Van Buren Elementary School

Q: Is Van Buren Elementary School a good school?

Van Buren Elementary School ranks 176 th of 1010 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Van Buren Elementary School is a public elementary school in Plainfield, Indiana, serving 532 students from kindergarten to 5th grade. The school is part of the Plainfield Community School Corporation, which is ranked 38th out of 381 school districts in the state and has a 5-star rating.

Van Buren Elementary consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in Indiana, with a statewide ranking of 176 out of 1,010 schools. The school's academic performance is particularly strong in math, with 71.43% of all students proficient or better on the ILEARN test, compared to 59.92% for the Plainfield district and 52.4% statewide. Van Buren's 5th-grade students also outperformed the district and state in ILEARN social studies. Additionally, the school has a relatively low chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 7.1% to 11.7% over the past few years, indicating high student engagement.

Compared to nearby schools within the Plainfield district, such as Guilford Elementary, Brentwood Elementary, and Central Elementary, Van Buren's academic performance is generally stronger. However, when compared to schools outside the Plainfield district, such as River Birch Elementary in the Avon Community School Corporation, Van Buren's performance is more mixed, with River Birch having a higher ILEARN math proficiency rate.

Detail:

Public K-5

225 S Shaw St
Plainfield, IN 46168

(317) 839-2575

District: Plainfield Community School Corp

SchoolDigger Rank:
176^th of 1,010 Indiana Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,738

Students who attend Van Buren Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Plainfield Community Middle School
High:	Plainfield High School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.8

Number of students: 500

Racial breakdown:

White:

83.0%

Hispanic:

8.2%

Two or more races:

5.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 37.2%

See top rated Indiana elementary schools

Compare Van Buren Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Van Buren Elementary School ranks better than 82.6% of elementary schools in Indiana. It also ranks 4^th among 5 ranked elementary schools in the Plainfield Community School Corp District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 80.87. (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 Racial makeup is: White (83%), Hispanic (8.2%), two or more races (5.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 37.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Van Buren Elementary School is 16.8. 3 elementary schools in the Plainfield Community School Corp District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Van Buren Elementary School employs 29.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Van Buren Elementary School is $8,738, which is the 3^rd highest among 5 elementary schools in the Plainfield Community School Corp District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Plainfield Community School Corp:

SchoolDigger ranks Plainfield Community School Corp 41^st of 381 Indiana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Van Buren Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IN State Percentile
2005	85.75	72^nd	959	92.5%
2006	88.28	53^rd	961	94.5%
2007	87.33	56^th	985	94.3%
2008	86.92	63^rd	996	93.7%
2013	81.06	116^th	1035	88.8%
2014	82.59	92^nd	1036	91.1%
2015	89.13	48^th	1040	95.4%
2016	87.43	61^st	1046	94.2%
2017	89.44	49^th	1033	95.3%
2018	92.08	33^rd	1027	96.8%
2019	93.84	29^th	1031	97.2%
2021	87.45	97^th	1016	90.5%
2022	84.83	124^th	1020	87.8%
2023	84.70	131^st	1016	87.1%
2024	80.87	176^th	1010	82.6%

See the entire list of Indiana Elementary School Rankings!

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

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Van Buren Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	463	0	9	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	472
1989	510	1	12	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	523
1990	521	0	9	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	530
1991	404	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	404
1992	430	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	430
1993	462	2	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	464
1994	476	2	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	478
1995	409	0	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	410
1996	409	0	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	410
1997	378	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	378
1998	473	0	8	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	482
1999	469	4	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	473
2000	490	1	2	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	498
2001	469	5	1	11	2	n/a	n/a	0	488
2002	489	4	8	9	1	n/a	n/a	0	511
2003	489	4	8	9	1	n/a	n/a	0	511
2004	496	9	8	6	1	n/a	n/a	0	520
2005	485	9	15	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	518
2006	477	10	15	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	509
2007	478	10	18	6	0	n/a	n/a	18	530
2008	514	9	21	8	1	n/a	n/a	24	577
2009	481	4	19	7	0	n/a	n/a	21	532
2010	483	5	20	8	0	n/a	n/a	19	535
2011	500	9	15	24	2	0	13	0	563
2012	515	4	17	20	2	1	12	0	571
2013	485	4	18	16	0	0	10	0	533
2014	489	8	20	17	0	0	9	0	543
2015	520	7	13	25	0	0	16	0	581
2016	498	7	13	25	0	0	15	0	558
2017	460	10	12	26	0	0	20	0	528
2018	481	12	11	21	0	0	16	0	541
2019	482	13	9	33	0	0	15	0	552
2020	470	6	6	24	0	0	13	0	519
2021	478	4	5	25	0	0	20	0	532
2022	458	10	8	33	0	0	22	0	531
2023	447	19	8	38	0	0	20	0	532
2024	415	11	4	41	0	0	29	0	500

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

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	472	25.4	18.5	1.3
1989	523	25.2	20.7	8
1990	530	24.9	21.2	12.6
1991	404	22.3	18.1	1.7
1992	430	21.0	20.4	4.2
1993	464	23.0	20.2	7.8
1994	478	24.0	19.9	5.9
1995	410	22.0	18.6	7.8
1996	410	22.0	18.6	7.8
1997	378	21.0	18.0	3.2
1998	482	22.0	21.9	12.7
1999	473	22.0	21.5	21.1
2000	498	25.0	19.9	22.7
2001	488	27.0	18.1	20.9
2002	511	27.0	18.9	26.8
2003	511	27.0	18.9	26.8
2004	520	27.5	18.9	24.8
2005	518	28.0	18.5	29.3
2006	509	28.5	17.9	31.2
2007	530	n/a	n/a	30.9
2008	577	30.7	18.8	36.3
2009	532	26.3	20.2	21.7
2010	535	27.6	19.3	30.4
2011	563	24.3	23.1	30.7
2012	571	30.5	18.7	30.3
2013	533	30.0	17.7	36.8
2014	543	28.0	19.3	40.3
2015	581	27.0	21.5	37.2
2016	558	28.0	19.9	32.4
2017	528	30.0	17.6	33.5
2018	541	29.0	18.6	30.3
2019	552	31.0	17.8	33.9
2020	519	30.0	17.3	32.2
2021	532	31.0	17.1	31.2
2022	531	31.5	16.8	27.7
2023	532	31.1	17.0	35.2
2024	500	29.7	16.8	37.2

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
1988	472	25.4	18.5	1.3
1989	523	25.2	20.7	8
1990	530	24.9	21.2	12.6
1991	404	22.3	18.1	1.7
1992	430	21.0	20.4	4.2
1993	464	23.0	20.2	7.8
1994	478	24.0	19.9	5.9
1995	410	22.0	18.6	7.8
1996	410	22.0	18.6	7.8
1997	378	21.0	18.0	3.2
1998	482	22.0	21.9	12.7
1999	473	22.0	21.5	21.1
2000	498	25.0	19.9	22.7
2001	488	27.0	18.1	20.9
2002	511	27.0	18.9	26.8
2003	511	27.0	18.9	26.8
2004	520	27.5	18.9	24.8
2005	518	28.0	18.5	29.3
2006	509	28.5	17.9	31.2
2007	530	n/a	n/a	30.9
2008	577	30.7	18.8	36.3
2009	532	26.3	20.2	21.7
2010	535	27.6	19.3	30.4
2011	563	24.3	23.1	30.7
2012	571	30.5	18.7	30.3
2013	533	30.0	17.7	36.8
2014	543	28.0	19.3	40.3
2015	581	27.0	21.5	37.2
2016	558	28.0	19.9	32.4
2017	528	30.0	17.6	33.5
2018	541	29.0	18.6	30.3
2019	552	31.0	17.8	33.9
2020	519	30.0	17.3	32.2
2021	532	31.0	17.1	31.2
2022	531	31.5	16.8	27.7
2023	532	31.1	17.0	35.2
2024	500	29.7	16.8	37.2

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	$268 (3.3%)	$7,850 (96.7%)	$8,118
2020	$314 (3.7%)	$8,207 (96.3%)	$8,521
2021	$287 (3.6%)	$7,721 (96.4%)	$8,008
2022	$501 (5.7%)	$8,237 (94.3%)	$8,738

Data source: Indiana 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 29^th of 1031 Elementary schools	Ranks 131^st of 1016 Elementary schools	10.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Van Buren Elementary School)	63.9	47.7	16.2%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Plainfield Community School Corp)	65.6	50	15.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	46.3	39.7	6.6%
3rd Grade Math (Van Buren Elementary School)	83.1	80	3.1%
3rd Grade Math (Plainfield Community School Corp)	78	64.6	13.4%
3rd Grade Math (Indiana)	58.7	53.1	5.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Van Buren Elementary School)	76.8	58.3	18.5%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Plainfield Community School Corp)	69.9	54.9	15.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	45.8	40.3	5.5%
4th Grade Math (Van Buren Elementary School)	82.9	64.6	18.3%
4th Grade Math (Plainfield Community School Corp)	74.8	60.5	14.3%
4th Grade Math (Indiana)	54	48.8	5.2%
4th Grade Science (Van Buren Elementary School)	72	49	23%
4th Grade Science (Plainfield Community School Corp)	69	53.6	15.5%
4th Grade Science (Indiana)	46.3	37	9.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Van Buren Elementary School)	84	66.7	17.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Plainfield Community School Corp)	76.7	60.1	16.6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	47.5	40.2	7.3%
5th Grade Math (Van Buren Elementary School)	85.1	61.5	23.6%
5th Grade Math (Plainfield Community School Corp)	74.5	58.6	15.9%
5th Grade Math (Indiana)	47.8	41.1	6.7%
5th Grade Social Studies (Van Buren Elementary School)	77.3	53.1	24.2%
5th Grade Social Studies (Plainfield Community School Corp)	72.8	56	16.8%
5th Grade Social Studies (Indiana)	46	39.1	6.9%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	552	532	3.6%
African American	13	19	46.2%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	9	8	11.1%
Hispanic	33	38	15.2%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	482	447	7.3%
Two or More Races	15	20	33.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	33.9%	35.2%	1.3%

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)				ILEARN English Language Arts (2024)				ILEARN Math (2024)				ILEARN Social Studies (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
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	ILEARN English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 4th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 5th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts All Grades	ILEARN Math 3rd Grade	ILEARN Math 4th Grade	ILEARN Math 5th Grade	ILEARN Math All Grades	ILEARN Social Studies 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Van Buren Elementary School	Public	K-5	225 S Shaw St	Plainfield	46168	Hendricks County	Plainfield Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 839-2575	500	30	16.8	37.2%	415 (83.0%)	11 (2.2%)	41 (8.2%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (5.8%)	80.9	176^th of 1010 public elementary schools	82.6%		84.7	131^st of 1016 public elementary schools	87.1%	45	56.2	59.5	40.5	51.6	78.7	73.0	62.9	71.4	41.6	$8,738	$501	$8,237
Central Elementary School	Public	K-5	110 Wabash St	Plainfield	46168	Hendricks County	Plainfield Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(317) 839-7707	581	33	17.5	33.2%	427 (73.5%)	53 (9.1%)	36 (6.2%)	31 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (5.9%)	81.7	163^rd of 1010 public elementary schools	83.9%		90.9	60^th of 1016 public elementary schools	94.1%	103	44.7	63.6	53.9	54.2	67.0	64.7	53.9	61.7	55.9	$8,441	$500	$7,941
Brentwood Elementary School	Public	K-5	1630 E Oliver St	Plainfield	46168	Hendricks County	Plainfield Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 839-4802	421	28	15.2	48.5%	302 (71.7%)	39 (9.3%)	46 (10.9%)	8 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (6.2%)	83.9	140^th of 1010 public elementary schools	86.1%		82.6	154^th of 1016 public elementary schools	84.8%	14	52.1	59.7	53.9	54.9	69.0	68.4	61.5	66.3	50.0	$9,839	$835	$9,004
Clarks Creek Elementary	Public	K-5	401 Elm Dr	Plainfield	46168	Hendricks County	Plainfield Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 839-0120	517	31	16.7	60.9%	278 (53.8%)	115 (22.2%)	78 (15.1%)	24 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (4.3%)	46	572^nd of 1010 public elementary schools	43.4%		57.3	452^nd of 1016 public elementary schools	55.5%	120	34.6	36.4	33.0	34.6	53.1	45.5	34.0	43.7	29.8	$13,443	$1,513	$11,930
Little Quakers Academy	Public	PK	401 Elm Dr	Plainfield	46168	Hendricks County	Plainfield Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(317) 839-0120	214	8	26.3	21.0%	168 (78.5%)	12 (5.6%)	17 (7.9%)	3 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (6.5%)								(n/a)										$4,501	$51	$4,450
Guilford Elementary	Public	K-5	6440 S County Road 600 E	Plainfield	46168	Hendricks County	Plainfield Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(317) 839-2698	439	29	15.0	33.5%	331 (75.4%)	44 (10.0%)	24 (5.5%)	12 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (6.4%)	83.1	151^st of 1010 public elementary schools	85.0%		86	115^th of 1016 public elementary schools	88.7%	36	53.5	61.3	56.3	57.1	70.8	64.0	52.9	62.0	50.6	$8,519	$473	$8,046
Hickory Elementary School	Public	K-4	907 S Avon Avenue	Avon	46123	Hendricks County	Avon Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(317) 544-6300	592	42	14.0	47.6%	250 (42.2%)	179 (30.2%)	67 (11.3%)	57 (9.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (6.4%)	79.2	194^th of 1010 public elementary schools	80.8%		84.5	135^th of 1016 public elementary schools	86.7%	59	45.9	56.3		51.0	64.8	68.1		66.4		$11,300	$696	$10,604
Pine Tree Elementary School	Public	K-4	7866 E Cr 100 S	Avon	46123	Hendricks County	Avon Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 544-6500	405	29	13.8	56.0%	199 (49.1%)	99 (24.4%)	64 (15.8%)	5 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (9.4%)	82.8	157^th of 1010 public elementary schools	84.5%		81.4	166^th of 1016 public elementary schools	83.7%	9	51.1	62.7		56.5	61.7	73.2		67.1		$11,373	$974	$10,399
Cedar Elementary School	Public	K-4	685 S Avon Avenue	Avon	46123	Hendricks County	Avon Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 544-6200	675	50	13.5	52.4%	313 (46.4%)	236 (35.0%)	65 (9.6%)	25 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (5.3%)	81.4	167^th of 1010 public elementary schools	83.5%		72.9	265^th of 1016 public elementary schools	73.9%	98	64.6	48.8		55.8	74.6	60.4		66.7		$11,068	$972	$10,096
Maple Elementary School	Public	K-4	7237 E US Hwy 36	Avon	46123	Hendricks County	Avon Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 544-6400	775	52	14.9	58.1%	314 (40.5%)	266 (34.3%)	90 (11.6%)	50 (6.5%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	52 (6.7%)	74.3	245^th of 1010 public elementary schools	75.7%		75.6	226^th of 1016 public elementary schools	77.8%	19	41.1	58.2		49.2	59.3	64.5		61.3		$10,469	$1,029	$9,440

Frequently Asked Questions about Van Buren Elementary School

What district is Van Buren Elementary School in?

Plainfield Community School Corp

What schools do graduates of Van Buren Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Plainfield Community Middle School
High : Plainfield High School

Is Van Buren Elementary School a good school?

Van Buren Elementary School ranks 176^th of 1010 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Van Buren Elementary School?

Students at Van Buren Elementary School are 83% White, 8% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 2% African American.

How many students attend Van Buren Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 500 students attended Van Buren 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 Indiana 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.