Enrollment
771
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 360585000382
West Hertel Elementary School — Buffalo, NY
Federal NCES profile for West Hertel Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 21/100.
👥 Class size 52
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Buffalo City School District · New York
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
63.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.9:1
vs 11.7:1 New York avg
+2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
92.4%
vs 56.2% New York avg
+64% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Hertel Elementary School compares with New York and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
West Hertel Elementary School reports 771 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 63.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 11.9:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 2% above the New York state mean of 11.7:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 25% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 92.4% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 64% above the New York average and 78% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 771 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 72.2% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Buffalo City School District spends $33,375 per pupil district-wide, above the New York average of $29,727 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 10.8% from local sources (property taxes), 62.7% from the state, and 26.5% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 21/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How West Hertel Elementary School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against New York state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs New York | New York avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.9:1 | ▲ 2% | 11.7:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 92.4% | ▲ 64% | 56.2% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 771 | top 85% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
92.4%
free-lunch eligible
— 64% 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
11.9:1
students per teacher
— 2% above state mean
Top 58% in New York — lower ratio than 42% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
72.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$33,375
per pupil, district-wide
— above New York avg of $29,727
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 771 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 59 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 771 Top 85% in New York — larger than 15% of 4,812 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 63.0
Students per teacher 11.9:1 +2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 92.4% +64% vs state
NCES ID 360585000382
Student demographics
African American 45.1%
Hispanic or Latino 20.4%
Asian 19.5%
White 11.2%
Two or More 3.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 45.1% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 771:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 72.2%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 59
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Buffalo City School District, which includes West Hertel Elementary School.
$33,375
Per student
+12%
vs New York
Avg $29,727
+71%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,140
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Enrollment
- 1,088
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Enrollment
- 933
- Students per teacher
- 11.4:1
- Enrollment
- 928
- Students per teacher
- 11.2:1
- Enrollment
- 862
- Students per teacher
- 10.3:1
Similar other schools in Buffalo
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Charter School for Applied Technologies
Standard public school
2,260 students 11.5:1 students per teacher
Kenmore West Senior High School
Standard public school
1,235 students 9.5:1 students per teacher
Tapestry Charter School
Standard public school
1,120 students 12.4:1 students per teacher
City Honors School
Standard public school
1,088 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
International School
Standard public school
933 students 11.4:1 students per teacher
Frederick Olmsted #156
Standard public school
928 students 11.2:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about West Hertel Elementary School
How many students attend West Hertel Elementary School?
West Hertel Elementary School has 771 students enrolled. It is a other school in BUFFALO, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Hertel Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at West Hertel Elementary School is 11.9:1, which is 2% higher than the New York average of 11.7:1 and 25% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at West Hertel Elementary School?
92.4% of students at West Hertel Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Hertel Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at West Hertel Elementary School is African American at 45.1%. The school serves a diverse student body in BUFFALO, NY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Hertel Elementary School?
West Hertel Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 21/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.