Enrollment
491
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Buena, NJ
Buena Regional High School
Federal NCES profile for Buena Regional High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 340240000044
👥 S:T ratio 55
📚 AP courses 55
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 75
📋 Attendance 29
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Buena Regional High School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Jersey median.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Buena · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.2:1
- students per teacher
- 41.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Buena Regional High School has class sizes near the New Jersey median. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Buena Regional High School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Buena, NJ.
School address
District: Buena Regional School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 340240000044 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.2:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.7%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Buena Regional High School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Buena Regional High School
Buena Regional High School is a mid-sized high school in Buena, New Jersey, enrolling 491 students.
At 11.2:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the New Jersey median, within a few percentage points of the 11.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 41.7% of students eligible for free meals.
With 491 students, its enrollment sits close to the New Jersey median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Against 357 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #199.
Its student body is led by White (54%) and Hispanic or Latino (32%) (diversity index 59/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 11 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 123 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 198 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 491 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Buena Regional School District also operates Buena Regional Middle School (345 students) and Dr. J.P. Cleary Elementary School (320 students) alongside Buena Regional 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 Buena Regional High School compares
Buena Regional High School on the metrics families compare, against New Jersey and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs New Jersey | New Jersey avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.2:1 | ▼ 5% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.7% | ▲ 41% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 491 | top 41% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.2:1
Leaner classes than 82% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
491
Bigger than 60% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% above the New Jersey average of 29.6%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11.2:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 47% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 53% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
28.5%
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
$25,507
per pupil, district-wide
- above New Jersey avg of $24,984
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 123 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
89
in-school suspensions + 109 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 18.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 40.3 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 54.0%
Hispanic or Latino 32.3%
African American 11.2%
Two or More 1.2%
Asian 1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 54.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.1, Buena Regional High School is more mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
AP courses offered 11
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Buena Regional School District, which includes Buena Regional High School.
$25,507
Per student
+2%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+54%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.3%
State 55.4%
Federal 9.3%
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 Buena Regional High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buena Regional Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Dr. J.P. Cleary Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Collings Lakes Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| John C. Milanesi Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Buena Regional High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 345
- Students per teacher
- 8.6:1
- Resource Index
- 65/100
- Enrollment
- 320
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 221
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 192
- Students per teacher
- 10.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of New Jersey, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~491 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Buena Regional High School's federal record.
- Compare Buena Regional High School against another school. Compare schools
- Buena Regional 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 Buena Regional High School
How many students attend Buena Regional High School?
Buena Regional High School has 491 students enrolled. It is a high school in Buena, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Buena Regional High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Buena Regional High School is 11.2:1, which is 5% lower than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 29% lower 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 Buena Regional High School?
41.7% of students at Buena Regional High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Buena Regional High School?
The largest demographic group at Buena Regional High School is White at 54.0% of enrollment, in Buena, NJ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Buena Regional High School?
Buena Regional High School has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 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 Buena Regional High School rank among public schools in Buena?
By Resource Investment Index, Buena Regional High School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Buena, NJ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Buena on the city page.
Is Buena Regional High School a good school?
Buena Regional High School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Jersey 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 Buena Regional School District?
Besides Buena Regional High School, Buena Regional School District also operates Buena Regional Middle School (345 students), Dr. J.P. Cleary Elementary School (320 students), and Collings Lakes Elementary School (221 students). See the Buena Regional 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.