Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Elementary Schools

Best Elementary Schools
in BUFFALO CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT

This page covers 37 elementary schools in BUFFALO CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT. Rankings use a composite of neighborhood opportunity, class sizes, and per-student investment — signals available consistently from federal data across all US public schools. Schools in this district score below the national median on neighborhood opportunity. Use these rankings as a starting point; pair them with school visits and conversations with local parents before making any enrollment decision.

37
Schools Ranked
New York
State
None
Charter Schools
RankingsHow We RankFAQAbout Data

Elementary Schools Rankings

Showing 10 of 37
1
rank
PS 17
Grades PK–04309 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (8.8:1) · above-average investment ($34,113/student)
78
/100
Student:Teacher
8.8:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$34,113
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
91%
High economic need
2
rank
NORTH PARK COMMUNITY SCHOOL #50
Grades PK–04305 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (12.4:1) · above-average investment ($34,113/student)
66
/100
Student:Teacher
12.4:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
43/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$34,113
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
28%
Low economic need
3
rank
PS 64 FREDERICK LAW OLMSTED
Grades PK–04558 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (12.9:1) · above-average investment ($34,113/student)
65
/100
Student:Teacher
12.9:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
43/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$34,113
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
32%
Low economic need
4
rank
DISCOVERY SCHOOL
Grades PK–08543 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (11.1:1) · above-average investment ($34,113/student)
65
/100
Student:Teacher
11.1:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
40/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$34,113
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
48%
Near nat'l 52.2%
5
rank
HARVEY AUSTIN SCHOOL #97
Grades PK–08516 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (9.0:1) · above-average investment ($34,113/student)
65
/100
Student:Teacher
9.0:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
47/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$34,113
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
94%
High economic need
6
rank
HARRIET ROSS TUBMAN ACADEMY
Grades PK–08513 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (10.1:1) · above-average investment ($34,113/student)
64
/100
Student:Teacher
10.1:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
47/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$34,113
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
96%
High economic need
7
rank
BUILD COMMUNITY SCHOOL
Grades PK–08344 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (10.1:1) · above-average investment ($34,113/student)
64
/100
Student:Teacher
10.1:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
47/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$34,113
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
95%
High economic need
8
rank
PS 59 DR CHARLES DREW SCIENCE MAGNET
Grades PK–08620 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (11.1:1) · above-average investment ($34,113/student)
63
/100
Student:Teacher
11.1:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
47/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$34,113
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
93%
High economic need
9
rank
PS 69 HOUGHTON ACADEMY
Grades PK–08455 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (11.2:1) · above-average investment ($34,113/student)
63
/100
Student:Teacher
11.2:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
46/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$34,113
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
85%
High economic need
10
rank
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR #48
Grades PK–06401 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (10.7:1) · above-average investment ($34,113/student)
63
/100
Student:Teacher
10.7:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
47/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$34,113
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
94%
High economic need
27 more elementary schools in BUFFALO CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT not shown here.
View all schools in BUFFALO CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
How We Rank Elementary Schools

Each school receives a composite score (0–100) built from 4 federal data signals, weighted to reflect what matters most at the elementary school level. All signals are normalised against national benchmarks so a school's score reflects its standing across the entire US, not just within this district.

Neighborhood Opportunity
40%
Harvard Opportunity Atlas score for the school's neighbourhood. Higher means children from this area historically achieve stronger economic outcomes.
Student-Teacher Ratio
30%
Lower ratio = smaller classes = more individual attention per child. Normalised against national range.
Per-Pupil Expenditure
20%
Annual district spending per enrolled student from the NCES F-33 Finance Survey. Compared against national average.
Free Lunch Rate
10%
Percentage of students qualifying for free/reduced-price lunch. Used as a neighbourhood economic-context signal.
Test scores are excluded: they are not published as consistent open federal data across all states, making reliable cross-district comparison impossible with this signal alone.
District at a Glance
37
Elementary Schools
60
Total Schools
78
#1 Score
61
Avg Score
Top Ranked Elementary School
1
PS 17
Score: 78/100
Other School Levels
Compare BUFFALO CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT with neighbouring districts
⇄ Compare districts
Frequently Asked Questions
About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets: NCES Common Core of Data (enrollment, school characteristics, student-teacher ratios), NCES F-33 Finance Survey (per-pupil expenditure), Harvard Opportunity Atlas (neighbourhood opportunity scores). Federal data is published on an annual cycle and may not reflect the very latest school-year changes. Rankings reflect available data and should be used as a starting point — not a substitute for visiting schools or consulting district resources directly. What this ranking does not measure: teacher quality, classroom culture, extracurricular programmes, school safety, or parent and student satisfaction.