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Buffalo Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

624^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 661 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 6% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Buffalo Elementary in Buffalo, SC, serves approximately 483 students in grades PK-5 as part of the Union 01 school district, and it has experienced a significant decline in statewide ranking over the past decade, currently placing in the bottom 6% of South Carolina elementary schools.

The most striking feature of Buffalo Elementary is its exceptional attendance record. In the 2024-2025 school year, the school reported a chronic absenteeism rate of 0.0%—meaning every student showed up consistently. This is a remarkable achievement compared to nearby schools like Foster Park Elementary (25.1%), E. P. Todd School (30.2%), and the state average of 22.3%. This isn't a one-year fluke; Buffalo has maintained rates below 8% for five straight years. However, this strength hasn't translated into academic success. In 2025-2026, only 25.4% of 5th graders were proficient in English Language Arts (compared to the state average of 63.6%) and just 17.9% in math (state average: 49.1%). The school's performance has declined steadily for a decade, with the most dramatic drops occurring in recent years.

What makes this situation particularly puzzling is the comparison with nearby schools. Monarch Elementary, just 3.32 miles away in the same district, achieves dramatically better results—70.8% proficiency in 4th grade math versus Buffalo's 32.5%—despite having a chronic absenteeism rate of 13.9%. Similarly, Pacolet Elementary (13.91 miles away) reaches 79% proficiency in 3rd grade ELA. Buffalo spends $14,327 per student, which is competitive with or higher than these better-performing schools. The school does show one bright spot: 4th grade science proficiency (32.5%) actually exceeded the district average. While the challenges are significant, the perfect attendance record demonstrates a strong school culture that could serve as a foundation for improvement.

483

Students ?

13.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,327

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

733 Main Street
Buffalo, SC 29321

(864) 429-1730

District: Union 01

Students who attend Buffalo Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Sims Middle
High:	Union County High

Racial breakdown:

White:

45.3%

African American:

34.6%

Two or more races:

15.3%

See top rated South Carolina elementary schools

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At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 37th percentile in 2016 → 6th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the South Carolina average (32% vs 58% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (6th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 31 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school32%

District avg41%

South Carolina avg58%

624^th of 661

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 6%▼ down 31 pts since 2016

From bottom 37% (2016) to bottom 6% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 4Elementary Schools in the Union 01

65^th of 75Union 01 among South Carolina 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	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	10.5	624 of 661	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	10.3	599 of 639	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	12.5	577 of 643	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.5	528 of 644	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	23.7	476 of 625	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.8	486 of 622	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	28.3	467 of 643	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	26.6	468 of 624	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	31.2	445 of 639	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2016	37.7	393 of 619	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2015	50.3	308 of 638	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2014	40.5	412 of 630	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2013	52.1	320 of 599	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2012	59.8	256 of 594	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2011	47.0	357 of 597	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2010	38.1	409 of 589	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2009	33.2	426 of 580	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	61.7	232 of 577	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2007	66.5	179 of 566	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2006	51.8	305 of 559	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2005	50.6	306 of 557	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2004	49.7	316 of 550	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2003	56.0	260 of 542	52.0%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	7.0	380 of 384	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	11.6	370 of 380	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	15.8	350 of 369	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	28.6	313 of 394	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	41.3	226 of 393	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.9	220 of 350	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	17.0	389 of 421	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	16.9	391 of 412	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	10.8	155 of 156	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	6.8	144 of 147	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	14.9	133 of 143	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	10.3	171 of 174	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	11.6	146 of 151	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	17.0	106 of 122	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	22.9	159 of 189	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.4	140 of 161	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	12.6	554 of 599	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	14.3	526 of 580	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	16.4	498 of 568	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.7	436 of 580	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.8	456 of 573	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	17.9	463 of 554	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.9	438 of 588	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	28.5	425 of 570	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	12.8	601 of 634	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	12.0	578 of 612	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	15.4	541 of 602	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.7	470 of 608	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	31.7	425 of 600	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	31.5	414 of 580	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	34.3	423 of 600	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.6	409 of 588	30.4%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	8.4	569 of 591	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	8.4	558 of 585	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.8	531 of 571	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	16.0	504 of 582	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.8	438 of 579	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	24.2	427 of 561	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.1	450 of 590	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.3	451 of 571	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	8.6	437 of 463	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	5.7	447 of 459	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	7.2	430 of 446	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	7.8	444 of 463	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	9.2	430 of 455	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	7.0	424 of 439	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	17.8	411 of 472	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	14.5	420 of 457	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Female (2026)8th percentile~ school

White (2026)6th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)5th percentile~ school

Male (2026)4th percentile~ school

African American (2026)1st percentile-5 vs school

Disabled (2026)1st percentile-5 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts38%-26 vs state

Science32%-19 vs state

Mathematics27%-27 vs state

★

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Schools Near Buffalo Elementary

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				SC READY English Language Arts (2026)						SC READY Mathematics (2026)						SC READY Science (2026)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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 (2024)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SC READY English Language Arts 3rd Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 4th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 5th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 6th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 7th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 8th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 3rd Grade	SC READY Mathematics 4th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 5th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 6th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 7th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 8th Grade	SC READY Science 4th Grade	SC READY Science 6th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures: Total	Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Personnel Spending from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel from State and Local Funds	Sub-total Spending from State and Local Funds
Buffalo Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	733 Main Street	Buffalo	29321	Union County	Union 01	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 429-1730	483	36	13.4	100.0%	219 (45.3%)	167 (34.6%)	21 (4.3%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	74 (15.3%)	10.5	624^th of 661 public elementary schools	5.6%		10.3	599^th of 639 public elementary schools	6.3%	25	43.3	42.9	25.4				28.9	32.5	17.9				32.5		$14,327	$2,048	$1,389	$3,438	$9,106	$1,784	$10,890
Foster Park Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	901 Arthur Boulevard	Union	29379	Union County	Union 01	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 429-1737	430	30	14.3	100.0%	150 (34.9%)	222 (51.6%)	20 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (8.8%)	10.7	622^nd of 661 public elementary schools	5.9%		17.9	540^th of 639 public elementary schools	15.5%	82	38.9	38.2	45.3				33.4	27.9	31.3				13.2		$16,083	$2,685	$1,545	$4,230	$9,864	$1,989	$11,852
Monarch Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	218 Monarch School Drive	Union	29379	Union County	Union 01	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 429-1733	442	34	13.0	100.0%	279 (63.1%)	141 (31.9%)	15 (3.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.1%)	40.4	398^th of 661 public elementary schools	39.8%		46.2	334^th of 639 public elementary schools	47.7%	64	53.3	66.6	53.7				48.1	70.8	25.4				40.3		$13,860	$2,396	$1,311	$3,707	$8,349	$1,804	$10,152
Jonesville Elementary/Middle	Public	PK, KG-8	350 New Hope Church Road	Jonesville	29353	Union County	Union 01	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 674-5518	557	43	13.1	39.0%	355 (63.7%)	116 (20.8%)	19 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	66 (11.8%)	29.2	468^th of 661 public elementary schools	29.2%		32.7	430^th of 639 public elementary schools	32.7%	38	55.9	59.4	50.0	47.5	53.5	52.1	39.8	46.9	30.4	22.1	30.4	27.1	40.7	35.6	$13,495	$2,107	$1,485	$3,592	$8,174	$1,729	$9,903
Pacolet Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	150 McDowell Street	Pacolet	29372	Spartanburg County	Spartanburg 03	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 279-6500	429	27	15.8	100.0%	284 (66.2%)	70 (16.3%)	27 (6.3%)	6 (1.4%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (9.1%)	72.3	177^th of 661 public elementary schools	73.2%		75.9	154^th of 639 public elementary schools	75.9%	23	79.0	68.8	55.4				75.8	75.4	48.3				67.2		$16,799	$1,359	$1,992	$3,351	$11,095	$2,353	$13,448
Pauline-Glenn Springs Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2957 Highway 56	Pauline	29374	Spartanburg County	Spartanburg 06	No	No	No	No	(864) 583-1868	482	32	15.0	46.6%	414 (85.9%)	11 (2.3%)	35 (7.3%)	5 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.5%)	65	224^th of 661 public elementary schools	66.1%		72.9	181^st of 639 public elementary schools	71.7%	43	61.1	71.6	67.8				58.5	66.7	57.5				54.3		$12,801	$544	$41	$584	$10,828	$1,389	$12,217
Whitmire Community School (Elementary)	Public	PK, KG-5	2597 SC Highway 66	Whitmire	29178	Newberry County	Newberry 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 694-2320	250	20	12.6	100.0%	186 (74.4%)	34 (13.6%)	8 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (8.8%)	44.7	359^th of 661 public elementary schools	45.7%		61.7	245^th of 639 public elementary schools	61.7%	114	57.8	61.5	60.0				52.6	38.5	42.2				58.9		$14,884	$1,305	$1,703	$3,007	$8,949	$2,927	$11,876
School School for the Deaf Elementary/Middle	Public	PK, KG-8	355 Cedar Springs Road	Spartanburg	29302	Spartanburg County	Deaf & Blind School	No	No	No	No	(864) 577-7743	41	25	1.6	7.7%	11 (26.8%)	15 (36.6%)	6 (14.6%)	5 (12.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.4%)	3 (7.3%)								(n/a)
School School for the Blind Elementary/Middle	Public	PK, KG-8	355 Cedar Springs Road	Spartanburg	29302	Spartanburg County	Deaf & Blind School	No	No	No	No	(864) 577-7600	22	33	.6	15.0%	10 (45.5%)	6 (27.3%)	6 (27.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Goucher Charter Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	604 Goucher School	Gaffney	29340	Cherokee County	Limestone Charters Association	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(864) 210-9262	244	24	10.1	63.8%	208 (85.2%)	7 (2.9%)	11 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (6.1%)	42.6	380^th of 661 public elementary schools	42.5%		43.7	350^th of 639 public elementary schools	45.2%	30	66.7		70.0	47.0	44.2	45.9	66.6		36.7	20.6	17.7	16.2		41.2	$16,223	$696	$1,708	$2,404	$9,916	$3,903	$13,819

Frequently Asked Questions about Buffalo Elementary

Is Buffalo Elementary a good school?

Buffalo Elementary ranks in the bottom 5.6% of South Carolina elementary schools.

What district is Buffalo Elementary in?

Union 01

What schools do graduates of Buffalo Elementary attend?

Students who attend Buffalo Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Sims Middle
High : Union County High

What is the racial makeup of Buffalo Elementary?

Students at Buffalo Elementary are 45% White, 35% African American, 15% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic.

How many students attend Buffalo Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 483 students attended Buffalo Elementary.

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Latest South Carolina data All new data »

2025–26 EOCEP & SC READY test scoresAug 10, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataNov 3, 2025

2024–25 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesNov 3, 2025

2024–25 EOCEP & SC READY test scoresSep 2, 2025

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