Rena Elementary School

Q: Is Rena Elementary School a good school?

Rena Elementary School ranks 187 th of 497 Arkansas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Rena Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Van Buren, Arkansas, serving 439 students in grades K-5. It is part of the Van Buren School District, which is ranked 103 out of 252 school districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Rena Elementary School consistently outperforms the Van Buren School District and the state of Arkansas in academic proficiency across various subjects and grade levels. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 50.2% of Rena Elementary students were proficient or better in ATLAS/Mathematics, compared to 38.6% for the district and 36.4% for the state. The school has maintained a strong statewide ranking, placing in the top 25% of Arkansas elementary schools in recent years, and it has a relatively low percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at 42.6%, compared to the district's 81.04% at King Elementary and the 94% or higher rates at several nearby Fort Smith School District schools.

While Rena Elementary School has consistently outperformed the district and state averages, its statewide ranking has fluctuated over the years, ranging from 95th to 187th out of Arkansas elementary schools. This suggests that the school's performance may be influenced by factors beyond its control, such as changes in the state's assessment standards or the performance of other schools. When compared to nearby schools, Rena Elementary's academic performance and statewide rankings vary significantly, with Parkview Elementary and Oliver Springs Elementary also performing well and having higher statewide rankings.

Detail:

Public K-5

720 Rena Rd
Van Buren, AR 72956

(479) 471-3190

District: Van Buren School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
187^th of 497 Arkansas Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $7,194

Students who attend Rena Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Northridge Middle School
High:	Van Buren High School

Student/teacher ratio: 20.0

Number of students: 439

Racial breakdown:

White:

68.1%

Hispanic:

14.8%

Two or more races:

13.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 42.6%

See top rated Arkansas elementary schools

Compare Rena Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Rena Elementary School ranks better than 62.4% of elementary schools in Arkansas. It also ranks 2^nd among 5 ranked elementary schools in the Van Buren School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 62.51. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Rena Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (68.1%), Hispanic (14.8%), two or more races (13.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 42.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Van Buren School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Rena Elementary School is 20, which is the highest among 5 elementary schools in the Van Buren School District! (See more...)

Compare Rena Elementary School employs 21.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Rena Elementary School is $7,194, which is the lowest among 5 elementary schools in the Van Buren School District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

Rena Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Van Buren School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Van Buren School District 103^rd of 252 Arkansas school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Rena Elementary School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AR State Percentile
2005	58.58	186^th	411	54.7%
2006	56.11	203^rd	402	49.5%
2007	47.09	272^nd	440	38.2%
2008	55.00	225^th	439	48.7%
2009	50.34	269^th	445	39.6%
2010	36.30	347^th	457	24.1%
2011	41.17	332^nd	471	29.5%
2012	40.57	346^th	468	26.1%
2013	58.18	227^th	476	52.3%
2014	56.78	226^th	471	52.0%
2015	44.36	259^th	466	44.4%
2016	53.64	233^rd	494	52.8%
2017	57.49	201^st	485	58.6%
2018	61.34	189^th	480	60.6%
2019	73.00	114^th	488	76.6%
2021	77.48	95^th	496	80.8%
2022	75.53	105^th	487	78.4%
2023	74.22	120^th	492	75.6%
2024	62.51	187^th	497	62.4%

See the entire list of Arkansas Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education

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Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Rena Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1995	297	1	5	2	0	n/a	n/a	305
1996	297	1	5	2	0	n/a	n/a	305
1997	326	4	1	3	4	n/a	n/a	338
1998	365	5	3	4	2	n/a	n/a	379
1999	387	9	2	9	4	n/a	n/a	411
2000	402	10	3	11	9	n/a	n/a	435
2001	399	7	2	11	10	n/a	n/a	429
2002	372	6	4	10	8	n/a	n/a	400
2003	372	6	4	10	8	n/a	n/a	400
2004	382	5	6	10	5	n/a	n/a	408
2005	377	6	9	14	3	n/a	n/a	409
2006	371	6	7	23	21	n/a	n/a	428
2007	403	15	11	31	18	n/a	n/a	478
2008	418	11	14	39	18	n/a	n/a	500
2009	440	13	22	31	6	n/a	n/a	512
2010	343	10	21	44	8	0	68	494
2011	363	12	27	40	8	0	57	507
2012	335	11	21	39	8	0	47	461
2013	382	11	31	44	9	0	45	522
2014	391	14	29	42	12	0	33	521
2015	386	8	33	32	7	0	22	488
2016	359	13	25	40	6	0	19	462
2017	336	10	18	44	5	0	18	431
2018	348	9	15	48	3	0	23	446
2019	337	7	18	52	2	1	30	447
2020	324	8	13	53	3	1	35	437
2021	251	5	8	56	4	3	37	364
2022	282	6	10	62	4	2	57	423
2023	299	3	8	65	2	1	61	439

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Rena Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1995	305	16.4	18.6	22
1996	305	16.4	18.6	22
1997	338	18.4	18.4	20.4
1998	379	18.4	20.6	28.8
1999	411	19.8	20.8	25.8
2000	435	23.0	18.9	37.7
2001	429	24.0	17.9	35.9
2002	400	24.0	16.7	37.3
2003	400	24.0	16.7	37.3
2004	408	24.0	17.0	42.4
2005	409	27.0	15.1	41.3
2006	428	22.0	19.5	44.6
2007	478	27.0	17.7	39.7
2008	500	31.0	16.1	39.8
2009	512	30.0	17.1	41.8
2010	494	26.8	17.0	45.1
2011	507	25.5	19.8	42.6
2012	461	25.8	17.8	45.6
2013	522	29.0	18.0	51.3
2014	521	31.3	16.6	54.5
2015	488	33.0	14.7	58.2
2016	462	29.0	15.9	58
2017	431	24.5	17.5	31.8
2018	446	24.6	18.1	25.6
2019	447	21.8	20.4	45.2
2020	437	23.5	18.5	45.5
2021	364	22.5	16.1	36.8
2022	423	22.2	19.0	42.3
2023	439	21.8	20.0	42.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Rena Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1995	305	16.4	18.6	22
1996	305	16.4	18.6	22
1997	338	18.4	18.4	20.4
1998	379	18.4	20.6	28.8
1999	411	19.8	20.8	25.8
2000	435	23.0	18.9	37.7
2001	429	24.0	17.9	35.9
2002	400	24.0	16.7	37.3
2003	400	24.0	16.7	37.3
2004	408	24.0	17.0	42.4
2005	409	27.0	15.1	41.3
2006	428	22.0	19.5	44.6
2007	478	27.0	17.7	39.7
2008	500	31.0	16.1	39.8
2009	512	30.0	17.1	41.8
2010	494	26.8	17.0	45.1
2011	507	25.5	19.8	42.6
2012	461	25.8	17.8	45.6
2013	522	29.0	18.0	51.3
2014	521	31.3	16.6	54.5
2015	488	33.0	14.7	58.2
2016	462	29.0	15.9	58
2017	431	24.5	17.5	31.8
2018	446	24.6	18.1	25.6
2019	447	21.8	20.4	45.2
2020	437	23.5	18.5	45.5
2021	364	22.5	16.1	36.8
2022	423	22.2	19.0	42.3
2023	439	21.8	20.0	42.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Rena Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$672 (9.3%)	$6,522 (90.7%)	$7,194

Data source: Arkansas Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Rena Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 114^th of 488 Elementary schools	Ranks 120^th of 492 Elementary schools	1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English (Rena Elementary School)	84	63.9	20.1%
3rd Grade English (Van Buren School District)	68.7	57.7	11%
3rd Grade English (Arkansas)	72.4	62.6	9.8%
3rd Grade Math (Rena Elementary School)	78.7	62.5	16.2%
3rd Grade Math (Van Buren School District)	60.1	51.5	8.6%
3rd Grade Math (Arkansas)	62.1	54.4	7.7%
3rd Grade Science (Rena Elementary School)	48	30.6	17.4%
3rd Grade Science (Van Buren School District)	34.6	31.1	3.5%
3rd Grade Science (Arkansas)	39.4	35	4.4%
3rd Grade Reading (Rena Elementary School)	49.4	27.8	21.6%
3rd Grade Reading (Van Buren School District)	33.6	27.7	5.9%
3rd Grade Reading (Arkansas)	38.3	32.2	6.1%
4th Grade English (Rena Elementary School)	70.5	73.4	2.9%
4th Grade English (Van Buren School District)	67.3	64.7	2.6%
4th Grade English (Arkansas)	69.6	63.3	6.3%
4th Grade Math (Rena Elementary School)	65.9	68.3	2.4%
4th Grade Math (Van Buren School District)	53.7	51.8	1.9%
4th Grade Math (Arkansas)	53.8	48.6	5.2%
4th Grade Science (Rena Elementary School)	48.2	49.4	1.2%
4th Grade Science (Van Buren School District)	39.9	38.4	1.5%
4th Grade Science (Arkansas)	42.3	38.5	3.8%
4th Grade Reading (Rena Elementary School)	45.9	51.9	6%
4th Grade Reading (Van Buren School District)	37.9	42.1	4.2%
4th Grade Reading (Arkansas)	45.3	42	3.3%
5th Grade English (Rena Elementary School)	80.8	87.2	6.4%
5th Grade English (Van Buren School District)	72.3	74.7	2.4%
5th Grade English (Arkansas)	73.3	70.2	3.1%
5th Grade Math (Rena Elementary School)	61.5	62.8	1.3%
5th Grade Math (Van Buren School District)	54.8	44.9	9.9%
5th Grade Math (Arkansas)	49.2	40.7	8.5%
5th Grade Science (Rena Elementary School)	51.8	44.9	6.9%
5th Grade Science (Van Buren School District)	40.4	37.8	2.6%
5th Grade Science (Arkansas)	40.7	34.6	6.1%
5th Grade Reading (Rena Elementary School)	48.2	50	1.8%
5th Grade Reading (Van Buren School District)	37.1	40.3	3.2%
5th Grade Reading (Arkansas)	41	36.8	4.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	447	439	1.8%
African American	7	3	57.1%
American Indian	2	2
Asian	18	8	55.6%
Hispanic	52	65	25%
Pacific Islander	1	1
White	337	299	11.3%
Two or More Races	30	61	103.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	45.2%	42.6%	2.6%

Schools Near Rena Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				ATLAS English Language Arts (2024)				ATLAS Reading (2024)				ATLAS Mathematics (2024)				ATLAS Science (2024)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ATLAS English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 4th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 5th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts All Grades	ATLAS Reading 3rd Grade	ATLAS Reading 4th Grade	ATLAS Reading 5th Grade	ATLAS Reading All Grades	ATLAS Mathematics 3rd Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 4th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 5th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics All Grades	ATLAS Science 3rd Grade	ATLAS Science 4th Grade	ATLAS Science 5th Grade	ATLAS Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Rena Elementary School	Public	K-5	720 Rena Rd	Van Buren	72956	Crawford County	Van Buren School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 471-3190	439	22	20.0	42.6%	299 (68.1%)	3 (0.7%)	65 (14.8%)	8 (1.8%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	61 (13.9%)	62.5	187^th of 497 public elementary schools	62.4%		74.2	120^th of 492 public elementary schools	75.6%	67	41.4	28.1	43.2	37.4	39.7	26.8	50.0	38.9	46.6	43.7	59.5	50.2	39.6	22.5	43.2	35.0	$7,194	$672	$6,522
Oliver Springs Elementary School	Public	K-5	505 Northridge Drive East	Van Buren	72956	Crawford County	Van Buren School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 471-3120	476	24	19.6	45.6%	348 (73.1%)	6 (1.3%)	65 (13.7%)	7 (1.5%)	7 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (9.0%)	77.4	91^st of 497 public elementary schools	81.7%		71.8	137^th of 492 public elementary schools	72.2%	46	43.8	48.9	44.7	46.0	40.6	47.8	40.0	43.0	53.2	50.0	48.2	50.2	48.5	47.7	47.0	47.6
Parkview Elementary School	Public	K-5	605 Parkview St	Van Buren	72956	Crawford County	Van Buren School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 474-8730	413	25	16.6	54.0%	290 (70.2%)	8 (1.9%)	55 (13.3%)	5 (1.2%)	6 (1.5%)	1 (0.2%)	48 (11.6%)	68.9	146^th of 497 public elementary schools	70.6%		84.4	52^nd of 492 public elementary schools	89.4%	94	42.3	37.9	48.5	43.0	39.7	35.3	45.7	40.3	43.6	55.2	44.3	47.4	42.3	41.2	37.2	40.3	$7,613	$929	$6,684
King Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	400 N 19th St	Van Buren	72956	Crawford County	Van Buren School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 474-2661	443	27	16.3	81.0%	199 (44.9%)	10 (2.3%)	160 (36.1%)	8 (1.8%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	63 (14.2%)	24.9	393^rd of 497 public elementary schools	20.9%		29.8	371^st of 492 public elementary schools	24.6%	22	34.2	18.1	19.5	24.5	31.6	18.1	18.1	23.1	30.3	22.9	23.6	26.0	19.0	16.4	19.4	18.4	$8,706	$1,685	$7,021
Central Elementary School	Public	K-5	501 N 24th St	Van Buren	72956	Crawford County	Van Buren School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 474-3150	479	27	17.7	74.5%	306 (63.9%)	19 (4.0%)	79 (16.5%)	5 (1.0%)	7 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	63 (13.2%)	32.2	365^th of 497 public elementary schools	26.6%		39	336^th of 492 public elementary schools	31.7%	29	11.1	26.7	30.8	23.1	13.9	28.0	34.6	25.8	16.7	33.4	43.6	31.5	15.3	22.7	29.5	22.7	$9,225	$2,616	$6,609
Harry C. Morrison Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3415 Newlon Rd	Fort Smith	72904	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 782-7045	275	17	15.9	90.9%	47 (17.1%)	31 (11.3%)	161 (58.5%)	15 (5.5%)	5 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (5.8%)	15.1	444^th of 497 public elementary schools	10.7%		30.9	362^nd of 492 public elementary schools	26.4%	82	26.5	22.0	12.5	20.0	24.5	24.0	10.7	19.3	16.3	12.0	12.5	13.5	20.4	16.0	7.2	14.2	$10,456	$2,603	$7,852
Spradling Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4949 Spradling Ave	Fort Smith	72904	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 783-8048	319	15	20.7	94.0%	59 (18.5%)	30 (9.4%)	196 (61.4%)	15 (4.7%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (5.3%)	30.7	373^rd of 497 public elementary schools	24.9%		28.8	375^th of 492 public elementary schools	23.8%	2	26.7	32.1	26.2	28.6	26.7	29.7	30.9	29.1	33.3	22.2	26.2	26.9	11.1	22.3	21.5	18.5	$9,942	$2,090	$7,853
Trusty Elementary School	Public	K-5	3300 Harris Ave	Fort Smith	72904	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 783-7720	264	15	18.1	94.3%	38 (14.4%)	45 (17.0%)	150 (56.8%)	7 (2.7%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (8.0%)	17.1	434^th of 497 public elementary schools	12.7%		20.5	408^th of 492 public elementary schools	17.1%	26	11.7	21.4	20.0	17.2	11.7	21.4	24.0	18.3	8.8	25.0	24.0	18.3	17.6	28.6	8.0	18.4	$9,238	$1,508	$7,730
Sutton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5001 Kelley Hwy	Fort Smith	72904	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 785-1778	470	29	16.3	91.5%	87 (18.5%)	59 (12.6%)	237 (50.4%)	33 (7.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (11.5%)	13.7	451^st of 497 public elementary schools	9.3%		11.8	447^th of 492 public elementary schools	9.1%	4	19.7	17.0	23.7	20.0	18.4	18.7	23.7	20.0	10.5	10.2	7.3	9.5	15.8	13.6	16.3	15.2	$10,524	$2,397	$8,126
Sunnymede Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4201 North O St	Fort Smith	72904	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 783-6327	468	23	20.2	92.9%	57 (12.2%)	50 (10.7%)	312 (66.7%)	17 (3.6%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (6.4%)	22	412^th of 497 public elementary schools	17.1%		19.7	410^th of 492 public elementary schools	16.7%	2	30.4	13.7	16.5	19.9	31.6	13.7	20.0	21.4	36.7	11.3	28.3	25.0	25.3	14.7	9.4	16.3	$8,777	$1,540	$7,237

Frequently Asked Questions about Rena Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Rena Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Rena Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Northridge Middle School
High : Van Buren High School

What district is Rena Elementary School in?

Van Buren School District

What is the racial makeup of Rena Elementary School?

Students at Rena Elementary School are 68% White, 15% Hispanic, 14% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

Is Rena Elementary School a good school?

Rena Elementary School ranks 187^th of 497 Arkansas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Rena Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 439 students attended Rena Elementary School.

Rate Rena Elementary School!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.