Enrollment
393
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Buffalo, MN
Tatanka Elementary Stem School
Federal NCES profile for Tatanka Elementary Stem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 270720001875
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 33
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Tatanka Elementary Stem School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median.
- #4 of 4
- elementary schools in Buffalo · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.1:1
- students per teacher
- 32.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Tatanka Elementary Stem School has class sizes near the Minnesota median. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Tatanka Elementary Stem School ranks #4 of 4 elementary schools in Buffalo, MN.
School address
District: Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools · Minnesota
NCES ID 270720001875 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.1:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
-17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
32.1%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
-25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Tatanka Elementary Stem School compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Tatanka Elementary Stem School
Tatanka Elementary Stem School is a mid-sized elementary school in Buffalo, Minnesota, enrolling 393 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of Minnesota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 32.1% of students eligible for free meals.
With 393 students, its enrollment sits close to the Minnesota median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Against 449 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #248.
Its student body is led by White (77%) and African American (8%) (diversity index 40/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools also operates Buffalo Senior High (1,681 students) and Buffalo Community Middle (1,160 students) alongside Tatanka Elementary Stem 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 Tatanka Elementary Stem School compares
Tatanka Elementary Stem School on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.1:1 | ▼ 17% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 32.1% | ▼ 25% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 393 | top 36% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.1:1
Leaner classes than 66% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
393
Bigger than 46% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
32.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 25% below the Minnesota average of 42.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
13.1:1
students per teacher
- 17% below state mean
Top 38% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 62% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
26.7%
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
$13,428
per pupil, district-wide
- below Minnesota avg of $15,270
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 28 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.4 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 76.6%
African American 8.1%
Two or More 6.9%
Hispanic or Latino 6.1%
Asian 1.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 76.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 39.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 39.8, Tatanka Elementary Stem School is less mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools, which includes Tatanka Elementary Stem School.
$13,428
Per student
-12%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.8%
State 62.8%
Federal 8.4%
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 Tatanka Elementary Stem School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Buffalo Community Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northwinds Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hanover Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Montrose Elementary School of Innov | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Tatanka Elementary Stem School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,681
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,160
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 419
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 368
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 363
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Minnesota, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~393 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Tatanka Elementary Stem School's federal record.
- Compare Tatanka Elementary Stem School against another school. Compare schools
- Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools'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 Tatanka Elementary Stem School
How many students attend Tatanka Elementary Stem School?
Tatanka Elementary Stem School has 393 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Buffalo, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Tatanka Elementary Stem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Tatanka Elementary Stem School is 13.1:1, which is 17% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 17% 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 Tatanka Elementary Stem School?
32.1% of students at Tatanka Elementary Stem School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Tatanka Elementary Stem School?
The largest demographic group at Tatanka Elementary Stem School is White at 76.6% of enrollment, in Buffalo, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Tatanka Elementary Stem School?
Tatanka Elementary Stem School has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Tatanka Elementary Stem School rank among elementary schools in Buffalo?
By Resource Investment Index, Tatanka Elementary Stem School ranks #4 of 4 elementary schools in Buffalo, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Buffalo on the city page.
Is Tatanka Elementary Stem School a good school?
Tatanka Elementary Stem School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota 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 Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools?
Besides Tatanka Elementary Stem School, Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools also operates Buffalo Senior High (1,681 students), Buffalo Community Middle (1,160 students), and Northwinds Elementary (419 students). See the Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools 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.