Enrollment
413
Wyoming · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Gillette, WY
Buffalo Ridge Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Buffalo Ridge Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 560147000546
👥 S:T ratio 41
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 17
📋 Attendance 39
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Buffalo Ridge Elementary earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of Wyoming schools.
- #7 of 12
- elementary schools in Gillette · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.8:1
- large classes for Wyoming
- 16.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Buffalo Ridge Elementary has class sizes larger than 87% of Wyoming schools. Computed live against every Wyoming school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Buffalo Ridge Elementary ranks #7 of 12 elementary schools in Gillette, WY.
School address
District: Campbell County School District #1 · Wyoming
NCES ID 560147000546 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.8:1
vs 11.4:1 Wyoming avg
+30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
16.3%
vs 27.4% Wyoming avg
-41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Buffalo Ridge Elementary compares with Wyoming and U.S. medians
What stands out at Buffalo Ridge Elementary
Buffalo Ridge Elementary is a lower-poverty, large elementary school in Gillette, Wyoming, enrolling 413 students.
Class loads run heavy: 14.8:1 is larger than about 87% of Wyoming schools and 30% above the 11.4:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 16.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 413 puts it in the larger third of Wyoming schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 347 scored Wyoming schools.
Against 85 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #36.
Its student body is predominantly White (86% of enrollment) (diversity index 26/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 413 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.5% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Campbell County School District #1 spends $17,006 per pupil, 24% below the Wyoming average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Gillette's elementary schools, it stands alongside Stocktrail Elementary (554 students): Buffalo Ridge Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.8:1 vs 16.3:1).
Campbell County School District #1 also operates Campbell County High School (1,212 students) and Thunder Basin High School (1,206 students) alongside Buffalo Ridge Elementary.
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 Ridge Elementary compares
Buffalo Ridge Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Wyoming and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Wyoming | Wyoming avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.8:1 | ▲ 30% | 11.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 16.3% | ▼ 41% | 27.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 413 | top 15% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.8:1
Leaner classes than 49% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
413
Bigger than 49% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
16.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% below the Wyoming average of 27.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.8:1
students per teacher
- 30% above state mean
Top 87% in Wyoming - lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
24.5%
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
$17,006
per pupil, district-wide
- below Wyoming avg of $22,313
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 413 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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 85.5%
Hispanic or Latino 9.0%
Two or More 2.4%
African American 1.2%
Asian 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: White at 85.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 26.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 26.0, Buffalo Ridge Elementary is less mixed than the Wyoming school average of 33.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Campbell County School District #1, which includes Buffalo Ridge Elementary.
$17,006
Per student
-24%
vs Wyoming
Avg $22,313
+2%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 58.0%
State 32.6%
Federal 9.4%
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 Ridge Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campbell County High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Thunder Basin High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Twin Spruce Junior High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sage Valley Junior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Stocktrail Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Buffalo Ridge Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,212
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 1,206
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 667
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 589
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 554
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar elementary schools in Gillette
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Stocktrail Elementary
Standard public school
554 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
Prairie Wind Elementary
Standard public school
404 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Lakeview Elementary
Standard public school
378 students 11.1:1 students per teacher
Hillcrest Elementary
Standard public school
370 students 11.6:1 students per teacher
Conestoga Elementary
Standard public school
348 students 10.5:1 students per teacher
Pronghorn Elementary
Standard public school
334 students 11.5:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Wyoming, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~413 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Buffalo Ridge Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Buffalo Ridge Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Campbell County School District #1'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 Ridge Elementary
How many students attend Buffalo Ridge Elementary?
Buffalo Ridge Elementary has 413 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Gillette, WY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Buffalo Ridge Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Buffalo Ridge Elementary is 14.8:1, which is 30% higher than the Wyoming average of 11.4:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Buffalo Ridge Elementary?
16.3% of students at Buffalo Ridge Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wyoming average of 27.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Buffalo Ridge Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Buffalo Ridge Elementary is White at 85.5% of enrollment, in Gillette, WY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Buffalo Ridge Elementary?
Buffalo Ridge Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 Ridge Elementary rank among elementary schools in Gillette?
By Resource Investment Index, Buffalo Ridge Elementary ranks #7 of 12 elementary schools in Gillette, WY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Gillette on the city page.
Is Buffalo Ridge Elementary a good school?
Buffalo Ridge Elementary earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of Wyoming 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 Campbell County School District #1?
Besides Buffalo Ridge Elementary, Campbell County School District #1 also operates Campbell County High School (1,212 students), Thunder Basin High School (1,206 students), and Twin Spruce Junior High School (667 students). See the Campbell County School District #1 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.