River Valley Virtual Academy

Q: Is River Valley Virtual Academy a good school?

River Valley Virtual Academy ranks 62 nd of 335 Arkansas alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

River Valley Virtual Academy is an alternative public charter virtual school located in Van Buren, Arkansas, serving grades K-12 with a total enrollment of 148 students. The school is part of the Van Buren School District, which is ranked 103 out of 252 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

River Valley Virtual Academy outperforms the Van Buren School District and the state of Arkansas in several key test score metrics, particularly in 10th grade English Language Arts (ELA) and 8th grade ELA and Reading. However, the school struggles with mathematics proficiency, with only 13.8% of students proficient across all grades, significantly lower than the district and state. The school serves a high proportion of students from low-income families, with over 50% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Additionally, the school has seen significant fluctuations in its student-teacher ratio over the past few years, suggesting challenges in maintaining a consistent staffing model.

Compared to the nearby Fort Smith Virtual Academy, River Valley Virtual Academy appears to be performing better in most academic areas, despite serving a similarly economically disadvantaged student population. Fort Smith Virtual Academy has a lower enrollment, underperforms River Valley in most test score metrics, and has a higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch.

Detail:

Public, Charter, Virtual, Alternative K-12

60 Northridge Drive
Van Buren, AR 72956

(479) 471-3165

District: Van Buren School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
62^nd of 335 Arkansas Alternative Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,923

Student/teacher ratio: 5.6

Number of students: 148

Racial breakdown:

White:

79.1%

Hispanic:

11.5%

Two or more races:

8.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 65.5%

See top rated Arkansas elementary schools

Compare River Valley Virtual Academy to nearby alternative schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details River Valley Virtual Academy is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 21.52. (See more...)

Compare Details River Valley Virtual Academy ranks better than 81.5% of middle schools in Arkansas. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 74.04. (See more...)

Compare Details River Valley Virtual Academy ranks better than 89.5% of high schools in Arkansas. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 80.47. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (79.1%), Hispanic (11.5%), two or more races (8.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 65.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at River Valley Virtual Academy is 5.6. (See more...)

Compare River Valley Virtual Academy employs 26.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at River Valley Virtual Academy is $10,923.

Schooldigger Rankings:

River Valley Virtual Academy was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks River Valley Virtual Academy 62^nd of 335 Arkansas public middle schools. (See River Valley Virtual Academy in the ranking list.)

SchoolDigger ranks River Valley Virtual Academy 32^nd of 305 Arkansas public high schools. (See River Valley Virtual Academy in the ranking list.)

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 River Valley Virtual Academy

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AR State Percentile
2021	51.21	272^nd	496	45.2%
2022	28.33	372^nd	487	23.6%
2023	21.52	405^th	492	17.7%

See the entire list of Arkansas Alternative School Rankings!

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

Rank History for River Valley Virtual Academy

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	AR State Percentile
2021	53.55	160^th	330	51.5%
2022	53.83	149^th	318	53.1%
2023	51.33	175^th	330	47.0%
2024	74.04	62^nd	335	81.5%

See the entire list of Arkansas Alternative School Rankings!

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

Rank History for River Valley Virtual Academy

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	AR State Percentile
2021	57.32	99^th	290	65.9%
2022	26.16	234^th	282	17.0%
2023	31.22	220^th	295	25.4%
2024	80.47	32^nd	305	89.5%

See the entire list of Arkansas Alternative 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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Enrollment information for River Valley Virtual Academy

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2018	29	0	0	1	1	0	3	34
2019	36	3	0	1	1	0	4	45
2020	39	3	0	4	0	0	4	50
2021	436	30	16	94	11	1	61	649
2022	168	7	2	22	2	0	29	230
2023	117	2	0	17	0	0	12	148

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 River Valley Virtual Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2018	34	22.9	1.4	8.8
2019	45	26.0	1.7	57.8
2020	50	30.7	1.6	66
2021	649	53.4	12.1	52.4
2022	230	14.4	15.9	65.7
2023	148	26.4	5.6	65.5

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 River Valley Virtual Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2018	34	22.9	1.4	8.8
2019	45	26.0	1.7	57.8
2020	50	30.7	1.6	66
2021	649	53.4	12.1	52.4
2022	230	14.4	15.9	65.7
2023	148	26.4	5.6	65.5

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 River Valley Virtual Academy

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$380 (3.5%)	$10,544 (96.5%)	$10,923

Data source: Arkansas Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on River Valley Virtual Academy

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.

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	45	148	228.9%
African American	3	2	33.3%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	1	17	1600%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	36	117	225%
Two or More Races	4	12	200%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	57.8%	65.5%	7.8%

Schools Near River Valley Virtual Academy

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()				ATLAS English Language Arts (2024)					ATLAS Reading (2024)					ATLAS Mathematics (2024)			ATLAS Geometry (2024)				ATLAS Science (2024)			ATLAS Biology (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 ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	ATLAS English Language Arts 6th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 8th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 9th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 10th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts All Grades	ATLAS Reading 6th Grade	ATLAS Reading 8th Grade	ATLAS Reading 9th Grade	ATLAS Reading 10th Grade	ATLAS Reading All Grades	ATLAS Mathematics 6th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 8th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics All Grades	ATLAS Geometry 9th Grade	ATLAS Geometry 10th Grade	ATLAS Geometry 11th Grade	ATLAS Geometry All Grades	ATLAS Science 6th Grade	ATLAS Science 8th Grade	ATLAS Science All Grades	ATLAS Biology 9th Grade	ATLAS Biology 10th Grade	ATLAS Biology 11th Grade	ATLAS Biology All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
River Valley Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual, Charter, Alternative	K-12	60 Northridge Drive	Van Buren	72956	Crawford County	Van Buren School District	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	(479) 471-3165	148	26	5.6	65.5%	117 (79.1%)	2 (1.4%)	17 (11.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (8.1%)								(n/a)		60.0		46.7	31.3		60.0		46.6	31.3		30.0	13.8	0.0	14.2	0.0	12.6		30.0	20.6		50.0	0.0	46.7	$10,923	$380	$10,544
Fort Smith Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual, Charter, Alternative	K-12	5900 Painter Lane	Fort Smith	72903	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(844) 989-3399	79	9	8.7	79.7%	34 (43.0%)	9 (11.4%)	12 (15.2%)	4 (5.1%)	1 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (24.1%)								(n/a)	27.8	25.0	20.0	10.6	25.6	27.8	29.2	20.0	10.6	26.7	5.6	20.8	16.4	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	11.1	33.3	26.3	100.0	5.9		15.8

Frequently Asked Questions about River Valley Virtual Academy

Is River Valley Virtual Academy a good school?

River Valley Virtual Academy ranks 62^nd of 335 Arkansas alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is River Valley Virtual Academy in?

Van Buren School District

How many students attend River Valley Virtual Academy?

In the 2022-23 school year, 148 students attended River Valley Virtual Academy.

What is the racial makeup of River Valley Virtual Academy?

Students at River Valley Virtual Academy are 79% White, 11% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 1% African American.

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Schools in Van Buren, AR

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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.