Enrollment
816
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Buford, GA
Buford Academy
Federal NCES profile for Buford Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 57/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 130060002345
👥 S:T ratio 63
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 18
📋 Attendance 77
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Buford Academy earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% of Georgia schools.
- #1 of 12
- public schools in Buford · Resource Index
- 57
- Resource Index · Higher
- 9.2:1
- small classes for Georgia
- 26.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Buford Academy has class sizes smaller than 96% of Georgia schools. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Buford Academy ranks #1 of 12 public schools in Buford, GA.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
89.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.2:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
-36% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
26.7%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
-56% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Buford Academy compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Buford Academy
Buford Academy is a mid-sized elementary school in Buford, Georgia, enrolling 816 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 9.2:1, Buford Academy is leaner than roughly 96% of Georgia schools and 36% under the state's 14.4:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 26.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 816 puts it in the larger third of Georgia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 94% of the 2,314 Georgia schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 346 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Georgia schools statewide, it ranks #9, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (44%) and Hispanic or Latino (30%) (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 408 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.1% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Buford's elementary schools, it stands alongside Buford Senior Academy (1,368 students): Buford Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (9.2:1 vs 27.9:1).
Buford City also operates Buford High School (1,966 students) and Buford Middle School (1,426 students) alongside Buford Academy.
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 Buford Academy compares
Buford Academy on the metrics families compare, against Georgia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Georgia | Georgia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 9.2:1 | ▼ 36% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 26.7% | ▼ 56% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 816 | top 31% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.2:1
Leaner classes than 92% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
816
Bigger than 86% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
26.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 56% below the Georgia average of 60.7%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
9.2:1
students per teacher
- 36% below state mean
Top 4% in Georgia - lower ratio than 96% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
9.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$12,863
per pupil, district-wide
- below Georgia avg of $13,863
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 408 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
22
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.6 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 44.2%
Hispanic or Latino 29.7%
Asian 10.5%
African American 9.9%
Two or More 5.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 44.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.3, Buford Academy is more mixed than the Georgia school average of 50.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Buford City, which includes Buford Academy.
$12,863
Per student
-7%
vs Georgia
Avg $13,863
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 56.3%
State 34.1%
Federal 9.6%
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 Buford Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buford High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Buford Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Buford Senior Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Buford Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Buford Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,966
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,426
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,368
- Students per teacher
- 27.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 431
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar elementary schools in Buford
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Georgia, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~816 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Buford Academy's federal record.
- Compare Buford Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Buford City'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 Buford Academy
How many students attend Buford Academy?
Buford Academy has 816 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Buford, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Buford Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Buford Academy is 9.2:1, which is 36% lower than the Georgia average of 14.4:1 and 41% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Buford Academy?
26.7% of students at Buford Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Buford Academy?
The largest demographic group at Buford Academy is White at 44.2% of enrollment, in Buford, GA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Buford Academy?
Buford Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 57/100 (higher 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 Buford Academy rank among public schools in Buford?
By Resource Investment Index, Buford Academy ranks #1 of 12 public schools in Buford, GA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Buford on the city page.
Is Buford Academy a good school?
Buford Academy earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% of Georgia 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 Buford City?
Besides Buford Academy, Buford City also operates Buford High School (1,966 students), Buford Middle School (1,426 students), and Buford Senior Academy (1,368 students). See the Buford City 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.