Summary:
The city of Van Buren, Maine is home to two schools: Van Buren Elementary School and Van Buren District Secondary School. Both schools serve a predominantly white student population and face significant challenges, including high rates of economic disadvantage and chronic absenteeism.
Van Buren Elementary School has seen a concerning decline in its statewide ranking, dropping from 70th out of 210 Maine elementary schools in 2021-2022 to 238th out of 290 in 2022-2023. In contrast, Van Buren District Secondary School has maintained a more consistent ranking, fluctuating between 54th and 90th out of 114 Maine high schools in recent years. Both schools have extremely high rates of free and reduced lunch recipients, at 100%, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student populations.
Chronic absenteeism is a significant issue for both schools, with Van Buren Elementary School at 23.4% and Van Buren District Secondary School at 40.0%. These rates are well above the typical benchmark of 10%, suggesting that student engagement and attendance are major challenges that need to be addressed. The schools are part of the Regional School Unit 88/Maine School Admin District 24, and the data highlights the need for targeted interventions and support to improve educational outcomes for the students in this community.
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