Enrollment
150
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Buffalo, MN
Buffalo Early Child. Sp. Ed Program
Federal NCES profile for Buffalo Early Child. Sp. Ed Program, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 270720002852
👥 S:T ratio 33
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Buffalo Early Child. Sp. Ed Program earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median.
- #3 of 4
- schools in Buffalo · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.7:1
- students per teacher
- 34.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Buffalo Early Child. Sp. Ed Program has class sizes near the Minnesota median. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Buffalo Early Child. Sp. Ed Program ranks #3 of 4 schools in Buffalo, MN.
School address
District: Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools · Minnesota
NCES ID 270720002852 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
9.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.7:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.4%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
-20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Buffalo Early Child. Sp. Ed Program compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Buffalo Early Child. Sp. Ed Program
Buffalo Early Child. Sp. Ed Program is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Buffalo, Minnesota, enrolling 150 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 34.4% lands close to the Minnesota typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 150 students, its enrollment sits close to the Minnesota median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Among 196 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Minnesota schools statewide, it ranks #144, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (88% of enrollment) (diversity index 22/100).
Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools also operates Buffalo Senior High (1,681 students) and Buffalo Community Middle (1,160 students) alongside Buffalo Early Child. Sp. Ed Program.
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 Early Child. Sp. Ed Program compares
Buffalo Early Child. Sp. Ed Program on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.7:1 | ▲ 6% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.4% | ▼ 20% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 150 | top 62% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.7:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
150
Bigger than 15% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
34.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 20% 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
16.7:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 67% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
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.
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 88.0%
African American 3.3%
Hispanic or Latino 3.3%
Two or More 2.7%
Asian 2.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
Largest group: White at 88.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 22.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 22.2, Buffalo Early Child. Sp. Ed Program is less mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools, which includes Buffalo Early Child. Sp. Ed Program.
$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 Early Child. Sp. Ed Program Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Buffalo Community Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northwinds Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Tatanka Elementary Stem School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hanover Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Buffalo Early Child. Sp. Ed Program'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
- 1,160
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- 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
Similar other 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 (~150 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Buffalo Early Child. Sp. Ed Program's federal record.
- Compare Buffalo Early Child. Sp. Ed Program 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 Early Child. Sp. Ed Program
How many students attend Buffalo Early Child. Sp. Ed Program?
Buffalo Early Child. Sp. Ed Program has 150 students enrolled. It is a special-education school in Buffalo, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Buffalo Early Child. Sp. Ed Program?
The student-teacher ratio at Buffalo Early Child. Sp. Ed Program is 16.7:1, which is 6% higher than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 6% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Buffalo Early Child. Sp. Ed Program?
34.4% of students at Buffalo Early Child. Sp. Ed Program are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Buffalo Early Child. Sp. Ed Program?
The largest demographic group at Buffalo Early Child. Sp. Ed Program is White at 88.0% of enrollment, in Buffalo, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Buffalo Early Child. Sp. Ed Program?
Buffalo Early Child. Sp. Ed Program has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 1 factor: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does Buffalo Early Child. Sp. Ed Program rank among schools in Buffalo?
By Resource Investment Index, Buffalo Early Child. Sp. Ed Program ranks #3 of 4 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 schools in Buffalo on the city page.
Is Buffalo Early Child. Sp. Ed Program a good school?
Buffalo Early Child. Sp. Ed Program earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota 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 Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools?
Besides Buffalo Early Child. Sp. Ed Program, Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools also operates Buffalo Senior High (1,681 students), Buffalo Community Middle (1,160 students), and Northwinds Elementary (419 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.