Van Buren Elementary School

Set in Brazil, Indiana, Van Buren Elementary School is a close-knit elementary-level community, one of the schools within Clay Community Schools. It serves 275 students across grades K through 5. Compared to the state average of about 436 students per school, that is 37% below typical.

Within Clay Community Schools, which oversees 10 schools and 3,995 students, Van Buren Elementary School is one campus in the system.

In terms of who attends, Van Buren Elementary School lists that 94% of students identify as White, making the school strongly White-majority. Other groups include 3% multiracial, 2% Hispanic. Compared to Clay County overall, the school's racial mix sits in roughly the same range.

In terms of school funding signals, The school employs 16 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 17.4:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 15.5:1, putting Van Buren Elementary School higher than the state norm the norm. Roughly 52% of students at Van Buren Elementary School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

After controlling for student poverty, Van Buren Elementary School ranks in the top 10% of Indiana public schools. The BeatsExpectations model, a per-state regression of composite proficiency on FRL share, predicts schools with this student profile to land around 38.5%; Van Buren Elementary School posts 54.9%, +16.4 points above that line.

Around the school, census data for Clay County shows the typical household earns roughly $70,010 per year, about 20% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 7%. In all, Clay County runs 10 public schools (combined enrollment of about 3,995 students), of which Van Buren Elementary School is one.

The closest other public school is East Side Elementary School, roughly 3.4 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 3 other public schools cluster around Van Buren Elementary School. Among the 8 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Van Buren Elementary School ranks 4th on composite proficiency, higher than the local average of 49.2%.

Geographically, the school is in a low-density area.

Looking at the recent track record. Van Buren Elementary School's enrollment has ticked up 9% since 2018, when it stood at 253 (now 275). The student-to-teacher ratio loosened from 14.7:1 in 2018 to 17.4:1 today.

On this page, posts here usually surface around classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.