Enrollment
456
Louisiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Baton Rouge, LA
Buchanan Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Buchanan Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 220054000358
👥 S:T ratio 21
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 9
📋 Attendance 73
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Buchanan Elementary School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of Louisiana schools.
- #24 of 59
- schools in Baton Rouge · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.8:1
- large classes for Louisiana
- 72.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Buchanan Elementary School has class sizes larger than 82% of Louisiana schools. Computed live against every Louisiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Buchanan Elementary School ranks #24 of 59 schools in Baton Rouge, LA.
School address
District: East Baton Rouge Parish · Louisiana
NCES ID 220054000358 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.8:1
vs 16.8:1 Louisiana avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
72.6%
vs 62.5% Louisiana avg
+16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Buchanan Elementary School compares with Louisiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Buchanan Elementary School
Buchanan Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, enrolling 456 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Louisiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 72.6% of students eligible for free meals.
With 456 students, its enrollment sits close to the Louisiana median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,330 scored Louisiana schools.
Against 381 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #210.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 456 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
11.0% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 21.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Baton Rouge's public schools, it stands alongside University View Academy Inc. (Frm La Connections) (3,725 students): Buchanan Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (19.8:1 vs 20.6:1).
East Baton Rouge Parish also operates Baton Rouge Magnet High School (1,593 students) and Woodlawn High School (1,331 students) alongside Buchanan Elementary School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Buchanan Elementary School compares
Buchanan Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Louisiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Louisiana | Louisiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.8:1 | ▲ 18% | 16.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 72.6% | ▲ 16% | 62.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 456 | top 46% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.8:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
456
Bigger than 56% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
72.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 16% above the Louisiana average of 62.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19.8:1
students per teacher
- 18% above state mean
Top 82% in Louisiana - lower ratio than 18% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
11.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$15,604
per pupil, district-wide
- below Louisiana avg of $16,376
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 456 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
15
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for East Baton Rouge Parish, which includes Buchanan Elementary School.
$15,604
Per student
-5%
vs Louisiana
Avg $16,376
-6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 54.2%
State 24.4%
Federal 21.4%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Buchanan Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge Magnet High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Woodlawn High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Liberty High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Idea Bridge | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Tara High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Buchanan Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,593
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 1,331
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,218
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,122
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 1,016
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
Similar other schools in Baton Rouge
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
University View Academy Inc. (Frm La Connections)
Standard public school
3,725 students 20.6:1 students per teacher
Louisiana Virtual Charter Academy
Standard public school
2,239 students 28.3:1 students per teacher
Lsu Laboratory School
Standard public school
1,463 students 11.8:1 students per teacher
Idea Bridge
Standard public school
1,122 students 21.2:1 students per teacher
South Baton Rouge Charter Academy
Standard public school
819 students 12.8:1 students per teacher
Idea Innovation
Standard public school
797 students 14.5:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Louisiana, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~456 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Buchanan Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Buchanan Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- East Baton Rouge Parish's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Buchanan Elementary School
How many students attend Buchanan Elementary School?
Buchanan Elementary School has 456 students enrolled. It is a public school in Baton Rouge, LA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Buchanan Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Buchanan Elementary School is 19.8:1, which is 18% higher than the Louisiana average of 16.8:1 and 26% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Buchanan Elementary School?
72.6% of students at Buchanan Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Louisiana average of 62.5%.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Buchanan Elementary School?
Buchanan Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Buchanan Elementary School rank among schools in Baton Rouge?
By Resource Investment Index, Buchanan Elementary School ranks #24 of 59 schools in Baton Rouge, LA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Baton Rouge on the city page.
Is Buchanan Elementary School a good school?
Buchanan Elementary School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of Louisiana schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in East Baton Rouge Parish?
Besides Buchanan Elementary School, East Baton Rouge Parish also operates Baton Rouge Magnet High School (1,593 students), Woodlawn High School (1,331 students), and Liberty High School (1,218 students). See the East Baton Rouge Parish district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.