Public schools in Buffalo, MN
Buffalo has 14 public schools with a 2024-25 address in the city: 6 high, 3 middle, 4 elementary, 1 other, enrolling 4,608 students. They are run by 4 districts and agencies; Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools runs 8 of them.
NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: schools open that year with enrollment · method
The 4 districts and agencies that run Buffalo's public schools
Each district decides who can enroll where; its page holds its schools, spending and teachers.
| District | Schools in Buffalo | District students, fall 2022 | Spending per student, FY23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools | 8 | 5,313 | $13,682 |
| Wright Technical Center | 2 | 93 | not reported |
| Southwest Metro Intermediate School District 288 | 2 | 484 | not reported |
| Meeker and Wright Special Education | 2 | 199 | not reported |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: school location city and operating agency; NCES F-33 fiscal year 2022-23: district fall membership and current spending per student. Schools on a city's edge can serve students from outside it.
6 high schools in Buffalo, 1,870 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Senior High | 1,681 | 23.7 | 16.6% | Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools |
| Wright Technical Center Alc | 81 | 15.7 | 48.1% | Wright Technical Center |
| Phoenix Learning Center | 36 | 15.0 | 38.9% | Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools |
| SWMetro Buffalo-Transitions | 26 | 10.4 | 26.9% | Southwest Metro Intermediate |
| Cornerstones Program | 23 | 5.7 | 39.1% | Meeker and Wright Special Education |
| SWMetro Lakeside Academy | 23 | 11.6 | 34.8% | Southwest Metro Intermediate |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
3 middle schools in Buffalo, 1,171 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Community Middle | 1,160 | 21.4 | 20.9% | Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools |
| Eastern Wright Program | 8 | 3.9 | not reported | Meeker and Wright Special Education |
| Wright Technical Center Alc Middle | 3 | 3.0 | not reported | Wright Technical Center |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
4 elementary schools in Buffalo, 1,417 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwinds Elementary | 419 | 14.8 | 20.8% | Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools |
| Tatanka Elementary STEM School | 393 | 14.9 | 27.2% | Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools |
| Parkside Elementary | 348 | 12.8 | 35.9% | Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools |
| Discovery Elementary | 257 | 16.6 | 8.6% | Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
One other school in Buffalo, 150 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Early Child. Sp. Ed Program | 150 | 16.7 | 28.0% | Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
How Buffalo's public schools compare with Minnesota's
The median Buffalo school has 14.9 students per full-time teacher, more than the Minnesota median of 13.7. 0% of its schools ran a schoolwide Title I program in 2021-22, against 20% across the state. Its median school enrolls 116 students (state 275).
| Buffalo | Minnesota | |
|---|---|---|
| Median students per teacher | 14.9 | 13.7 |
| Median school size (students) | 116 | 275 |
| Schools with a schoolwide Title I program (2021-22) | 0% | 20% |
| Schools where every student eats free (CEP) | 0% | 22% |
| Charter schools | 0% | 12% |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch program, charter status; the 14 Buffalo schools and the 2,321 Minnesota schools open that year with students); Title I status CCD 2021-22. Students per teacher counts 2024-25 teachers and ratios from 3 to 99.
What to look at next in Buffalo
- Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose SchoolsRuns 8 of Buffalo's 14 public schools and spent $13,682 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$13,682
- Buffalo Senior High, the largest high school in Buffalo1,681 students in 2024-25, 23.7 per teacher.1,681
- Compare Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools with Wright Technical CenterBuffalo's two largest operators side by side: enrollment, spending and schools.
- The largest public schools in MinnesotaMinnesota's 50 largest schools open in 2024-25, by enrollment.
- Find the school district for a Buffalo addressA home's district, not its city, decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools and their operating agencies); NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student).
Choosing among them: how to choose a school district with the federal data, and what a Title I school is.
Other cities in Minnesota
- Saint Paul135 schools
- Minneapolis132 schools
- Rochester44 schools
- Duluth30 schools
- Brooklyn Park29 schools
- Plymouth27 schools
- Bloomington26 schools
- Apple Valley20 schools
Questions about schools in Buffalo
How many public schools are in Buffalo, MN?
14 public schools with an address in Buffalo were open in 2024-25: 6 high, 3 middle, 4 elementary, 1 other, enrolling 4,608 students.What is the largest high school in Buffalo?
Buffalo Senior High, with 1,681 students in 2024-25 (Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools).Which districts run Buffalo's schools?
Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools (8 schools), Wright Technical Center (2 schools), Southwest Metro Intermediate School District 288 (2 schools), Meeker and Wright Special Education (2 schools). A school's district, not its city, decides who can enroll.
These figures are for information and are not a substitute for the district's enrollment office, which confirms the school a home is assigned to.
Sources
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25
Source: NCES Common Core of Data Public school search (the official record of each school) · 2024-25