Van Buren Elementary School

Summary:

Van Buren Elementary School is a public school serving grades PK-8 in the rural town of Van Buren, Maine, with a student population of 205. While the school has a predominantly White student body, it does have some racial diversity, including African American, Hispanic, and Native American students.

Van Buren Elementary School faces several challenges, including high chronic absenteeism rates (23.4% compared to the state average of 64.63%) and lower-than-average test scores in English Language Arts (60.33% proficiency vs. state average of 64.63%), Mathematics (35.54% vs. 48.68%), and Science (21.21% vs. 36.36%). However, the school has a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 13.7, which may provide more individualized attention for students. Compared to nearby schools, Van Buren Elementary performs better than Limestone Community School, but lags behind the higher-performing Dr. Levesque Elementary School.

The high percentage of students (100%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch at Van Buren Elementary School suggests that the student population faces significant economic challenges, which may contribute to the school's lower academic performance and higher chronic absenteeism rates. While the school's statewide ranking has fluctuated over the years, it has generally been in the lower half of Maine elementary schools, and its ranking dropped from 70th out of 210 schools in 2021-2022 to 238th out of 290 schools in 2022-2023, indicating a decline in performance relative to other schools in the state.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-8

169 Main Street Suite 101
Van Buren, ME 04785

(207) 868-5274

District: Regional School Unit 88/Maine School Admin District 24

SchoolDigger Rank:
238^th of 290 Maine Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,740

Students who attend Van Buren Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Van Buren District Secondary School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.5

Number of students: 206

Racial breakdown:

White:

91.7%

African American:

4.9%

American Indian:

1.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 69.4%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Van Buren Elementary School ranks worse than 82.1% of elementary schools in Maine. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 26.04. (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 (91.7%), African American (4.9%), American Indian (1.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 69.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Van Buren Elementary School is 14.5. (See more...)

Compare Van Buren Elementary School employs 14.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Van Buren Elementary School is $15,740.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Regional School Unit 88/Maine School Admin District 24:

SchoolDigger ranks Regional School Unit 88/Maine School Admin District 24 139^th of 177 Maine 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	ME State Percentile
2010	51.41	93^rd	193	51.8%
2011	34.36	141^st	186	24.2%
2012	35.07	203^rd	258	21.3%
2013	35.77	194^th	261	25.7%
2015	18.57	261^st	284	8.1%
2016	25.06	218^th	255	14.5%
2017	30.05	199^th	256	22.3%
2018	29.45	200^th	254	21.3%
2019	11.90	248^th	258	3.9%
2021	39.60	137^th	228	39.9%
2022	65.20	70^th	210	66.7%
2023	26.04	238^th	290	17.9%

See the entire list of Maine Elementary School Rankings!

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

Data source: Maine Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Van Buren Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2008	201	1	0	3	1	n/a	n/a	206
2009	222	1	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	227
2010	138	2	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	140
2011	214	0	0	5	0	0	0	219
2012	210	0	0	2	0	0	4	216
2013	205	1	0	4	2	0	4	216
2014	203	1	0	4	4	0	4	216
2015	202	1	0	5	5	0	7	220
2016	192	6	0	6	6	0	6	216
2017	202	6	1	3	7	0	5	224
2018	175	5	0	3	7	0	5	195
2019	175	10	0	6	5	0	5	201
2020	175	9	0	4	9	0	4	201
2021	165	2	0	4	5	0	3	179
2022	182	4	0	2	5	0	4	197
2023	190	7	0	2	4	0	2	205
2024	189	10	0	2	4	0	1	206

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
2008	206	22.2	9.3	61.7
2009	227	16.5	12.6	53.3
2010	140	16.5	8.4	50
2011	219	15.7	13.9	65.8
2012	216	13.8	15.6	4.2
2013	216	15.8	13.6	66.7
2014	216	14.5	14.8	65.3
2015	220	14.0	15.7	70.9
2016	216	18.0	12.0	72.2
2017	224	18.1	12.3	71
2018	195	17.4	11.2	76.9
2019	201	17.4	11.5	80.6
2020	201	14.7	13.6	82.1
2021	179	15.5	11.5	83.8
2022	197	17.0	11.5	89.8
2023	205	14.9	13.7	100
2024	206	14.2	14.5	69.4

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
2008	206	22.2	9.3	61.7
2009	227	16.5	12.6	53.3
2010	140	16.5	8.4	50
2011	219	15.7	13.9	65.8
2012	216	13.8	15.6	4.2
2013	216	15.8	13.6	66.7
2014	216	14.5	14.8	65.3
2015	220	14.0	15.7	70.9
2016	216	18.0	12.0	72.2
2017	224	18.1	12.3	71
2018	195	17.4	11.2	76.9
2019	201	17.4	11.5	80.6
2020	201	14.7	13.6	82.1
2021	179	15.5	11.5	83.8
2022	197	17.0	11.5	89.8
2023	205	14.9	13.7	100
2024	206	14.2	14.5	69.4

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	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$13,034
2019	$12,807
2020	$12,839
2021	$15,674
2022	$14,157
2023	$15,740

Data source: Maine 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 248^th of 258 Elementary schools	Ranks 238^th of 290 Elementary schools	14.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
All Grades English Language Arts (Van Buren Elementary School)	40.2	86.5	46.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Regional School Unit 88/Maine School Admin District 24)	40.3	83.8	43.5%
All Grades English Language Arts (Maine)	55.9	83.8	27.9%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	201	205	2%
African American	10	7	30%
American Indian	5	4	20%
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	6	2	66.7%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	175	190	8.6%
Two or More Races	5	2	60%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	80.6%	100%	19.4%

Schools Near Van Buren Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				MEA English Language Arts (2023)	MEA Mathematics (2023)	MEA Science (2023)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
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 (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	SchoolDigger Rating (2023)	Average Standard Score (2022)	Statewide Rank (2022)	State Percentile (2022)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MEA English Language Arts All Grades	MEA Mathematics All Grades	MEA Science All Grades	Total
Van Buren Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	169 Main Street Suite 101	Van Buren	04785	Aroostook County	Regional School Unit 88/Maine School Admin District 24	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 868-5274	206	14	14.5	69.4%	189 (91.7%)	10 (4.9%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	26	238^th of 290 public elementary schools	17.9%		65.2	70^th of 210 public elementary schools	66.7%	168	60.3	35.5	21.2	$15,740
Connor Consolidated School	Public	PK, KG-6	1581 Van Buren RD	Connor Twp	04736	Aroostook County	Education in Unorganized Terr	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 496-4521	31	4	7.3	25.8%	29 (93.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (6.5%)	39.4	201^st of 290 public elementary schools	30.7%					(n/a)	57.1	50.0		$00
Dawn F Barnes Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	1025 Van Buren Road	Caswell	04750	Aroostook County	Caswell Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 325-4611	38	4	9.2	86.8%	34 (89.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (5.3%)								(n/a)				$22,400
Limestone Community School	Public	PK, KG-8	93 High Street	Limestone	04750	Aroostook County	Limestone Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 325-4742	144	16	9.1	60.4%	119 (82.6%)	6 (4.2%)	3 (2.1%)	4 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (8.3%)	16.2	268^th of 290 public elementary schools	7.6%		7.7	192^nd of 210 public elementary schools	8.6%	76	55.7	26.8	27.8	$25,601
Dr Levesque Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	368 Main St	Saint Agatha	04772	Aroostook County	Regional School Unit 33/Maine School Admin District 33	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 543-7302	130	11	12.3	40.0%	127 (97.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	73	78^th of 290 public elementary schools	73.1%		69.7	57^th of 210 public elementary schools	72.9%	21	70.8	60.0	38.5	$14,014

Frequently Asked Questions about Van Buren Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Van Buren Elementary School?

Students at Van Buren Elementary School are 92% White, 5% African American, 2% American Indian.

Is Van Buren Elementary School a good school?

Van Buren Elementary School ranks in the bottom 17.9% of Maine elementary schools.

How many students attend Van Buren Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 206 students attended Van Buren Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Van Buren Elementary School attend?

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

High : Van Buren District Secondary School

What district is Van Buren Elementary School in?

Regional School Unit 88/Maine School Admin District 24

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