Enrollment
358
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Buchanan, MI
Buchanan Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Buchanan Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 260714004312
👥 S:T ratio 20
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 28
📋 Attendance 33
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Buchanan Middle School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of Michigan schools.
- #3 of 4
- public schools in Buchanan · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.9:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 44.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Buchanan Middle School has class sizes larger than 79% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Buchanan Middle School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Buchanan, MI.
School address
District: Buchanan Community Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 260714004312 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.9:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
44.7%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Buchanan Middle School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Buchanan Middle School
Buchanan Middle School is a mid-sized elementary school in Buchanan, Michigan, enrolling 358 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 44.7% of students eligible for free meals.
With 358 students, its enrollment sits close to the Michigan median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 701 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #295.
Its student body is predominantly White (87% of enrollment) (diversity index 24/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 358 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 3 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Buchanan Community Schools also operates Buchanan High School (561 students) and Moccasin Elementary School (354 students) alongside Buchanan Middle 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 Middle School compares
Buchanan Middle 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 | 19.9:1 | ▲ 14% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 44.7% | ▼ 18% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 358 | top 49% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.9:1
Leaner classes than 16% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
358
Bigger than 41% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
44.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19.9:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 79% in Michigan - lower ratio than 21% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
26.8%
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 358 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
32
in-school suspensions + 27 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 16.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 3 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 86.9%
Two or More 6.7%
Hispanic or Latino 3.6%
African American 2.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: White at 86.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 23.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 23.9, Buchanan Middle School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Buchanan Community Schools, which includes Buchanan Middle 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 Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buchanan High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Moccasin Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ottawa Elementary School | Smaller | Similar 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 Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 561
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- 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 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 (~358 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Buchanan Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Buchanan Middle 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 Middle School
How many students attend Buchanan Middle School?
Buchanan Middle School has 358 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Buchanan, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Buchanan Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Buchanan Middle School is 19.9:1, which is 14% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 27% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Buchanan Middle School?
44.7% of students at Buchanan Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Buchanan Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Buchanan Middle School is White at 86.9% of enrollment, in Buchanan, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Buchanan Middle School?
Buchanan Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower 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 Middle School rank among public schools in Buchanan?
By Resource Investment Index, Buchanan Middle School ranks #3 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 Middle School a good school?
Buchanan Middle School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% 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 Middle School, Buchanan Community Schools also operates Buchanan High School (561 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.