Enrollment
431
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Buford, GA
Buford Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Buford Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 130060000275
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 14
📋 Attendance 72
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Buford Elementary School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Georgia median.
- #4 of 5
- schools in Buford · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.9:1
- students per teacher
- 26.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Buford Elementary School has class sizes near the Georgia median. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Buford Elementary School ranks #4 of 5 schools in Buford, GA.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.9:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
26.9%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
-56% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Buford Elementary School compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Buford Elementary School
Buford Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Buford, Georgia, enrolling 431 students.
At 13.9:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Georgia median, within a few percentage points of the 14.4:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 26.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 431 puts it in the smaller third of Georgia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,314 scored Georgia schools.
Among 135 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Georgia schools statewide, it ranks #113, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (49%) and Hispanic or Latino (26%) (diversity index 67/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 431 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
11.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Buford's public schools, it stands alongside Ivy Creek Elementary School (1,507 students): Buford Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.9:1 vs 15.7:1).
Buford City also operates Buford High School (1,966 students) and Buford Middle School (1,426 students) alongside Buford Elementary 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 Buford Elementary School compares
Buford Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Georgia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Georgia | Georgia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.9:1 | ▼ 3% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 26.9% | ▼ 56% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 431 | top 78% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.9:1
Leaner classes than 58% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
431
Bigger than 52% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
26.9%
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
13.9:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 47% in Georgia - lower ratio than 53% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
11.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 431 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.9 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 49.0%
Hispanic or Latino 26.2%
African American 10.7%
Asian 8.6%
Two or More 5.6%
Largest group: White at 49.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.9, Buford Elementary School is more mixed than the Georgia school average of 50.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Buford City, which includes Buford Elementary School.
$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 Elementary School 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 Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Buford Elementary School'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
- 816
- Students per teacher
- 9.2:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
Similar other schools in Buford
4 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Ivy Creek Elementary School
Standard public school
1,507 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Patrick Elementary School
Standard public school
999 students 17.2:1 students per teacher
Friendship Elementary School
Standard public school
673 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Harmony Elementary School
Standard public school
614 students 13.1:1 students per teacher
Similar other 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 (~431 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Buford Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Buford Elementary School 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 Elementary School
How many students attend Buford Elementary School?
Buford Elementary School has 431 students enrolled. It is a public school in Buford, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Buford Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Buford Elementary School is 13.9:1, which is 3% lower than the Georgia average of 14.4:1 and 11% 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 Elementary School?
26.9% of students at Buford Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Buford Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Buford Elementary School is White at 49.0% of enrollment, in Buford, GA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Buford Elementary School?
Buford Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (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 Buford Elementary School rank among schools in Buford?
By Resource Investment Index, Buford Elementary School ranks #4 of 5 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 schools in Buford on the city page.
Is Buford Elementary School a good school?
Buford Elementary School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Georgia 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 Buford City?
Besides Buford Elementary School, 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.