Enrollment
483
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Livonia, MI
Buchanan Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Buchanan Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 262184005905
👥 S:T ratio 26
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 59
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Buchanan Elementary School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #4 of 8
- elementary schools in Livonia · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.6:1
- students per teacher
- 26.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Buchanan Elementary School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Buchanan Elementary School ranks #4 of 8 elementary schools in Livonia, MI.
School address
District: Livonia Public Schools School District · Michigan
NCES ID 262184005905 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.6:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
26.6%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Buchanan Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Buchanan Elementary School
Buchanan Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Livonia, Michigan, enrolling 483 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 26.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 483 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 556 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #115.
Its student body is predominantly White (83% of enrollment) (diversity index 30/100).
16.6% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Livonia's elementary schools, it stands alongside Grand River Academy (727 students): Buchanan Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (18.6:1 vs 19.1:1).
Livonia Public Schools School District also operates Stevenson High School (1,523 students) and Franklin High School (1,272 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 Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.6:1 | ▲ 6% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 26.6% | ▼ 51% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 483 | top 28% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.6:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
483
Bigger than 59% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
26.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
18.6:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 69% in Michigan - lower ratio than 31% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
16.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$14,667
per pupil, district-wide
- above Michigan avg of $13,507
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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.
Student demographics
White 83.2%
Hispanic or Latino 8.1%
African American 3.1%
Two or More 3.1%
Asian 1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: White at 83.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 29.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 29.9, Buchanan Elementary School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Livonia Public Schools School District, which includes Buchanan Elementary School.
$14,667
Per student
+9%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.3%
State 54.5%
Federal 7.2%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stevenson High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Franklin High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Churchill High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Holmes Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Frost Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower 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
- 1,523
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,272
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 1,227
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 670
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 641
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar elementary schools in Livonia
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Michigan, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~483 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Buchanan Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Buchanan Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Livonia Public Schools School District'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 483 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Livonia, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Buchanan Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Buchanan Elementary School is 18.6:1, which is 6% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 18% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Buchanan Elementary School?
26.6% of students at Buchanan Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Buchanan Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Buchanan Elementary School is White at 83.2% of enrollment, in Livonia, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Buchanan Elementary School?
Buchanan Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Buchanan Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Livonia?
By Resource Investment Index, Buchanan Elementary School ranks #4 of 8 elementary schools in Livonia, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Livonia on the city page.
Is Buchanan Elementary School a good school?
Buchanan Elementary School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. 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 Livonia Public Schools School District?
Besides Buchanan Elementary School, Livonia Public Schools School District also operates Stevenson High School (1,523 students), Franklin High School (1,272 students), and Churchill High School (1,227 students). See the Livonia Public Schools School District 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.