Enrollment
1,160
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Buffalo, MN
Buffalo Community Middle
Federal NCES profile for Buffalo Community Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 270720000284
👥 S:T ratio 9
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 23
📋 Attendance 34
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Buffalo Community Middle earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of Minnesota schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Minnesota.
- #9 of 14
- public schools in Buffalo · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 22.7:1
- large classes for Minnesota
- 21.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Buffalo Community Middle has class sizes larger than 89% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Buffalo Community Middle ranks #9 of 14 public schools in Buffalo, MN.
School address
District: Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools · Minnesota
NCES ID 270720000284 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
51.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.7:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
+44% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
21.5%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
-50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Buffalo Community Middle compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Buffalo Community Middle
Buffalo Community Middle is a large middle school in Buffalo, Minnesota, enrolling 1,160 students.
Class loads run heavy: 22.7:1 is larger than about 89% of Minnesota schools and 44% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 21.5% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Minnesota, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,160 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Against 174 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #98.
Its student body is predominantly White (85% of enrollment) (diversity index 27/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 387 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools also operates Buffalo Senior High (1,681 students) and Northwinds Elementary (419 students) alongside Buffalo Community Middle.
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 Buffalo Community Middle compares
Buffalo Community Middle on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 22.7:1 | ▲ 44% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 21.5% | ▼ 50% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,160 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.7:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,160
Bigger than 93% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
21.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 50% below the Minnesota average of 42.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
22.7:1
students per teacher
- 44% above state mean
Top 89% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 11% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
26.6%
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
$13,428
per pupil, district-wide
- below Minnesota avg of $15,270
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 387 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
55
in-school suspensions + 76 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.3 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 85.3%
Hispanic or Latino 4.9%
Two or More 4.6%
African American 3.4%
Asian 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 85.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 26.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 26.6, Buffalo Community Middle is less mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools, which includes Buffalo Community Middle.
$13,428
Per student
-12%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.8%
State 62.8%
Federal 8.4%
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 Buffalo Community Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Northwinds Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Tatanka Elementary Stem School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hanover Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Montrose Elementary School of Innov | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Buffalo Community Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,681
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 419
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 393
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 368
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 363
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Minnesota, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,160 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Buffalo Community Middle's federal record.
- Compare Buffalo Community Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose 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 Buffalo Community Middle
How many students attend Buffalo Community Middle?
Buffalo Community Middle has 1,160 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Buffalo, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Buffalo Community Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Buffalo Community Middle is 22.7:1, which is 44% higher than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 45% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Buffalo Community Middle?
21.5% of students at Buffalo Community Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Buffalo Community Middle?
The largest demographic group at Buffalo Community Middle is White at 85.3% of enrollment, in Buffalo, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Buffalo Community Middle?
Buffalo Community Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical 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 Buffalo Community Middle rank among public schools in Buffalo?
By Resource Investment Index, Buffalo Community Middle ranks #9 of 14 public schools in Buffalo, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Buffalo on the city page.
Is Buffalo Community Middle a good school?
Buffalo Community Middle earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of Minnesota schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Minnesota. 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 Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools?
Besides Buffalo Community Middle, Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools also operates Buffalo Senior High (1,681 students), Northwinds Elementary (419 students), and Tatanka Elementary Stem School (393 students). See the Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose 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.