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Van Buren Elementary

Q: Is Van Buren Elementary a good school?

Van Buren Elementary ranks 297 th of 1039 Wisconsin elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

297^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,039 Wisconsin Elementary Schools

Better than 71% of Wisconsin elementary schools

Summary

Van Buren Elementary is a PK–5 neighborhood school at 1515 Lapham St in Janesville, Wisconsin, serving 408 students as part of the Janesville School District. It ranks 297th of 1,039 Wisconsin elementary schools — the 71st percentile, or 4 stars — roughly 30 percentile points above its own district's 41st-percentile standing, and only three of the ten nearby Janesville elementaries rank higher.

The most striking comparison is what Van Buren achieves with the fewest resources in its peer group. It spends $12,978 per student, about 20% below the local average and thousands less than schools such as Wilson Elementary ($19,683) or Lincoln Elementary ($17,075), and its 14.1 students per teacher is the largest class size of the eleven schools. About 47% of students are economically disadvantaged, the second-lowest rate in the group. Chronic absenteeism is 15.5%, below both the district (22.0%) and the state (17.3%). Results are strongest in the upper grades: 4th grade science (75.36%) and social studies (81.16%) lead all eleven schools, and 4th grade math (76.81%) trails only Monroe Elementary.

Two things to watch. First, 3rd grade English language arts proficiency was 44.59%, below both district and state and 8th of 11 locally, even though the school scored above the state in 7 of 8 tested grade-and-subject combinations. Second, after climbing from the 43rd to the 73rd percentile over five years, the school's rank has leveled off at 71st. Student groups that often trail statewide — including low-income students and students in special education — rank well above average here, though a wider gap between male and female results appeared this year.

408

Students ?

14.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,978

Per pupil spending ?

47.1%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

86%

Kindergartners meeting all minimum immunization requirements (2025-26)

1515 Lapham St
Janesville, WI 53546-5500

(608) 743-7100

District: Janesville School District

Racial breakdown:

White:

75.0%

Hispanic:

10.0%

Two or more races:

9.1%

See top rated Wisconsin elementary schools

Compare Van Buren Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 40th percentile in 2016 → 71st in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Wisconsin average (66% vs 55% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 31 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the Wisconsin median (71st percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school66%

District avg60%

Wisconsin avg55%

297^th of 1,039

Wisconsin public elementary schools ?

Top 29%▲ up 32 pts since 2016

From bottom 40% (2016) to top 29% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Wisconsin Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 12Elementary Schools in the Janesville School District

257^th of 432Janesville School District among Wisconsin 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	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	71.2	297 of 1039	71.4%	★★★★☆
2025	72.4	283 of 1044	72.9%	★★★★☆
2024	67.7	359 of 1061	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.3	423 of 1067	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	56.3	499 of 1067	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	52.2	550 of 1050	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	49.8	588 of 1037	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	78.4	160 of 1025	84.4%	★★★★☆
2017	77.0	186 of 1071	82.6%	★★★★☆
2016	45.4	650 of 1075	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2015	38.7	787 of 1076	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	61.5	417 of 1061	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2013	58.3	460 of 1053	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2012	62.5	429 of 1045	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2011	53.3	609 of 1046	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2010	64.5	391 of 1045	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2009	69.2	290 of 1030	71.8%	★★★★☆
2008	71.6	255 of 1021	75.0%	★★★★☆
2007	62.7	316 of 689	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2006	52.8	435 of 712	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2004	67.7	229 of 633	63.8%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2022	96.7	5 of 248	98.0%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	60.3	410 of 986	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	70.9	282 of 1001	71.8%	★★★★☆
2024	68.6	308 of 1011	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	64.2	361 of 1010	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.6	525 of 1017	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	59.3	422 of 1004	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	43.4	639 of 1002	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	68.6	288 of 997	71.1%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	83.8	44 of 347	87.3%	★★★★☆
2025	75.9	49 of 322	84.8%	★★★★☆
2022	80.8	40 of 296	86.5%	★★★★☆
2021	56.1	92 of 274	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	84.6	30 of 271	88.9%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	74.3	128 of 848	84.9%	★★★★☆
2025	81.3	75 of 870	91.4%	★★★★★
2024	71.8	163 of 866	81.2%	★★★★☆
2023	59.6	302 of 871	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	45.7	487 of 859	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	47.1	450 of 847	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	47.4	457 of 874	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	78.1	90 of 854	89.5%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	79.6	149 of 989	84.9%	★★★★☆
2025	71.6	271 of 1000	72.9%	★★★★☆
2024	63.8	383 of 1012	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	59.1	439 of 1011	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.9	400 of 1017	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	44.4	626 of 1003	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	56.5	454 of 1002	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	84.7	83 of 997	91.7%	★★★★★

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	74.9	30 of 142	78.9%	★★★★☆
2025	88.0	8 of 113	92.9%	★★★★★
2019	51.6	33 of 76	56.6%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	75.2	125 of 791	84.2%	★★★★☆
2025	60.0	268 of 802	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.2	278 of 790	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.0	251 of 770	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.6	221 of 748	70.5%	★★★★☆
2021	42.1	426 of 746	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	51.2	313 of 742	57.8%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	54.5	321 of 697	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	56.4	321 of 718	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	48.2	405 of 727	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.9	413 of 715	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.9	453 of 704	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.5	419 of 699	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	34.2	528 of 718	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	75.4	130 of 686	81.0%	★★★★☆

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)

English Language Learner (2022)98th percentile+45 vs school

Hispanic (2026)87th percentile+16 vs school

Male (2026)85th percentile+14 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)85th percentile+13 vs school

Special Education (2026)84th percentile+13 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)79th percentile+7 vs school

Female (2026)58th percentile-13 vs school

White (2026)54th percentile-17 vs school

By subject vs Wisconsin (2025-2026) ?

Social Studies81%+16 vs state

Science75%+22 vs state

Mathematics68%+15 vs state

English Language Arts56%+3 vs state

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Schools Near Van Buren Elementary

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				Forward Exam English Language Arts (2026)			Forward Exam Mathematics (2026)			Forward Exam Social Studies (2026)	Forward Exam Science (2026)	Vaccination (2025-26)		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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Forward Exam English Language Arts 3rd Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 4th Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 5th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 3rd Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 4th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 5th Grade	Forward Exam Social Studies 4th Grade	Forward Exam Science 4th Grade	Vaccination: Kindergartners meeting all minimum immunization requirements	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Van Buren Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1515 Lapham St	Janesville	53546	Rock County	Janesville School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 743-7100	408	29	14.1	47.1%	306 (75.0%)	18 (4.4%)	41 (10.0%)	4 (1.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (9.1%)	71.2	297^th of 1039 public elementary schools	71.4%		72.4	283^rd of 1044 public elementary schools	72.9%	14	44.6	66.7	58.8	60.8	76.8	66.2	81.2	75.4	86%		$12,978	$371	$12,608
Lincoln Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1821 Conde St	Janesville	53546	Rock County	Janesville School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 743-6700	291	28	10.5	76.3%	162 (55.7%)	12 (4.1%)	85 (29.2%)	3 (1.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (9.6%)	46.3	643^rd of 1039 public elementary schools	38.1%		25.8	834^th of 1044 public elementary schools	20.1%	191	34.0	54.4	51.3	49.1	60.9	43.6	67.4	46.7	80%		$17,075	$1,286	$15,790
Wilson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	465 Rockport Rd	Janesville	53548	Rock County	Janesville School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 743-7300	256	31	8.3	92.2%	79 (30.9%)	51 (19.9%)	78 (30.5%)	7 (2.7%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (15.6%)	28.1	814^th of 1039 public elementary schools	21.7%		21.4	865^th of 1044 public elementary schools	17.1%	51	52.9	32.6	41.4	58.8	33.3	44.8	39.1	17.4	78%		$19,683	$1,653	$18,030
Madison Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	331 N Grant Ave	Janesville	53548	Rock County	Janesville School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 743-6800	307	27	11.4	76.2%	160 (52.1%)	23 (7.5%)	81 (26.4%)	4 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (12.7%)	45.9	651^st of 1039 public elementary schools	37.3%		48.5	608^th of 1044 public elementary schools	41.8%	43	51.1	58.3	45.8	46.8	38.9	41.7	69.4	52.8	87%		$15,627	$1,088	$14,539
Jackson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	441 W Burbank Ave	Janesville	53546	Rock County	Janesville School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 743-6500	339	33	10.1	77.9%	207 (61.1%)	13 (3.8%)	91 (26.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (8.0%)	47.3	631^st of 1039 public elementary schools	39.3%		44.6	663^rd of 1044 public elementary schools	36.5%	32	31.1	53.5	62.0	42.2	44.2	60.0	62.8	48.8	79%		$16,999	$1,205	$15,794
Washington Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	811 N Pine St	Janesville	53548	Rock County	Janesville School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 743-7200	410	31	13.1	56.8%	300 (73.2%)	18 (4.4%)	42 (10.2%)	7 (1.7%)	4 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	38 (9.3%)	64.4	393^rd of 1039 public elementary schools	62.2%		61.3	438^th of 1044 public elementary schools	58.0%	45	71.2	51.9	69.1	76.3	63.0	61.8	55.6	40.7	88%		$14,070	$814	$13,256
Roosevelt Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	316 S Ringold St	Janesville	53545	Rock County	Janesville School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 743-7000	412	31	13.2	50.7%	305 (74.0%)	15 (3.6%)	49 (11.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (10.2%)	81.1	139^th of 1039 public elementary schools	86.6%		82.8	125^th of 1044 public elementary schools	88.0%	14	73.8	74.1	67.1	73.8	70.9	67.1	77.7	72.9	89%		$13,939	$371	$13,568
Adams Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1138 E Memorial Dr	Janesville	53545	Rock County	Janesville School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 743-6300	267	24	11.2	76.8%	165 (61.8%)	10 (3.7%)	56 (21.0%)	1 (0.4%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (12.0%)	32.5	779^th of 1039 public elementary schools	25.0%		31.6	796^th of 1044 public elementary schools	23.8%	17	40.5	55.6	40.0	32.4	41.7	33.3	61.1	36.1	72%		$16,774	$1,428	$15,345
Monroe Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	55 S Pontiac Dr	Janesville	53545	Rock County	Janesville School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 743-6900	376	28	13.5	52.4%	262 (69.7%)	18 (4.8%)	62 (16.5%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	31 (8.2%)	79.8	161^st of 1039 public elementary schools	84.5%		79.9	161^st of 1044 public elementary schools	84.6%		70.5	77.2	62.3	77.1	80.7	60.7	80.7	64.9	85%		$13,880	$370	$13,509
Jefferson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1831 Mount Zion Ave	Janesville	53545	Rock County	Janesville School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 743-6600	293	28	10.3	62.5%	198 (67.6%)	19 (6.5%)	52 (17.7%)	4 (1.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (6.5%)	57	499^th of 1039 public elementary schools	52.0%		41.8	702^nd of 1044 public elementary schools	32.8%	203	70.4	73.3	45.0	70.4	40.0	30.0	76.7	63.3			$17,448	$990	$16,458

Frequently Asked Questions about Van Buren Elementary

What district is Van Buren Elementary in?

Janesville School District

Is Van Buren Elementary a good school?

Van Buren Elementary ranks 297^th of 1039 Wisconsin elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Van Buren Elementary attend?

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

Middle : Edison Middle
High : Parker High
High : Rock River Charter School

What is the racial makeup of Van Buren Elementary?

Students at Van Buren Elementary are 75% White, 10% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 4% African American.

How many students attend Van Buren Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 408 students attended Van Buren Elementary.

Rate Van Buren Elementary!

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Latest Wisconsin data All new data »

2018–19 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 20, 2026

2016–17 through 2017–18 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026

2025–26 ACT & Forward Exam scoresOct 1, 2026

2021–22 through 2024–25 school spending dataJul 16, 2026

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

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.