Enrollment
561
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Buchanan, MI
Buchanan High School
Federal NCES profile for Buchanan High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 20/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 260714004308
👥 S:T ratio 25
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 23
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Buchanan High School earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of Michigan schools.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Buchanan · Resource Index
- 20
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.7:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 34.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Buchanan High School has class sizes larger than 70% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Buchanan High School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Buchanan, MI.
School address
District: Buchanan Community Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 260714004308 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.7:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.7%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-36% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Buchanan High School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Buchanan High School
Buchanan High School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Buchanan, Michigan, enrolling 561 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 34.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 561 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Among 596 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #497, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (87% of enrollment) (diversity index 25/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 561 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Buchanan's public schools, it stands alongside Buchanan Virtual Academy (49 students): Buchanan High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18.7:1 vs 16.3:1).
Buchanan Community Schools also operates Buchanan Middle School (358 students) and Moccasin Elementary School (354 students) alongside Buchanan High 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 High School compares
Buchanan High 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 | 18.7:1 | ▲ 7% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.7% | ▼ 36% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 561 | top 20% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.7:1
Leaner classes than 21% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
561
Bigger than 69% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
34.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 36% 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
18.7:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 70% in Michigan - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
30.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,590
per pupil, district-wide
- below Michigan avg of $13,507
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 561 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 52 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
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 86.6%
Two or More 5.9%
African American 3.0%
Hispanic or Latino 3.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Asian 0.5%
Largest group: White at 86.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 24.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 24.5, Buchanan High School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
AP courses offered 3
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Buchanan Community Schools, which includes Buchanan High School.
$12,590
Per student
-7%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.6%
State 61.6%
Federal 12.8%
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 High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buchanan Middle School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Moccasin Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ottawa Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Buchanan Virtual Academy | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Buchanan Step Up | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Buchanan High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 358
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 354
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 230
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 49
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 15
- Students per teacher
- 5:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
Similar other schools in Buchanan
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other 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 (~561 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Buchanan High School's federal record.
- Compare Buchanan High School against another school. Compare schools
- Buchanan Community Schools'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 High School
How many students attend Buchanan High School?
Buchanan High School has 561 students enrolled. It is a public school in Buchanan, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Buchanan High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Buchanan High School is 18.7:1, which is 7% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 19% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Buchanan High School?
34.7% of students at Buchanan High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Buchanan High School?
The largest demographic group at Buchanan High School is White at 86.6% of enrollment, in Buchanan, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Buchanan High School?
Buchanan High School has a Resource Investment Index of 20/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Buchanan High School rank among public schools in Buchanan?
By Resource Investment Index, Buchanan High School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Buchanan, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Buchanan on the city page.
Is Buchanan High School a good school?
Buchanan High School earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of Michigan 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 Buchanan Community Schools?
Besides Buchanan High School, Buchanan Community Schools also operates Buchanan Middle School (358 students), Moccasin Elementary School (354 students), and Ottawa Elementary School (230 students). See the Buchanan Community Schools 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.