Buffalo City School District

The Buffalo City School District encompasses 59 schools, including 37 elementary schools, 21 high schools, and 1 alternative school, serving students across a range of performance levels. While the district has several standout schools, there are also significant disparities in academic achievement and equity concerns that need to be addressed.

The top-performing schools in the district include City Honors School, which ranks 63rd out of 1,228 high schools in New York and has exceptional test scores and graduation rates. Other high-achieving elementary schools are North Park Community School #50 and Ps 64 Frederick Law Olmsted, both of which have strong test proficiency rates. However, many other schools in the district struggle with very low proficiency in English Language Arts and Math, often under 20%.

Equity is a major concern, as the lower-performing schools tend to serve higher percentages of minority and economically disadvantaged students. Additionally, chronic absenteeism is a crisis, with some schools reporting over 90% of students chronically absent. The wide range in per-student spending and student-teacher ratios across the district suggests unequal resource allocation. Addressing these systemic issues will be crucial for improving outcomes and ensuring all students in the Buffalo City School District have access to a high-quality education.