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Van Buren Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-8

233^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 289 Maine Elementary Schools

Better than 19% of Maine elementary schools

Summary

Van Buren Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-8 in the town of Van Buren, Maine, with 206 students. The school has faced challenges, ranking in the bottom half of Maine elementary schools for most years, with a current ranking of 233 out of 289 schools and a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Van Buren Elementary has consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 22.9% to 28.5% over the past few years, significantly higher than the state average. The school's test scores are also below the state and district averages across all subjects, with an ELA proficiency rate of 60.17% compared to the state average of 63.84%, and a Math proficiency rate of 32.2% compared to the state average of 49.38%. Additionally, the school has a high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 69.42% to 100% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch over the past few years.

Compared to nearby schools, such as Dr. Levesque Elementary School, Van Buren Elementary generally performs worse on key metrics like test scores and chronic absenteeism. The school's declining performance over the years, with its statewide ranking dropping from 70th out of 210 schools in 2021-2022 to 233rd out of 289 schools in 2024-2025, is concerning and suggests the need for targeted interventions and support to improve student outcomes. The school's challenges are further highlighted by significant gender disparities, with female students outperforming male students.

204

Students ?

13.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,376

Per pupil spending ?

70.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

169 Main Street
Van Buren, ME 04785

(207) 868-5274

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

Students who attend Van Buren Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Van Buren District Secondary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

92.2%

African American:

4.9%

Hispanic:

1.5%

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At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 67th percentile in 2022 → 19th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Maine average (45% vs 53% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (19th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped from its 67th-percentile peak (2022) to 19th (2025)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school45%

District avg45%

Maine avg53%

233^rd of 289

Maine public elementary schools ?

Bottom 19%▲ up 11 pts since 2015

From bottom 8% (2015) to bottom 19% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Maine Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

120^th of 176Regional School Unit 88/Maine School Admin District 24 among Maine districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maine percentile	Rating
2025	28.7	233 of 289	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	37.7	211 of 288	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.0	238 of 290	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	65.2	70 of 210	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	39.6	137 of 228	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	11.9	248 of 258	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	29.5	200 of 254	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	30.0	199 of 256	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	25.1	218 of 255	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	18.6	261 of 284	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	35.8	194 of 261	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	35.1	203 of 258	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	34.4	141 of 186	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	51.4	93 of 193	51.8%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maine percentile	Rating
2025	43.2	169 of 251	32.7%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maine percentile	Rating
2025	42.3	171 of 248	31.0%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maine percentile	Rating
2025	18.7	228 of 251	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maine percentile	Rating
2025	33.5	112 of 150	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Female (2025)33rd percentile+13 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)31st percentile+12 vs school

White (2025)25th percentile+6 vs school

Male (2025)9th percentile-10 vs school

By subject vs Maine (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts60%-4 vs state

Science37%~ state avg

Mathematics32%-17 vs state

★

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Schools Near Van Buren Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MEA English Language Arts (2025)	MEA Mathematics (2025)	MEA Science (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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	Van Buren	04785	Aroostook County	Regional School Unit 88/Maine School Admin District 24	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 868-5274	204	15	13.4	70.6%	188 (92.2%)	10 (4.9%)	3 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	28.7	233^rd of 289 public elementary schools	19.4%		37.7	211^th of 288 public elementary schools	26.7%	22	60.2	32.2	36.8	$19,376
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	26	5	5.5	42.3%	23 (88.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (7.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.8%)	18.7	256^th of 289 public elementary schools	11.4%		39.6	200^th of 288 public elementary schools	30.6%	56	52.9			$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	45	3	16.0	86.7%	42 (93.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (4.4%)	2.4	285^th of 289 public elementary schools	1.4%		1.8	285^th of 288 public elementary schools	1.0%		17.9	25.0		$29,350
Limestone Community School	Public	PK, KG-8	93 High Street	Limestone	04750	Aroostook County	Limestone Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 325-4742	138	16	8.7	70.3%	114 (82.6%)	6 (4.3%)	6 (4.3%)	2 (1.4%)	3 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (5.1%)	11.6	271^st of 289 public elementary schools	6.2%		17.1	264^th of 288 public elementary schools	8.3%	7	40.3	31.2	33.3	$51,053
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	120	12	10.0	49.2%	119 (99.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	56.1	145^th of 289 public elementary schools	49.8%		53.8	144^th of 288 public elementary schools	50.0%	1	64.3	57.1	33.3	$19,674

Frequently Asked Questions about Van Buren Elementary School

Is Van Buren Elementary School a good school?

Van Buren Elementary School ranks in the bottom 19.4% of Maine elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Van Buren Elementary School?

Students at Van Buren Elementary School are 92% White, 5% African American, 1% Hispanic.

How many students attend Van Buren Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 204 students attended Van Buren Elementary School.

What district is Van Buren Elementary School in?

Regional School Unit 88/Maine School Admin District 24

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

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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.