Enrollment
49
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Buchanan, MI
Buchanan Virtual Academy
Federal NCES profile for Buchanan Virtual Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 22/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 260714008624
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Buchanan Virtual Academy earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- 22
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.3:1
- students per teacher
- 63.4%
- free-lunch eligible
- 49
- students enrolled
Buchanan Virtual Academy has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Buchanan Community Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 260714008624 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
3.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.3:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
63.4%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Buchanan Virtual Academy compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Buchanan Virtual Academy
Buchanan Virtual Academy is a higher-need, small combined-grade school in Buchanan, Michigan, enrolling 49 students.
At 16.3:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Michigan median, within a few percentage points of the 17.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 63.4% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 92% of Michigan schools, with 49 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Among 99 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #83, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (82% of enrollment) (diversity index 32/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 67.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Buchanan's public schools, it stands alongside Buchanan Step Up (15 students): Buchanan Virtual Academy is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.3:1 vs 5:1).
Buchanan Community Schools also operates Buchanan High School (561 students) and Buchanan Middle School (358 students) alongside Buchanan Virtual Academy.
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 Virtual Academy compares
Buchanan Virtual Academy on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.3:1 | ▼ 7% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 63.4% | ▲ 17% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 49 | top 92% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.3:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
49
Bigger than 5% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
63.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 17% above the Michigan average of 54.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.3:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 45% in Michigan - lower ratio than 55% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
67.3%
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
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 81.6%
Hispanic or Latino 8.2%
Two or More 6.1%
African American 4.1%
Largest group: White at 81.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 32.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 32.2, Buchanan Virtual Academy 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 Virtual Academy.
$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 Virtual Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buchanan High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Buchanan Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Moccasin Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ottawa Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Buchanan Step Up | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Buchanan Virtual Academy'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
- 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
- 15
- Students per teacher
- 5:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
Similar other schools in Buchanan
1 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 (~49 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Buchanan Virtual Academy's federal record.
- Compare Buchanan Virtual Academy 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 Virtual Academy
How many students attend Buchanan Virtual Academy?
Buchanan Virtual Academy has 49 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Buchanan, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Buchanan Virtual Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Buchanan Virtual Academy is 16.3:1, which is 7% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 4% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Buchanan Virtual Academy?
63.4% of students at Buchanan Virtual Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Buchanan Virtual Academy?
The largest demographic group at Buchanan Virtual Academy is White at 81.6% of enrollment, in Buchanan, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Buchanan Virtual Academy?
Buchanan Virtual Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (lower 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).
Is Buchanan Virtual Academy a good school?
Buchanan Virtual Academy earns 22/100 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 Buchanan Community Schools?
Besides Buchanan Virtual Academy, Buchanan Community Schools also operates Buchanan High School (561 students), Buchanan Middle School (358 students), and Moccasin Elementary School (354 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.