Enrollment
739
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Buffalo, NY
Ps 81
Federal NCES profile for Ps 81, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 20/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 360585000369
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ps 81 earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of New York schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most New York schools.
- #47 of 49
- schools in Buffalo · Resource Index
- 20
- Resource Index · Lower
- 13:1
- large classes for New York
- 77.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Ps 81 has class sizes larger than 71% of New York schools. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ps 81 ranks #47 of 49 schools in Buffalo, NY.
School address
District: Buffalo City School District · New York
NCES ID 360585000369 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
57.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
77.5%
vs 56.2% New York avg
+38% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ps 81 compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ps 81
Ps 81 is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Buffalo, New York, enrolling 739 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 13:1 puts it in the larger third of New York schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 77.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 739 puts it in the larger third of New York schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 96% of the 4,801 New York schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 659 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New York schools statewide, it ranks #535, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (41%) and Hispanic or Latino (17%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 75/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 739 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 76.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 26.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Buffalo City School District also operates Hutchinson Central Technical High School (1,140 students) and City Honors School (1,088 students) alongside Ps 81.
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 Ps 81 compares
Ps 81 on the metrics families compare, against New York and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs New York | New York avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13:1 | ▲ 10% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 77.5% | ▲ 38% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 739 | top 17% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13:1
Leaner classes than 67% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
739
Bigger than 82% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
77.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 38% above the New York average of 56.2%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 71% in New York - lower ratio than 29% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
76.7%
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
$24,652
per pupil, district-wide
- below New York avg of $26,410
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 739 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 80 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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
African American 41.1%
Hispanic or Latino 16.9%
White 16.6%
Asian 13.8%
Two or More 10.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 41.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 74.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 74.5, Ps 81 is more mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Buffalo City School District, which includes Ps 81.
$24,652
Per student
-7%
vs New York
Avg $26,410
+49%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 10.8%
State 62.7%
Federal 26.5%
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 Ps 81 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hutchinson Central Technical High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| City Honors School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| International School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Frederick Olmsted #156 | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mckinley Vocational High School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ps 81's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,140
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,088
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 933
- Students per teacher
- 10.8:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 928
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 862
- Students per teacher
- 9:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of New York, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~739 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ps 81's federal record.
- Compare Ps 81 against another school. Compare schools
- Buffalo City School District'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 Ps 81
How many students attend Ps 81?
Ps 81 has 739 students enrolled. It is a public school in Buffalo, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ps 81?
The student-teacher ratio at Ps 81 is 13:1, which is 10% higher than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 17% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ps 81?
77.5% of students at Ps 81 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ps 81?
The largest demographic group at Ps 81 is African American at 41.1% of enrollment, in Buffalo, NY. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 74.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ps 81?
Ps 81 has a Resource Investment Index of 20/100 (lower 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 Ps 81 rank among schools in Buffalo?
By Resource Investment Index, Ps 81 ranks #47 of 49 schools in Buffalo, NY. 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 Ps 81 a good school?
Ps 81 earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of New York schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most New York 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 Buffalo City School District?
Besides Ps 81, Buffalo City School District also operates Hutchinson Central Technical High School (1,140 students), City Honors School (1,088 students), and International School (933 students). See the Buffalo City School District 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.