rensselaer, NY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Rensselaer on the city page.
Is Van Rensselaer Elementary School a good school?
Van Rensselaer Elementary School earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of New York schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most New York 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 Rensselaer City School District?
Besides Van Rensselaer Elementary School, Rensselaer City School District also operates Rensselaer Junior/Senior High School (462 students). See the Rensselaer 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.