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Van Buren District Secondary School

Summary:

Van Buren District Secondary School is a small public high school in Van Buren, Maine, serving grades 9-12 with a student population of just 56 as of the 2022-2023 school year. The school is part of the Regional School Unit 88/Maine School Admin District 24, which is ranked 139 out of 177 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Van Buren District Secondary School has a significantly higher percentage of white students (94.64%) compared to nearby schools like ME School of Science & Mathematics (76.47%) and Wisdom Middle High School (96%), it faces some significant challenges. The school has an extremely high chronic absenteeism rate of 40%, much higher than the 14.1% at ME School of Science & Mathematics and 32% at Wisdom Middle High School. Academically, Van Buren's proficiency rates in English Language Arts (42.86%) and Science (46.15%) are lower than the district and state averages, though its Science proficiency is higher than the surrounding area.

One of the most striking findings is that 100% of Van Buren District Secondary School's students receive free or reduced-price lunch, suggesting the school serves a population with significant socioeconomic challenges. This is in stark contrast to the 2.94% at ME School of Science & Mathematics and 28% at Wisdom Middle High School. However, the school's relatively low student-teacher ratio of 8.8 could be a potential strength that the school can build upon to improve student outcomes. Overall, addressing the high chronic absenteeism and improving academic performance will be key focus areas for Van Buren District Secondary School as it works to better serve its students.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 169 Main Street Suite 102
       Van Buren, ME  04785

(207) 868-5274

District: Regional School Unit 88/Maine School Admin District 24

SchoolDigger Rank:
68th of 123 Maine High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $28,950 Help


Feeder schools for Van Buren District Secondary School:

Elementary:    Van Buren Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio:  6.7 Help
Number of students:  54

Racial breakdown:

White:
90.7%
Hispanic:
5.6%
African American:
1.9%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  66.7% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Van Buren District Secondary School ranks worse than 55.3% of high schools in Maine. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 37.86. (See more...)
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (90.7%), Hispanic (5.6%), American Indian (1.9%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 66.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Van Buren District Secondary School is 6.7. (See more...)
Help
Compare Van Buren District Secondary School employs 8 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Van Buren District Secondary School is $28,950.
Schooldigger Rankings:

Van Buren District Secondary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.
SchoolDigger ranks Van Buren District Secondary School 68th of 123 Maine public high schools. (See Van Buren District Secondary School in the ranking list.)

Regional School Unit 88/Maine School Admin District 24:

SchoolDigger ranks Regional School Unit 88/Maine School Admin District 24 139th of 177 Maine school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Van Buren District Secondary School

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Compare
Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools ME State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2010 41.74 56th 103 45.6%
2011 45.86 51st 105 51.4%
2012 20.52 94th 107 12.1%
2013 5.23 104th 106 1.9%
2017 26.27 88th 111 20.7%
2018 47.20 54th 114 52.6%
2019 24.83 90th 114 21.1%
2023 37.86 68th 123 44.7%
See the entire list of Maine High School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Maine Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Van Buren District Secondary School Test Scores
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Data source: Maine Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Van Buren District Secondary School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1991 0 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 293 293
1992 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 297 297
1993 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 278 278
1994 263 3 0 1 1 n/a n/a 0 268
1995 297 2 0 1 1 n/a n/a 0 301
1996 297 2 0 1 1 n/a n/a 0 301
1997 259 0 0 0 2 n/a n/a 0 261
1998 222 0 0 0 3 n/a n/a 0 225
1999 228 0 0 0 4 n/a n/a 0 232
2000 218 0 0 0 7 n/a n/a 0 225
2001 210 0 1 1 10 n/a n/a 0 222
2002 226 0 2 2 0 n/a n/a 0 230
2003 226 0 2 2 0 n/a n/a 0 230
2004 148 0 0 1 1 n/a n/a 0 150
2005 215 3 0 0 1 n/a n/a 0 219
2006 226 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 226
2007 225 2 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 227
2008 187 4 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 191
2009 135 3 0 1 1 n/a n/a 0 140
2010 118 4 0 0 1 n/a n/a 0 123
2011 109 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 115
2012 103 3 0 1 1 0 0 0 108
2013 89 2 0 2 3 0 0 0 96
2014 90 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 92
2015 80 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 80
2016 76 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 79
2017 77 2 0 1 1 0 1 0 82
2018 69 3 0 1 2 0 1 0 76
2019 70 2 0 1 2 0 5 0 80
2020 66 1 0 1 2 0 5 0 75
2021 66 1 0 1 2 0 4 0 74
2022 59 0 0 2 1 0 4 0 66
2023 53 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 56
2024 49 1 0 3 1 0 0 0 54

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Van Buren District Secondary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1991 293 34.0 8.6 n/a
1992 297 32.0 9.2 n/a
1993 278 31.0 9.0 42.4
1994 268 28.0 9.6 45.1
1995 301 27.5 10.9 38.9
1996 301 27.5 10.9 38.9
1997 261 25.1 10.4 7.3
1998 225 18.0 12.5 47.6
1999 232 19.0 12.2 65.9
2000 225 15.0 15.0 67.1
2001 222 19.0 11.7 63.5
2002 230 16.6 13.9 56.1
2003 230 16.6 13.9 56.1
2004 150 17.2 8.7 87.3
2005 219 19.0 11.5 61.6
2006 226 16.7 13.5 62.8
2007 227 16.6 13.7 63.4
2008 191 19.4 9.8 64.9
2009 140 14.1 9.0 57.9
2010 123 14.6 8.4 69.1
2011 115 14.8 7.7 53.9
2012 108 13.6 7.9 9.3
2013 96 14.9 6.4 57.3
2014 92 13.7 6.6 58.7
2015 80 13.0 6.1 60
2016 79 7.0 11.2 65.8
2017 82 7.2 11.3 68.3
2018 76 7.7 9.8 64.5
2019 80 7.7 10.3 68.8
2020 75 8.0 9.3 50.7
2021 74 7.9 9.3 73
2022 66 7.9 8.3 72.7
2023 56 6.3 8.8 100
2024 54 8.0 6.7 66.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Van Buren District Secondary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1991 293 34.0 8.6 n/a
1992 297 32.0 9.2 n/a
1993 278 31.0 9.0 42.4
1994 268 28.0 9.6 45.1
1995 301 27.5 10.9 38.9
1996 301 27.5 10.9 38.9
1997 261 25.1 10.4 7.3
1998 225 18.0 12.5 47.6
1999 232 19.0 12.2 65.9
2000 225 15.0 15.0 67.1
2001 222 19.0 11.7 63.5
2002 230 16.6 13.9 56.1
2003 230 16.6 13.9 56.1
2004 150 17.2 8.7 87.3
2005 219 19.0 11.5 61.6
2006 226 16.7 13.5 62.8
2007 227 16.6 13.7 63.4
2008 191 19.4 9.8 64.9
2009 140 14.1 9.0 57.9
2010 123 14.6 8.4 69.1
2011 115 14.8 7.7 53.9
2012 108 13.6 7.9 9.3
2013 96 14.9 6.4 57.3
2014 92 13.7 6.6 58.7
2015 80 13.0 6.1 60
2016 79 7.0 11.2 65.8
2017 82 7.2 11.3 68.3
2018 76 7.7 9.8 64.5
2019 80 7.7 10.3 68.8
2020 75 8.0 9.3 50.7
2021 74 7.9 9.3 73
2022 66 7.9 8.3 72.7
2023 56 6.3 8.8 100
2024 54 8.0 6.7 66.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Van Buren District Secondary School

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2018 $21,248
2019 $20,107
2020 $21,883
2021 $25,682
2022 $26,586
2023 $28,950

Data source: Maine Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Van Buren District Secondary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Ranks 90th of 114 High schoolsRanks 68th of 123 High schools
 23.7%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Total Students8056
 30%
African American20
 100%
American Indian21
 50%
Asian00
Hispanic12
 100%
Pacific Islander00
White7053
 24.3%
Two or More Races50
 100%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients68.8%100%
 31.3%

Schools Near Van Buren District Secondary School








Frequently Asked Questions about Van Buren District Secondary School

In the 2023-24 school year, 54 students attended Van Buren District Secondary School.

Van Buren District Secondary School ranks 68th of 123 Maine high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Van Buren District Secondary School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Van Buren Elementary School

Students at Van Buren District Secondary School are 91% White, 6% Hispanic, 2% African American, 2% American Indian.


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

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.




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