High Schools in Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools

The Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools district in Minnesota is home to two high schools: Buffalo Senior High and Phoenix Learning Center. While Buffalo Senior High is the larger and higher-performing of the two, the data reveals notable differences in their academic achievement, graduation rates, student demographics, and socioeconomic factors.

Buffalo Senior High stands out as the district's standout school, with a significantly larger student population of 1,818 and a higher statewide ranking of 3-4 stars out of 5 on SchoolDigger. The school's proficiency rates in MCA-III Math, Reading, and Science are generally on par with or slightly below the district and state averages, and it boasts a strong 91.2% four-year graduation rate and a relatively low 2.3% dropout rate. In contrast, Phoenix Learning Center has a much smaller student body of 33 and consistently ranks in the bottom quartile of Minnesota high schools, with a lower four-year graduation rate of 64.2% and a higher dropout rate of 7.1%.

The demographic composition of the two schools also varies, with Buffalo Senior High having a predominantly white student population (87.84%) and Phoenix Learning Center serving a more diverse student body. Additionally, the free and reduced lunch rate at Phoenix Learning Center (48.48%) is significantly higher than the 23.49% rate at Buffalo Senior High, indicating that the former serves a more economically disadvantaged student population.