Enrollment
195
West Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 540120000918
Buffalo Elementary School — Buffalo, WV
Federal NCES profile for Buffalo Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 36/100.
👥 Class size 52
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 22
📋 Attendance 41
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: Putnam County Schools · West Virginia
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)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12:1
vs 13.7:1 West Virginia avg
-12% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Buffalo Elementary School compares with West Virginia 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 Elementary School reports 195 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 17.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 12:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 12% below the West Virginia state mean of 13.7:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 25% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Counselor coverage works out to roughly 390 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 23.6% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Putnam County Schools spends $14,128 per pupil district-wide, below the West Virginia average of $16,253 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 38.9% from local sources (property taxes), 48.4% from the state, and 12.8% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 Elementary School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against West Virginia state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs West Virginia | West Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12:1 | ▼ 12% | 13.7:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 195 | top 24% | — | — |
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.
Staffing depth
12:1
students per teacher
— 12% below state mean
Top 29% in West Virginia — lower ratio than 71% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
23.6%
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
$14,128
per pupil, district-wide
— below West Virginia avg of $16,253
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Per 390 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 195 Top 24% in West Virginia — larger than 76% of 648 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 17.0
Students per teacher 12:1 -12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 540120000918
Student demographics
White 96.9%
Hispanic or Latino 1.5%
Two or More 1.5%
Largest group: White at 96.9% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.5
Students per counselor 390:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 23.6%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 2
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Putnam County Schools, which includes Buffalo Elementary School.
$14,128
Per student
-13%
vs West Virginia
Avg $16,253
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 38.9%
State 48.4%
Federal 12.8%
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
- 1,141
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Enrollment
- 821
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Enrollment
- 743
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Enrollment
- 552
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Enrollment
- 534
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
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 Elementary School
How many students attend Buffalo Elementary School?
Buffalo Elementary School has 195 students enrolled. It is a other school in BUFFALO, WV.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Buffalo Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Buffalo Elementary School is 12:1, which is 12% lower than the West Virginia average of 13.7:1 and 25% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Buffalo Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Buffalo Elementary School is White at 96.9%. The school serves a student body in BUFFALO, WV.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Buffalo Elementary School?
Buffalo Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.