VAN RENSSELAER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

VAN RENSSELAER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is one of the mid-tier primary schools in RENSSELAER, New York, one of the schools within RENSSELAER CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT, with 487 students on its rolls from grades pre-K through 5.

Across the 2 schools in RENSSELAER CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT (949 students total), VAN RENSSELAER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Looking at the student body, VAN RENSSELAER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL reports that the largest single group is White at 42%, but no single group is in the majority. Beyond that, the school lists 17% multiracial, 16% Hispanic, 13% Asian, 11% Black. By comparison, Rensselaer County as a whole is about 80% White, so the school skews visibly less White than its surroundings.

On the resource side, VAN RENSSELAER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL reports 32 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 15.1:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 12.8:1, putting VAN RENSSELAER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL higher than the state norm the norm. Roughly 67% of students at VAN RENSSELAER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. That share is north of Rensselaer County's rate of about 46%.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, VAN RENSSELAER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL falls in the UNDERPERFORMING tier of the BeatsExpectations residual. Given its student profile, a typical campus would land near 50.3%; this one comes in at 31.2%, -19.1 points off the demographic line.

In the broader community, ACS estimates for Rensselaer County put median household income runs about $87,915, 38% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 8% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Rensselaer County's 42 public schools (combined enrollment of about 19,274 students), VAN RENSSELAER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is RENSSELAER JUNIOR/SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL, roughly 0.0 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Among the 8 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), VAN RENSSELAER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ranks 6th on composite proficiency, below the local average of 36.6%.

The campus sits in a bedroom-community setting.

Five-year trend. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at VAN RENSSELAER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL has declined 29%, going from 690 students in 2018 to 487 in 2025. The White share of enrollment declined from 52% to 42% over that span. The student-to-teacher ratio widened from 13.5:1 in 2018 to 15.1:1 today.

On the community side, posts here usually surface around fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.