Van Buren Middle School

Van Buren Middle School is a mid-tier middle school in Kettering, Ohio, operated by Kettering City School District. The school teaches 598 students in grades 6 through 8. By comparison, Ohio's public schools average about 482 students each, so Van Buren Middle School sits 24% larger than that benchmark.

Kettering City School District comprises 13 schools with combined enrollment of 7,635 students; Van Buren Middle School is among them.

Demographically, Van Buren Middle School reports that White students make up the majority at 78%. The remainder looks like 8% multiracial, 7% Hispanic, 5% Black. The wider county runs roughly 68% White, putting the school's mix considerably more White than the area baseline.

Looking at the economic backdrop, On paper, Van Buren Middle School has 40 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 14.8:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 17.0:1, putting Van Buren Middle School tighter than the state norm the norm. Around 41% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, Van Buren Middle School performs roughly as the BeatsExpectations model predicts for a school with this FRL share. The predicted value is around 73.4%, the actual is 71.8%, a residual of -1.5 points.

Zooming out to the county, ACS estimates for Montgomery County put median household income runs about $66,139, 31% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 11%. Van Buren Middle School is one of 160 public schools in Montgomery County (combined enrollment of about 74,487 students).

The closest other public school is Kettering Fairmont High School, roughly 0.4 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Van Buren Middle School. Among the 7 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Van Buren Middle School ranks 6th on composite proficiency, behind the local average of 79.1%.

The school occupies a downtown site.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Van Buren Middle School has declined 12%, going from 682 students in 2018 to 598 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share decreased from 82% to 78%.

On this page, members of the Van Buren Middle School community share and discuss school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.