Van Buskirk Elementary School

Summary:

Van Buskirk Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 275 students in grades PK-5 in the Tucson Unified District in Tucson, Arizona. The school is located in a lower-income area, with over 80% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

Van Buskirk Elementary consistently underperforms compared to the Tucson Unified District and the state of Arizona in standardized test scores for English Language Arts and Mathematics. For example, in 2023-2024, only 35% of 4th graders and 37% of 5th graders were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 46% and 38% statewide, respectively. In Math, only 33% of 5th graders were proficient, compared to 33% statewide. The school has a low statewide ranking, typically in the bottom half of Arizona elementary schools, and struggles to support certain student subgroups, such as female and special education students.

The nearby schools in the Tucson Unified District, such as Mission View Elementary, Cavett Elementary, and Holladay Intermediate Magnet, also perform poorly compared to state averages, with low test scores and rankings. However, some schools in the neighboring Sunnyside Unified District, such as Esperanza Elementary and Rivera Elementary, perform slightly better on certain metrics.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 725 E Fair St
       Tucson, AZ  85714-1626


(520) 225-3700

District: Tucson Unified District

SchoolDigger Rank:
561st of 912 Arizona Elementary Schools


Students who attend Van Buskirk Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Utterback Middle School
High:    Pueblo High School
    University High School
Alternative:    Tucson Unified Virtual Academy

Student/teacher ratio:  12.2 Help
Number of students:  301

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
92.4%
White:
4.3%
African American:
2.0%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  83.6% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Van Buskirk Elementary School ranks worse than 61.5% of elementary schools in Arizona. It also ranks 19th among 32 ranked elementary schools in the Tucson Unified District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 31.73. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (92.4%), White (4.3%), African American (2%). (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Van Buskirk Elementary School is 12.2, which is the 21st best among 32 elementary schools in the Tucson Unified District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Van Buskirk Elementary School employs 24.6 full-time teachers.
Finance
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Van Buskirk Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Van Buskirk Elementary School 561st of 912 Arizona public elementary schools. (See Van Buskirk Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Hispanic students:


Tucson Unified District:

SchoolDigger ranks Tucson Unified District 218th of 297 Arizona school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Van Buskirk Elementary School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Van Buskirk Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2009 45.00 602nd 1062 43.3%
2010 41.99 639th 1090 41.4%
2011 32.07 765th 1075 28.8%
2012 29.00 906th 1141 20.6%
2013 31.98 877th 1158 24.3%
2014 35.95 701st 1079 35.0%
2015 32.15 609th 955 36.2%
2016 30.91 715th 1079 33.7%
2017 42.68 578th 1106 47.7%
2018 34.53 690th 1109 37.8%
2019 24.05 763rd 1039 26.6%
2021 20.05 995th 1226 18.8%
2022 50.01 441st 1000 55.9%
2023 37.53 713th 1245 42.7%
2024 31.73 561st 912 38.5%
See the entire list of Arizona Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Van Buskirk Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 25.76 318th 451 29.5%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Van Buskirk Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 22.78 1150th 1201 4.2%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Van Buskirk Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 56.24 408th 1116 63.4%
2024 37.15 328th 556 41.0%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Van Buskirk Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 40.38 577th 1023 43.6%
2021 19.35 1032nd 1219 15.3%
2023 26.11 879th 1219 27.9%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Van Buskirk Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 35.14 627th 1032 39.2%
2021 23.85 930th 1220 23.8%
2023 44.44 601st 1216 50.6%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Van Buskirk Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 45.78 441st 911 51.6%
2019 26.36 527th 709 25.7%
2021 21.49 1034th 1198 13.7%
2022 42.77 415th 716 42.0%
2023 40.69 658th 1170 43.8%
2024 36.92 281st 486 42.2%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for Native American students at Van Buskirk Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 40.20 338th 654 48.3%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Native American Students!

Rank History for White students at Van Buskirk Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 29.54 880th 1161 24.2%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Arizona Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Van Buskirk Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 




Data source: Arizona Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Van Buskirk Elementary School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 73 14 5 500 8 n/a n/a -69 531
1989 60 13 4 484 8 n/a n/a -45 524
1990 40 5 3 491 10 n/a n/a -42 507
1991 31 4 4 477 7 n/a n/a 15 538
1992 25 4 1 475 7 n/a n/a -1 511
1993 28 4 1 416 11 n/a n/a 0 460
1994 19 3 1 367 10 n/a n/a 0 400
1995 22 13 2 385 11 n/a n/a 0 433
1996 22 13 2 385 11 n/a n/a 0 433
1997 28 10 3 425 11 n/a n/a 0 477
1998 17 13 3 387 10 n/a n/a 0 430
1999 17 12 1 392 11 n/a n/a 0 433
2000 12 6 2 453 8 n/a n/a 0 481
2001 6 2 2 477 7 n/a n/a 0 494
2002 10 3 2 510 9 n/a n/a 0 534
2003 10 3 2 510 9 n/a n/a 0 534
2004 4 4 3 476 7 n/a n/a 0 494
2005 10 5 1 423 13 n/a n/a 0 452
2006 6 3 1 397 11 n/a n/a 0 418
2007 6 7 1 404 7 n/a n/a 0 425
2008 9 8 2 395 8 n/a n/a 0 422
2009 22 10 0 391 10 n/a n/a 0 433
2010 13 10 0 358 11 n/a n/a 0 392
2011 19 5 0 349 9 1 0 0 383
2012 15 8 1 354 17 1 0 0 396
2013 10 7 1 337 20 1 2 0 378
2014 14 1 2 340 11 0 2 0 370
2015 11 0 2 339 20 1 4 0 377
2016 10 1 2 308 22 0 3 0 346
2017 11 1 3 275 10 0 4 0 304
2018 7 1 2 258 8 0 0 0 276
2019 7 0 2 266 8 0 1 0 284
2020 11 0 1 284 5 0 2 0 303
2021 7 0 1 250 5 0 2 0 265
2022 6 0 1 247 5 0 2 0 261
2023 9 1 0 261 1 0 3 0 275
2024 13 6 0 278 3 0 1 0 301

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 Van Buskirk Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 531 23.0 23.0 n/a
1989 524 20.0 26.2 n/a
1990 507 23.0 22.0 n/a
1991 538 22.6 23.8 n/a
1992 511 23.0 22.2 n/a
1993 460 25.0 18.4 n/a
1994 400 22.0 18.2 n/a
1995 433 25.0 17.3 n/a
1996 433 25.0 17.3 n/a
1997 477 30.1 15.8 n/a
1998 430 29.8 14.4 n/a
1999 433 28.8 15.0 n/a
2000 481 30.0 16.0 n/a
2001 494 31.1 15.9 n/a
2002 534 33.0 16.2 n/a
2003 534 33.0 16.2 n/a
2004 494 28.5 17.3 99.4
2005 452 23.5 19.2 99.3
2006 418 24.1 17.3 98.3
2007 425 23.5 18.1 71.5
2008 422 25.0 16.9 0.5
2009 433 26.0 16.7 77.6
2010 392 23.0 17.0 81.6
2011 383 21.8 17.5 89.6
2012 396 22.0 18.0 78.8
2013 378 21.0 18.0 87.6
2014 370 21.5 17.2 91.6
2015 377 21.0 17.9 88.1
2016 346 19.0 18.2 n/a
2017 304 22.0 13.8 95.7
2018 276 17.0 16.2 91.7
2019 284 17.0 16.7 83.8
2020 303 18.0 16.8 73.6
2021 265 22.2 11.9 n/a
2022 261 22.2 11.7 73.6
2023 275 23.6 11.6 83.6
2024 301 24.6 12.2 n/a

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 Van Buskirk Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 531 23.0 23.0 n/a
1989 524 20.0 26.2 n/a
1990 507 23.0 22.0 n/a
1991 538 22.6 23.8 n/a
1992 511 23.0 22.2 n/a
1993 460 25.0 18.4 n/a
1994 400 22.0 18.2 n/a
1995 433 25.0 17.3 n/a
1996 433 25.0 17.3 n/a
1997 477 30.1 15.8 n/a
1998 430 29.8 14.4 n/a
1999 433 28.8 15.0 n/a
2000 481 30.0 16.0 n/a
2001 494 31.1 15.9 n/a
2002 534 33.0 16.2 n/a
2003 534 33.0 16.2 n/a
2004 494 28.5 17.3 99.4
2005 452 23.5 19.2 99.3
2006 418 24.1 17.3 98.3
2007 425 23.5 18.1 71.5
2008 422 25.0 16.9 0.5
2009 433 26.0 16.7 77.6
2010 392 23.0 17.0 81.6
2011 383 21.8 17.5 89.6
2012 396 22.0 18.0 78.8
2013 378 21.0 18.0 87.6
2014 370 21.5 17.2 91.6
2015 377 21.0 17.9 88.1
2016 346 19.0 18.2 n/a
2017 304 22.0 13.8 95.7
2018 276 17.0 16.2 91.7
2019 284 17.0 16.7 83.8
2020 303 18.0 16.8 73.6
2021 265 22.2 11.9 n/a
2022 261 22.2 11.7 73.6
2023 275 23.6 11.6 83.6
2024 301 24.6 12.2 n/a

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 Van Buskirk Elementary School

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YearPersonnel Expenditures from Federal FundsNon-Personnel Expenditures from Federal FundsTotal Expenditures from Federal FundsPersonnel Expenditures from State and Local FundsNon-Personnel Expenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,313 (10.4%) $230 (1.8%) $2,856 (22.5%) $9,766 (77.0%) $1,368 (10.8%) $11,134 (87.8%) $12,677
2020 $1,095 (11.7%) $152 (1.6%) $2,342 (25.0%) $7,536 (80.6%) $567 (6.1%) $8,104 (86.7%) $9,350

Data source: Arizona Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Van Buskirk 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 763rd of 1039 Elementary schoolsRanks 713th of 1245 Elementary schools
 16.2%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students284275
 3.2%
African American01
American Indian81
 87.5%
Asian20
 100%
Hispanic266261
 1.9%
Pacific Islander00
White79
 28.6%
Two or More Races13
 200%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients83.8%83.6%
 0.2%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Van Buskirk Elementary School

Van Buskirk Elementary School ranks 561st of 912 Arizona elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

In the 2023-24 school year, 301 students attended Van Buskirk Elementary School.

Students who attend Van Buskirk Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Utterback Middle School
High : Pueblo High School
High : University High School
Alternative : Tucson Unified Virtual Academy

Students at Van Buskirk Elementary School are 92% Hispanic, 4% White, 2% African American.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Arizona Department of 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.





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