Top Rankings
Van Buren School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in Arkansas for:
Category
Attribute
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2025 school year, there are 9 public elementary schools serving 4,111 students in Van Buren School District. This district's average elementary testing ranking is 7/10, which is in the top 50% of public elementary schools in Arkansas.
Public Elementary Schools in Van Buren School District have an average math proficiency score of 46% (versus the Arkansas public elementary school average of 43%), and reading proficiency score of 44% (versus the 39% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 35% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the Arkansas public elementary school average of 43% (majority Black).
Overview
This School District
This State (AR)
# Schools
11 Schools
710 Schools
# Students
5,809 Students
300,005 Students
# Teachers
428 Teachers
19,966 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
14:1
14:1
District Rank
Van Buren School District, which is ranked within the top 30% of all 258 school districts in Arkansas (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 90% has stayed relatively flat over five school years.
Overall District Rank
#73 out of 259 school districts
(Top 30%)
(Top 30%)

Math Test Scores (% Proficient)
41%
38%

Reading/Language Arts Test Scores (% Proficient)
44%
40%

Science Test Scores (% Proficient)
37%
36%

Graduation Rate
90%
88%

Students by Ethnicity:
Diversity Score
0.54
0.61
# American Indian Students
73 Students
1,684 Students
% American Indian Students
1%
1%
# Asian Students
119 Students
5,542 Students
% Asian Students
2%
2%
# Hispanic Students
1,210 Students
43,810 Students
% Hispanic Students
21%
15%
# Black Students
132 Students
58,360 Students
% Black Students
2%
19%
# White Students
3,721 Students
172,046 Students
% White Students
64%
57%
# Hawaiian Students
12 Students
3,152 Students
% Hawaiian Students
n/a
1%
# Two or more races Students
542 Students
15,411 Students
% of Two or more races Students
10%
5%
Students by Grade:
# Students in PK Grade:
100
7,260
# Students in K Grade:
443
33,240
# Students in 1st Grade:
435
35,859
# Students in 2nd Grade:
419
37,037
# Students in 3rd Grade:
436
35,957
# Students in 4th Grade:
438
35,919
# Students in 5th Grade:
455
35,951
# Students in 6th Grade:
414
36,175
# Students in 7th Grade:
433
21,041
# Students in 8th Grade:
474
15,262
# Students in 9th Grade:
471
1,598
# Students in 10th Grade:
453
1,565
# Students in 11th Grade:
418
1,649
# Students in 12th Grade:
413
1,433
# Ungraded Students:
7
59
District Revenue and Spending
The revenue/student of $12,140 in this school district is less than the state median of $13,132. The school district revenue/student has declined by 5% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $11,842 is less than the state median of $13,043. The school district spending/student has declined by 5% over four school years.
Total Revenue
$71 MM
$6,371 MM

Spending
$69 MM
$6,327 MM

Revenue / Student
$12,140
$13,132

Spending / Student
$11,842
$13,043

Best Van Buren School District Public Elementary Schools (2025)
School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Parkview Elementary School
(Math: 56% | Reading: 60%)
Rank:
Rank:
9/
Top 20%10
605 Parkview St
Van Buren, AR 72956
(479) 474-8730
Van Buren, AR 72956
(479) 474-8730
Grades: K-5
| 436 students
Rank: #22.
Northridge Middle School
(Math: 57% | Reading: 55%)
Rank:
Rank:
9/
Top 20%10
120 Northridge Dr
Van Buren, AR 72956
(479) 471-3126
Van Buren, AR 72956
(479) 471-3126
Grades: 6-8
| 739 students
Rank: #33.
Rena Elementary School
(Math: 58% | Reading: 49%)
Rank:
Rank:
9/
Top 20%10
720 Rena Rd
Van Buren, AR 72956
(479) 471-3190
Van Buren, AR 72956
(479) 471-3190
Grades: K-5
| 412 students
Rank: #44.
Oliver Springs Elementary School
(Math: 50% | Reading: 47%)
Rank:
Rank:
8/
Top 30%10
505 Northridge Drive East
Van Buren, AR 72956
(479) 471-3120
Van Buren, AR 72956
(479) 471-3120
Grades: K-5
| 463 students
Rank: #55.
King Elementary School
(Math: 40-44% | Reading: 40-44%)
Rank:
Rank:
7/
Top 50%10
400 N 19th St
Van Buren, AR 72956
(479) 474-2661
Van Buren, AR 72956
(479) 474-2661
Grades: PK-5
| 443 students
Rank: #66.
Butterfield Trail Middle School
(Math: 39% | Reading: 38%)
Rank:
Rank:
6/
Top 50%10
310 N 11th St
Van Buren, AR 72956
(479) 474-6838
Van Buren, AR 72956
(479) 474-6838
Grades: 6-8
| 558 students
Rank: #77.
Central Elementary School
(Math: 37% | Reading: 29%)
Rank:
Rank:
4/
Bottom 50%10
501 N 24th St
Van Buren, AR 72956
(479) 474-3150
Van Buren, AR 72956
(479) 474-3150
Grades: K-5
| 489 students
Rank: #88.
James R. Tate Elem. School
(Math: 35-39% | Reading: 25-29%)
Rank:
Rank:
4/
Bottom 50%10
406 Catcher Rd
Van Buren, AR 72956
(479) 471-3130
Van Buren, AR 72956
(479) 471-3130
Grades: PK-5
| 466 students
Rank: #99.
River Valley Virtual Academy
Charter School
(Math: 15-19% | Reading: 25-29%)
Rank:
Rank:
2/
Bottom 50%10
60 Northridge Drive
Van Buren, AR 72956
(479) 471-3165
Van Buren, AR 72956
(479) 471-3165
Grades: K-12
| 105 students
Recent Articles

Year-Round Or Traditional Schedule?
Which is more appropriate for your child? A year-round attendance schedule or traditional schedule? We look at the pros and cons.

Why You Should Encourage Your Child to Join a Sports Team
Participating in team sports has a great many benefits for children, there is no doubt. In this article you will learn what those benefits are.

White Students are Now the Minority in U.S. Public Schools
Increasing birth rates among immigrant families from Asia and Central and South America, combined with lower birth rates among white families, means that for the first time in history, public school students in the United States are majority-minority. This shift in demographics poses difficulties for schools as they work to accommodate children of varying language abilities and socio-economic backgrounds.