Enrollment
1,171
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Palmetto, FL
Buffalo Creek Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Buffalo Creek Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 120123007312
👥 S:T ratio 15
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 22
📋 Attendance 3
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Buffalo Creek Middle School earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of Florida schools.
- #3 of 3
- middle schools in Palmetto · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.3:1
- large classes for Florida
- 37.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Buffalo Creek Middle School has class sizes larger than 82% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Buffalo Creek Middle School ranks #3 of 3 middle schools in Palmetto, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
55.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.3:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
37.4%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-28% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Buffalo Creek Middle School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Buffalo Creek Middle School
Buffalo Creek Middle School is a large middle school in Palmetto, Florida, enrolling 1,171 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 21.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 37.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 1,171 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Among 581 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #517, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (59%) and Hispanic or Latino (19%) (diversity index 60/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 390 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 587 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,171 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Manatee also operates Lakewood Ranch High School (2,422 students) and Parrish Community High School (2,266 students) alongside Buffalo Creek 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 Buffalo Creek Middle School compares
Buffalo Creek Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 21.3:1 | ▲ 20% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 37.4% | ▼ 28% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,171 | top 14% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.3:1
Leaner classes than 12% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,171
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
37.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 28% below the Florida average of 52.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
21.3:1
students per teacher
- 20% above state mean
Top 82% in Florida - lower ratio than 18% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
38.9%
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
$10,900
per pupil, district-wide
- below Florida avg of $11,167
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 390 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
333
in-school suspensions + 254 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 28.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 50.1 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 58.7%
Hispanic or Latino 18.6%
African American 15.2%
Two or More 4.9%
Asian 2.6%
Largest group: White at 58.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.5, Buffalo Creek Middle School is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Manatee, which includes Buffalo Creek Middle School.
$10,900
Per student
-2%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 58.3%
State 25.8%
Federal 15.9%
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 Creek Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakewood Ranch High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Parrish Community High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Palmetto High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Manatee School for the Arts | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Manatee High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Buffalo Creek Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,422
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 2,266
- Students per teacher
- 26.3:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 2,185
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 2,051
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,998
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Florida, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,171 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Buffalo Creek Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Buffalo Creek Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Manatee'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 Creek Middle School
How many students attend Buffalo Creek Middle School?
Buffalo Creek Middle School has 1,171 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Palmetto, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Buffalo Creek Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Buffalo Creek Middle School is 21.3:1, which is 20% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 36% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Buffalo Creek Middle School?
37.4% of students at Buffalo Creek Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Buffalo Creek Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Buffalo Creek Middle School is White at 58.7% of enrollment, in Palmetto, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Buffalo Creek Middle School?
Buffalo Creek Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (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 Buffalo Creek Middle School rank among middle schools in Palmetto?
By Resource Investment Index, Buffalo Creek Middle School ranks #3 of 3 middle schools in Palmetto, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Palmetto on the city page.
Is Buffalo Creek Middle School a good school?
Buffalo Creek Middle School earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of Florida 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 Manatee?
Besides Buffalo Creek Middle School, Manatee also operates Lakewood Ranch High School (2,422 students), Parrish Community High School (2,266 students), and Palmetto High School (2,185 students). See the Manatee 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.