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Buffalo Elementary School

Q: Is Buffalo Elementary School a good school?

Buffalo Elementary School ranks 285 th of 576 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

285^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 576 Iowa Elementary Schools

Better than 51% of Iowa elementary schools

Summary

Buffalo Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 276 students in grades PK-6 in Buffalo, Iowa, which is part of the Davenport Community School District. The school consistently outperforms the district and state on standardized test scores, with 71% of 3rd graders proficient or better in English Language Arts compared to 52% for the district and 67.9% for the state.

However, Buffalo Elementary School has higher chronic absenteeism rates ranging from 15.4% to 42.5% over the past few years, which is an area of concern. The school also has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 41.58% to 47.99%, suggesting a higher proportion of students from low-income families. Interestingly, some nearby schools, such as Blue Grass Elementary, also have strong academic performance and lower chronic absenteeism rates, indicating that factors beyond just the school district may contribute to a school's success.

Despite its strong academic performance, Buffalo Elementary School's statewide ranking has declined over the past several years, from 300 out of 603 Iowa elementary schools in 2018-2019 to 285 out of 576 in 2024-2025. The school should investigate the underlying causes of this trend and work to address the high chronic absenteeism rates, which may be impacting student learning and academic performance. Additionally, the school may need to provide additional support and resources to address the needs of students from low-income families.

242

Students ?

12.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,581

Per pupil spending ?

43.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1000 Jefferson Street
Buffalo, IA 52728

(563) 723-6300

District: Davenport Community School District

Students who attend Buffalo Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Walcott Middle School
High:	West High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

83.9%

Hispanic:

7.4%

Two or more races:

5.4%

See top rated Iowa elementary schools

Compare Buffalo Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 25th percentile in 2015 → 51st in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 26 percentile points since 2015

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Davenport Community School District

✓Above the Iowa median (51st percentile)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school73%

District avg54%

Iowa avg71%

285^th of 576

Iowa public elementary schools ?

Top 49%▲ up 26 pts since 2015

From bottom 25% (2015) to top 49% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 15Elementary Schools in the Davenport Community School District

297^th of 313Davenport Community School District among Iowa districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Iowa percentile	Rating
2025	56.0	285 of 576	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.4	306 of 557	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	44.1	372 of 565	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	50.1	330 of 574	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	37.1	404 of 567	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	54.9	300 of 603	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.6	331 of 567	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2017	48.9	360 of 574	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2016	42.1	419 of 599	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2015	36.9	465 of 616	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	49.4	377 of 603	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2013	52.7	351 of 624	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2012	66.6	195 of 626	68.8%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics74%~ state avg

English Language Arts72%~ state avg

Science72%+8 vs state

1.0

1 rating

5★0

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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Schools Near Buffalo Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				ISASP English Language Arts (2025)			ISASP Mathematics (2025)			ISASP Science (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ISASP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 4th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 5th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 3rd Grade	ISASP Mathematics 4th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 5th Grade	ISASP Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Buffalo Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1000 Jefferson Street	Buffalo	52728	Scott County	Davenport Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(563) 723-6300	242	20	12.0	43.8%	203 (83.9%)	6 (2.5%)	18 (7.4%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (5.4%)	56	285^th of 576 public elementary schools	50.5%		53.4	306^th of 557 public elementary schools	45.1%	21	71.0	71.4	74.4	77.4	74.3	71.8	71.8	$14,581	$537	$14,044
Blue Grass Elementary School	Public	K-5	226 Sycamore St	Blue Grass	52726	Scott County	Davenport Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(563) 723-6200	277	18	15.2	23.1%	246 (88.8%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	12 (4.3%)	67.1	197^th of 576 public elementary schools	65.8%		65.6	194^th of 557 public elementary schools	65.2%	3	72.0	84.0	77.1	86.0	76.0	72.9	75.0	$14,372	$537	$13,835
Jackson Elementary School	Public	K-5	1307 Wisconsin	Davenport	52804	Scott County	Davenport Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(563) 723-6650	322	27	12.0	56.8%	163 (50.6%)	65 (20.2%)	57 (17.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	33 (10.2%)	10.5	528^th of 576 public elementary schools	8.3%		9.9	515^th of 557 public elementary schools	7.5%	13	53.7	56.5	55.4	56.1	45.7	43.1	44.6	$15,133	$1,042	$14,091
Hayes Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	622 S Concord St	Davenport	52802	Scott County	Davenport Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(563) 723-6600	377	31	12.0	63.9%	198 (52.5%)	55 (14.6%)	74 (19.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	47 (12.5%)	7.8	537^th of 576 public elementary schools	6.8%		5.7	530^th of 557 public elementary schools	4.8%	7	34.0	69.1	29.2	52.0	58.2	30.8	30.8	$15,204	$1,477	$13,727
Wilson Elementary School	Public	K-5	2002 N Clark St	Davenport	52804	Scott County	Davenport Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(563) 723-6950	507	38	13.2	53.5%	248 (48.9%)	70 (13.8%)	102 (20.1%)	8 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	79 (15.6%)	21.1	489^th of 576 public elementary schools	15.1%		12.2	500^th of 557 public elementary schools	10.2%	11	61.9	64.0	43.8	71.4	59.3	57.5	47.9	$15,287	$1,058	$14,230
Jefferson Elementary School	Public	K-5	1027 Marquette St	Davenport	52804	Scott County	Davenport Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(563) 723-6700	384	35	10.8	71.1%	69 (18.0%)	156 (40.6%)	81 (21.1%)	4 (1.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	72 (18.8%)	0.2	575^th of 576 public elementary schools	0.2%		0.2	557^th of 557 public elementary schools	0.0%	18	25.0	30.2	15.7	35.3	26.4	21.4	21.4	$15,390	$2,055	$13,335
Adams Elementary School	Public	K-5	3029 N Division Street	Davenport	52804	Scott County	Davenport Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(563) 723-6100	498	36	13.7	57.2%	203 (40.8%)	142 (28.5%)	78 (15.7%)	7 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	68 (13.7%)	11.2	525^th of 576 public elementary schools	8.9%		8.9	518^th of 557 public elementary schools	7.0%	7	47.3	45.2	55.1	44.0	50.0	55.1	55.1	$13,120	$537	$12,583
Walcott Elementary School	Public	K-5	545 E James St	Walcott	52773	Scott County	Davenport Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(563) 445-5200	150	11	13.5	52.0%	133 (88.7%)	1 (0.7%)	6 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	9 (6.0%)	48.2	342^nd of 576 public elementary schools	40.6%		52	317^th of 557 public elementary schools	43.1%	25	57.6	75.0	60.7	60.6	90.0	78.6	78.6	$22,654	$537	$22,117
Madison Elementary School	Public	K-5	116 E Locust St	Davenport	52803	Scott County	Davenport Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(563) 723-6750	318	27	11.6	80.5%	71 (22.3%)	128 (40.3%)	50 (15.7%)	2 (0.6%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	64 (20.1%)	0.1	576^th of 576 public elementary schools	0.0%		1.7	552^nd of 557 public elementary schools	0.9%	24	24.1	32.7	8.9	33.3	25.5	11.1	13.3	$14,452	$1,463	$12,988
Truman Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5506 N Pine	Davenport	52806	Scott County	Davenport Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(563) 723-6900	434	34	12.6	58.3%	185 (42.6%)	110 (25.3%)	57 (13.1%)	16 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	64 (14.7%)	15.8	502^nd of 576 public elementary schools	12.8%		16.3	484^th of 557 public elementary schools	13.1%	18	41.4	64.3	52.7	44.3	64.3	52.7	56.4	$15,146	$537	$14,609

Frequently Asked Questions about Buffalo Elementary School

Is Buffalo Elementary School a good school?

Buffalo Elementary School ranks 285^th of 576 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Buffalo Elementary School in?

Davenport Community School District

How many students attend Buffalo Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 242 students attended Buffalo Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Buffalo Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Buffalo Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Walcott Middle School
High : West High School

What is the racial makeup of Buffalo Elementary School?

Students at Buffalo Elementary School are 84% White, 7% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 2% African American.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Iowa Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.