Is Van Buren Elementary School a good school?

Van Buren Elementary School ranks in the bottom 5.3% of Idaho elementary schools.

How many students attend Van Buren Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 536 students attended Van Buren Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Van Buren Elementary School?

Students at Van Buren Elementary School are 60% Hispanic, 35% White, 3% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Van Buren Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Van Buren Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Jefferson Middle School High : Caldwell Senior High School

Van Buren Elementary School

Summary:

Van Buren Elementary School is a public elementary school in Caldwell, Idaho, serving 561 students from kindergarten to 5th grade. The school faces significant challenges, including low academic performance, high chronic absenteeism, and a student population with a high percentage of Hispanic students.

Van Buren's test scores are consistently lower than the state and Caldwell School District averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 20.1% of students were proficient or better in ISAT/Math, compared to the state average of 42.2%. The school's performance on subgroup metrics is also concerning, with Van Buren ranking 134th out of 135 Idaho elementary schools for White students and 32nd out of 58 for Hispanic students. Additionally, Van Buren has had high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 27.5% to 38% over the past few years, which is well above the state average.

While Van Buren's performance is generally lower than the state and district averages, it is interesting to note that the other Caldwell District elementary schools, such as Lewis And Clark Elementary, Washington Elementary School, and Lincoln Elementary School, also have relatively low performance and rankings compared to the state. This suggests that the challenges faced by Van Buren may be systemic within the Caldwell District. In contrast, the nearby Middleton School District has several elementary schools, such as Middleton Heights Elementary and Middleton Mill Creek Elementary, that consistently outperform Van Buren and the Caldwell District schools on various metrics.

Detail:

Public K-5

3115 Marble Front Road
Caldwell, ID 83605-8001

(208) 455-3326

District: Caldwell District

SchoolDigger Rank:
285^th of 301 Idaho Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $7,967

Students who attend Van Buren Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Jefferson Middle School
High:	Caldwell Senior High School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.2

Number of students: 536

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

60.4%

White:

34.7%

Two or more races:

3.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 89.7%

See top rated Idaho elementary schools

Compare Van Buren Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Van Buren Elementary School ranks worse than 94.7% of elementary schools in Idaho. It also ranks 2^nd among 6 ranked elementary schools in the Caldwell District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 7.69. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Van Buren Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Caldwell District. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (60.4%), White (34.7%), two or more races (3.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 89.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Van Buren Elementary School is 16.2. 3 elementary schools in the Caldwell District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Van Buren Elementary School employs 32.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Van Buren Elementary School is $7,967. 3 elementary schools in the Caldwell District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Van Buren Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Van Buren Elementary School 285^th of 301 Idaho public elementary schools. (See Van Buren Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Caldwell District:

SchoolDigger ranks Caldwell District 75^th of 77 Idaho school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Van Buren Elementary School.

What do you think?

Your rating for Van Buren Elementary School?

(Ranking FAQ)

Rank History for Van Buren Elementary School

Compare

Rank History for all students at Van Buren Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ID State Percentile
2008	7.15	329^th	335	1.8%
2009	22.28	311^th	349	10.9%
2010	25.00	313^th	356	12.1%
2011	41.47	245^th	359	31.8%
2012	30.66	283^rd	354	20.1%
2013	41.60	248^th	357	30.5%
2015	12.20	206^th	226	8.8%
2016	23.23	187^th	240	22.1%
2017	40.43	184^th	292	37.0%
2018	47.03	133^rd	254	47.6%
2019	36.38	112^th	171	34.5%
2023	11.96	228^th	252	9.5%
2024	7.69	285^th	301	5.3%

See the entire list of Idaho Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Female students at Van Buren Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ID State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	11.92	23^rd	23	0.0%

See the entire list of Best Idaho Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Van Buren Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ID State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	28.80	20^th	23	13.0%

See the entire list of Best Idaho Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Van Buren Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ID State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	43.83	10^th	19	47.4%
2024	39.45	32^nd	58	44.8%

See the entire list of Best Idaho Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Van Buren Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ID State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	57.06	12^th	18	33.3%
2024	7.34	134^th	135	0.7%

See the entire list of Best Idaho Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Idaho 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.

Data source: Idaho Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4)

50%

Reviews:

by a parent
Monday, August 7, 2017

The Teachers and staff are great! Close Quote

by a parent
Saturday, June 17, 2017

Great school with caring teachers that want to be there!. Positive up tempo diverse culture among staff and students. A solid choice for those moving to the area. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Van Buren Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	640	640
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	539	539
1993	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	588	588
1994	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	587	587
1995	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	646	646
1996	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	646	646
1997	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	614	614
1998	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	458	458
1999	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	526	526
2000	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	547	547
2001	228	0	0	254	2	n/a	n/a	0	484
2002	231	2	2	269	3	n/a	n/a	0	507
2003	231	2	2	269	3	n/a	n/a	0	507
2004	210	4	0	294	2	n/a	n/a	0	510
2005	168	2	4	276	1	n/a	n/a	0	451
2006	170	4	3	332	2	n/a	n/a	0	511
2007	178	1	2	347	2	n/a	n/a	0	530
2008	148	28	3	336	0	n/a	n/a	0	515
2009	158	0	5	387	3	n/a	n/a	0	553
2010	208	2	3	391	1	n/a	n/a	0	605
2011	194	0	1	468	0	3	6	0	672
2012	199	3	1	459	2	3	13	0	680
2013	194	3	1	480	8	3	15	0	704
2014	207	3	0	411	8	2	16	0	647
2015	196	1	0	403	7	2	17	0	626
2016	203	3	0	442	7	2	17	0	674
2017	198	1	0	459	6	2	12	0	678
2018	196	2	0	447	4	0	13	0	662
2019	195	3	3	396	7	0	19	0	623
2020	210	1	1	370	8	0	17	0	607
2021	183	2	1	333	7	2	15	0	543
2022	182	1	0	319	4	2	15	0	523
2023	194	5	0	340	5	1	16	0	561
2024	186	4	0	324	4	1	17	0	536

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 Buren Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	640	33.0	19.3	54.7
1992	539	27.2	19.8	39.5
1993	588	27.6	21.3	36.4
1994	587	29.3	20.0	48
1995	646	30.1	21.5	52.9
1996	646	30.1	21.5	52.9
1997	614	29.3	21.0	53.1
1998	458	24.2	18.9	52.6
1999	526	25.1	21.0	67.9
2000	547	25.2	21.7	63.6
2001	484	27.2	17.8	67.6
2002	507	29.0	17.5	79.3
2003	507	29.0	17.5	79.3
2004	510	34.7	14.7	68.6
2005	451	27.3	16.5	84.7
2006	511	29.7	17.2	99.4
2007	530	27.9	19.0	74.7
2008	515	27.5	18.7	74
2009	553	28.5	19.4	75.4
2010	605	31.5	19.2	75.9
2011	672	28.5	23.5	78
2012	680	33.3	20.4	85.7
2013	704	n/a	n/a	91.2
2014	647	31.6	20.4	87.6
2015	626	29.0	21.5	92
2016	674	30.0	22.4	89.9
2017	678	32.6	20.7	89.8
2018	662	33.0	20.0	89.9
2019	623	32.0	19.4	89.9
2020	607	32.1	18.8	89.8
2021	543	32.0	16.9	89.9
2022	523	34.0	15.3	89.9
2023	561	34.1	16.4	89.8
2024	536	32.9	16.2	89.7

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 Buren Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	640	33.0	19.3	54.7
1992	539	27.2	19.8	39.5
1993	588	27.6	21.3	36.4
1994	587	29.3	20.0	48
1995	646	30.1	21.5	52.9
1996	646	30.1	21.5	52.9
1997	614	29.3	21.0	53.1
1998	458	24.2	18.9	52.6
1999	526	25.1	21.0	67.9
2000	547	25.2	21.7	63.6
2001	484	27.2	17.8	67.6
2002	507	29.0	17.5	79.3
2003	507	29.0	17.5	79.3
2004	510	34.7	14.7	68.6
2005	451	27.3	16.5	84.7
2006	511	29.7	17.2	99.4
2007	530	27.9	19.0	74.7
2008	515	27.5	18.7	74
2009	553	28.5	19.4	75.4
2010	605	31.5	19.2	75.9
2011	672	28.5	23.5	78
2012	680	33.3	20.4	85.7
2013	704	n/a	n/a	91.2
2014	647	31.6	20.4	87.6
2015	626	29.0	21.5	92
2016	674	30.0	22.4	89.9
2017	678	32.6	20.7	89.8
2018	662	33.0	20.0	89.9
2019	623	32.0	19.4	89.9
2020	607	32.1	18.8	89.8
2021	543	32.0	16.9	89.9
2022	523	34.0	15.3	89.9
2023	561	34.1	16.4	89.8
2024	536	32.9	16.2	89.7

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 Buren Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,386 (17.4%)	$6,581 (82.6%)	$7,967

Data source: Idaho Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Van Buren 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 112^th of 171 Elementary schools	Ranks 228^th of 252 Elementary schools	25%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
4th Grade English Language Arts (Van Buren Elementary School)	38.9	38.8	0.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Caldwell District)	33.6	30.2	3.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Idaho)	52	48.4	3.6%
5th Grade Math (Van Buren Elementary School)	52.1	17.2	34.9%
5th Grade Math (Caldwell District)	31.3	17.4	13.9%
5th Grade Math (Idaho)	44.9	41.5	3.4%
All Grades Math (Van Buren Elementary School)	52.2	23	29.2%
All Grades Math (Caldwell District)	27.5	20.4	7.1%
All Grades Math (Idaho)	44.4	41.5	2.9%
All Grades Science (Van Buren Elementary School)	37.1	21.7	15.4%
All Grades Science (Caldwell District)	39.3	23	16.3%
All Grades Science (Idaho)	58.9	41.6	17.3%
All Grades English Language Arts (Van Buren Elementary School)	44.5	32.5	12%
All Grades English Language Arts (Caldwell District)	34.6	34.7	0.1%
All Grades English Language Arts (Idaho)	55	52.2	2.8%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	623	561	10%
African American	3	5	66.7%
American Indian	7	5	28.6%
Asian	3	0	100%
Hispanic	396	340	14.1%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	195	194	0.5%
Two or More Races	19	16	15.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	89.9%	89.8%	0%

Schools Near Van Buren Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				ISAT Math (2024)							ISAT Science (2024)			ISAT English Language Arts (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	ISAT Math 3rd Grade	ISAT Math 4th Grade	ISAT Math 5th Grade	ISAT Math 6th Grade	ISAT Math 7th Grade	ISAT Math 8th Grade	ISAT Math All Grades	ISAT Science 5th Grade	ISAT Science 8th Grade	ISAT Science All Grades	ISAT English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ISAT English Language Arts 4th Grade	ISAT English Language Arts 5th Grade	ISAT English Language Arts 6th Grade	ISAT English Language Arts 7th Grade	ISAT English Language Arts 8th Grade	ISAT English Language Arts All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Van Buren Elementary School	Public	K-5	3115 Marble Front Road	Caldwell	83605	Canyon County	Caldwell District	No	No	No	Yes	(208) 455-3326	536	33	16.2	89.7%	186 (34.7%)	4 (0.7%)	324 (60.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	17 (3.2%)	7.7	285^th of 301 public elementary schools	5.3%		12	228^th of 252 public elementary schools	9.5%	57	29.9	11.2	18.5				20.1			19.7	32.3	15.7	35.1				28.0	$7,967	$1,386	$6,581
Mosaics Public School	Public, Charter	K-7	3121 Lincoln Road	Caldwell	83605	Canyon County	Mosaics Public School Inc.	Yes	No	No	Yes	(208) 332-6800	468	24	19.2	37.0%	285 (60.9%)	0 (0.0%)	155 (33.1%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.9%)	2 (0.4%)	22 (4.7%)	37.8	186^th of 301 public elementary schools	38.2%					(n/a)	41.7	56.9	33.9	27.1	45.6		40.8			39.3	45.7	55.2	46.4	45.7	41.3		47.1
Sacajawea Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1710 North Illinois	Caldwell	83605	Canyon County	Caldwell District	No	No	No	Yes	(208) 455-3333	387	25	15.4	91.2%	96 (24.8%)	2 (0.5%)	273 (70.5%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.8%)	2 (0.5%)	7 (1.8%)	3.6	299^th of 301 public elementary schools	0.7%		2.2	252^nd of 252 public elementary schools	0.0%	47		18.7					17.3			10.1	16.4						20.4	$7,562	$1,297	$6,265
Lincoln Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1200 Grant Street	Caldwell	83605	Canyon County	Caldwell District	No	No	No	Yes	(208) 455-3321	297	18	16.8	88.6%	139 (46.8%)	3 (1.0%)	139 (46.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	14 (4.7%)	3.2	300^th of 301 public elementary schools	0.3%		2.7	251^st of 252 public elementary schools	0.4%	49		17.3								10.6			21.6				25.2	$8,366	$1,310	$7,056
Skyway Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	19430 Ward Road	Caldwell	83605	Canyon County	Vallivue School District	No	No	No	Yes	(208) 454-0445	755	37	20.4	54.3%	349 (46.2%)	11 (1.5%)	363 (48.1%)	6 (0.8%)	8 (1.1%)	2 (0.3%)	16 (2.1%)	19.8	239^th of 301 public elementary schools	20.6%		28.4	178^th of 252 public elementary schools	29.4%	61	27.2	38.8	30.7				32.6			28.5			39.0					$7,529	$1,066	$6,463
Washington Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2918 Washington Avenue	Caldwell	83605	Canyon County	Caldwell District	No	No	No	Yes	(208) 455-3317	519	35	15.0	90.6%	140 (27.0%)	4 (0.8%)	355 (68.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (3.1%)	5.3	293^rd of 301 public elementary schools	2.7%		9.2	239^th of 252 public elementary schools	5.2%	54	21.9	21.7	17.9				20.5			10.4	27.5	18.4	26.3				24.3	$7,860	$1,714	$6,146
Wilson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	400 East Linden	Caldwell	83605	Canyon County	Caldwell District	No	No	No	Yes	(208) 455-3313	508	30	16.9	72.2%	203 (40.0%)	0 (0.0%)	280 (55.1%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.1%)	13.8	259^th of 301 public elementary schools	14.0%		17	212^th of 252 public elementary schools	15.9%	47		24.9					31.3			25.7		28.5					32.8	$8,024	$1,440	$6,584
Heritage Community Charter	Public, Charter	K-8	1803 East Ustick Road	Caldwell	83605	Canyon County	Heritage Community Charter School Inc.	Yes	No	No	Yes	(208) 453-8070	491	24	20.4	62.1%	122 (24.8%)	1 (0.2%)	363 (73.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.8%)	9.7	280^th of 301 public elementary schools	7.0%					(n/a)	28.3	30.0	16.7	11.1	27.1	12.5	21.4	30.0	30.0	30.0	31.6	20.0		17.0		31.6	29.2	$6,084	$917	$5,167
Middleton Heights Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	611 Cemetery Road	Middleton	83644	Canyon County	Middleton District	No	No	No	Yes	(208) 585-3021	550	30	18.3	30.0%	467 (84.9%)	2 (0.4%)	56 (10.2%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	19 (3.5%)	65.5	99^th of 301 public elementary schools	67.1%		70.6	70^th of 252 public elementary schools	72.2%	29			48.7				56.3			53.0			59.0				55.4	$6,678	$866	$5,812
Middleton Mill Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	500 North Middleton Road	Middleton	83644	Canyon County	Middleton District	No	No	No	No	(208) 585-3065	727	41	17.7	18.6%	638 (87.8%)	3 (0.4%)	61 (8.4%)	1 (0.1%)	4 (0.6%)	2 (0.3%)	18 (2.5%)	81.3	56^th of 301 public elementary schools	81.4%		81.5	45^th of 252 public elementary schools	82.1%	11			61.8				64.3				64.8	60.6	71.9				66.0	$6,395	$699	$5,695

Van Buren Elementary School

Van Buren Elementary School:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Caldwell District:

Average Parent Rating:

What do you think?

Rank History for Van Buren Elementary School

Rank History for all students at Van Buren Elementary School

Rank History for Female students at Van Buren Elementary School

Rank History for Male students at Van Buren Elementary School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Van Buren Elementary School

Rank History for White students at Van Buren Elementary School

Review counts

Enrollment information for Van Buren Elementary School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Van Buren Elementary School

Student/Teacher Ratio Van Buren Elementary School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Van Buren Elementary School

Impact of COVID-19 on Van Buren Elementary School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Van Buren Elementary School

Frequently Asked Questions about Van Buren Elementary School

Rate Van Buren Elementary School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Sign up for updates!