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Van Buren Elementary

Q: Is Van Buren Elementary a good school?

Van Buren Elementary ranks 603 rd of 900 Missouri elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-6

603^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 900 Missouri Elementary Schools

Better than 33% of Missouri elementary schools

Summary

Van Buren Elementary is a public elementary school serving grades PK-6 in Van Buren, Missouri, with 287 students. The school is part of the Van Buren R-I school district, which is ranked 229 out of 367 districts in Missouri and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Van Buren Elementary has seen a decline in its statewide ranking over the past several years, dropping from a high of 247 out of 1,045 Missouri elementary schools in 2017-2018 (4-star rating) to its current ranking of 603 out of 900 schools in 2024-2025 (2-star rating). The school consistently underperforms the state average on MAP assessments, with proficiency rates in Math and ELA that are 10-20 percentage points below the state average, particularly in 5th grade where proficiency rates are less than 20% in both subjects. Additionally, the school has struggled with high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 29.2% to 32.6% in recent years, significantly higher than the state average.

Compared to nearby schools like Ellington Elementary, Winona Elementary, and East Carter County R-II Elementary, Van Buren Elementary generally underperforms on academic measures and has higher chronic absenteeism rates. The school also serves a higher proportion of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with 62.16% to 69.76% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in recent years.

245

Students ?

8.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,898

Per pupil spending ?

75.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

902 Broadway
Van Buren, MO 63965-0550

(573) 323-4266

District: Van Buren R-I

Students who attend Van Buren Elementary usually attend:

High:

Van Buren High

Racial breakdown:

White:

96.7%

Hispanic:

1.2%

African American:

0.8%

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Compare Van Buren Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 18th percentile in 2023 → 33rd in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 33rd (2025) from a 18th-percentile low (2023)

✓Small classes — about 9 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Missouri average (31% vs 42% meeting standards)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Science scores 23 pts below the Missouri average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school31%

District avg31%

Missouri avg42%

603^rd of 900

Missouri public elementary schools ?

Bottom 33%▼ down 8 pts since 2015

From bottom 41% (2015) to bottom 33% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Missouri Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

229^th of 367Van Buren R-I among Missouri 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	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	36.2	603 of 900	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.7	625 of 906	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	19.5	740 of 898	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.8	668 of 908	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	41.5	549 of 901	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	66.1	328 of 1052	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	73.1	247 of 1045	76.4%	★★★★☆
2017	49.7	539 of 1032	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2016	53.0	448 of 865	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2015	45.7	622 of 1058	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2014	56.4	471 of 1089	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2013	64.1	366 of 1108	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2012	47.6	638 of 1085	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2011	65.8	345 of 1088	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2010	62.4	374 of 1066	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2009	40.8	712 of 1053	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2008	29.4	900 of 1084	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	53.8	499 of 1080	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2006	59.6	377 of 1074	64.9%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	36.4	414 of 638	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.0	361 of 625	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	33.6	432 of 611	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	41.8	296 of 532	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	55.6	199 of 574	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	73.7	135 of 907	85.1%	★★★★☆
2018	81.6	76 of 887	91.4%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	21.6	555 of 666	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.5	579 of 668	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	10.3	635 of 673	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	15.2	605 of 675	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.0	501 of 691	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	55.7	374 of 917	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.3	314 of 898	65.0%	★★★☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)35th percentile~ school

White (2025)17th percentile-16 vs school

By subject vs Missouri (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics34%-8 vs state

English Language Arts32%-9 vs state

Science20%-23 vs state

★

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Schools Near Van Buren Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MAP Mathematics (2025)						MAP Science (2025)		MAP English Language Arts (2025)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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	MAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MAP Science 5th Grade	MAP Science 8th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Van Buren Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	902 Broadway	Van Buren	63965	Carter County	Van Buren R-I	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 323-4266	245	28	8.8	75.5%	237 (96.7%)	2 (0.8%)	3 (1.2%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	36.2	603^rd of 900 public elementary schools	33.0%		33.7	625^th of 906 public elementary schools	31.0%	22	43.4	46.6	14.0	37.1			19.5		34.9	19.5	41.8		$15,898	$2,339	$13,559
East Carter County R-II Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	24 S Herren Ave	Ellsinore	63937	Carter County	East Carter County R-II	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 322-5325	364	28	13.2	65.4%	345 (94.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.7%)	65.1	311^th of 900 public elementary schools	65.4%		88.4	70^th of 906 public elementary schools	92.3%	241	44.2	59.5	33.2				59.9		40.8	51.8			$11,343	$1,044	$10,299
Ellington Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1 School St	Ellington	63638	Reynolds County	Southern Reynolds County R-II	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 663-2293	202	18	11.2	65.8%	193 (95.5%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.0%)	65.8	302^nd of 900 public elementary schools	66.4%		85.1	99^th of 906 public elementary schools	89.1%	203	58.7	48.5							61.7	27.7			$11,172	$1,097	$10,074
Winona Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	8256 State Hwy 19	Winona	65588	Shannon County	Winona R-III	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 325-8101	306	25	12.0	77.8%	298 (97.4%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	67.7	277^th of 900 public elementary schools	69.2%		79.7	151^st of 906 public elementary schools	83.3%	126		35.5		76.0	75.7	64.0		51.2			68.0	56.3	$12,194	$1,318	$10,875

Frequently Asked Questions about Van Buren Elementary

How many students attend Van Buren Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 245 students attended Van Buren Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Van Buren Elementary?

Students at Van Buren Elementary are 97% White, 1% Hispanic.

What district is Van Buren Elementary in?

Van Buren R-I

What schools do graduates of Van Buren Elementary attend?

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

High : Van Buren High

Is Van Buren Elementary a good school?

Van Buren Elementary ranks 603^rd of 900 Missouri elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Van Buren Elementary!

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Schools in Van Buren, MO

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