Enrollment
617
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 360585000297
Buffalo Academy for the Visual & Performing Arts — Buffalo, NY
Federal NCES profile for Buffalo Academy for the Visual & Performing Arts, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 39/100.
👥 Class size 69
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 59
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Buffalo City School District · New York
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
73.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
7.8:1
vs 11.7:1 New York avg
-33% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
65.5%
vs 56.2% New York avg
+17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Buffalo Academy for the Visual & Performing Arts compares with New York and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Buffalo Academy for the Visual & Performing Arts reports 617 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 73.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 7.8:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 33% below the New York state mean of 11.7:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 51% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 65.5% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 17% above the New York average and 26% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 206 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 73.4% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Buffalo City School District spends $33,375 per pupil district-wide, above the New York average of $29,727 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 10.8% from local sources (property taxes), 62.7% from the state, and 26.5% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Buffalo Academy for the Visual & Performing Arts compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against New York state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs New York | New York avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 7.8:1 | ▼ 33% | 11.7:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 65.5% | ▲ 17% | 56.2% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 617 | top 76% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
65.5%
free-lunch eligible
— 17% above the New York average of 56.2%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
7.8:1
students per teacher
— 33% below state mean
Top 7% in New York — lower ratio than 93% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
73.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$33,375
per pupil, district-wide
— above New York avg of $29,727
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 206 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
157
in-school suspensions + 59 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 25.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 35.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 617 Top 76% in New York — larger than 24% of 4,812 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 73.0
Students per teacher 7.8:1 -33% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 65.5% +17% vs state
NCES ID 360585000297
Student demographics
African American 46.3%
White 21.0%
Hispanic or Latino 20.5%
Two or More 9.4%
Asian 2.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: African American at 46.3% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 3
Counselors (FTE) 3.0
Students per counselor 206:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 73.4%
In-school suspensions 157
Out-of-school suspensions 59
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Buffalo City School District, which includes Buffalo Academy for the Visual & Performing Arts.
$33,375
Per student
+12%
vs New York
Avg $29,727
+71%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 10.8%
State 62.7%
Federal 26.5%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,140
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Enrollment
- 1,088
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Enrollment
- 933
- Students per teacher
- 11.4:1
- Enrollment
- 928
- Students per teacher
- 11.2:1
- Enrollment
- 862
- Students per teacher
- 10.3:1
Similar other schools in Buffalo
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Charter School for Applied Technologies
Standard public school
2,260 students 11.5:1 students per teacher
Kenmore West Senior High School
Standard public school
1,235 students 9.5:1 students per teacher
Tapestry Charter School
Standard public school
1,120 students 12.4:1 students per teacher
City Honors School
Standard public school
1,088 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
International School
Standard public school
933 students 11.4:1 students per teacher
Frederick Olmsted #156
Standard public school
928 students 11.2:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Buffalo Academy for the Visual & Performing Arts
How many students attend Buffalo Academy for the Visual & Performing Arts?
Buffalo Academy for the Visual & Performing Arts has 617 students enrolled. It is a other school in BUFFALO, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Buffalo Academy for the Visual & Performing Arts?
The student-teacher ratio at Buffalo Academy for the Visual & Performing Arts is 7.8:1, which is 33% lower than the New York average of 11.7:1 and 51% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Buffalo Academy for the Visual & Performing Arts?
65.5% of students at Buffalo Academy for the Visual & Performing Arts are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Buffalo Academy for the Visual & Performing Arts?
The largest demographic group at Buffalo Academy for the Visual & Performing Arts is African American at 46.3%. The school serves a diverse student body in BUFFALO, NY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Buffalo Academy for the Visual & Performing Arts?
Buffalo Academy for the Visual & Performing Arts has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.