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Buffalo Elementary School

Q: Is Buffalo Elementary School a good school?

Buffalo Elementary School ranks 132 nd of 355 West Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

132^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 355 West Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 63% of West Virginia elementary schools

Summary

Buffalo Elementary School in Kenova, WV, is a mid-sized public school serving 402 students in grades PK-5 as part of the Wayne County Schools district. The school holds a 3-star rating and ranks in the 63rd percentile statewide, which is solidly above average but represents a decline from its historical top-quartile performance.

The school's biggest strength is mathematics, where 57.3% of students are proficient—well above both the district (37%) and state (39.4%) averages. This is especially impressive in 3rd grade, where 70.6% of students meet proficiency standards. However, there's a concerning "grade-level cliff": math proficiency drops by 25 percentage points between 3rd and 5th grade, with 5th graders falling below the district average. English Language Arts is also above state averages at 50.6% proficiency. The most remarkable story is special education: the school has rocketed from the 54th percentile statewide in 2023-2024 to the 98th percentile in 2025-2026, ranking 3rd out of 158 schools. This dramatic improvement suggests highly effective targeted interventions. Science remains a weak spot, with only 29.7% of 5th graders proficient—below both district and state averages, and notably lower than nearby Ceredo-Kenova Elementary (50.6%) and Kellogg Elementary (43.6%).

Compared to nearby schools, Buffalo outperforms most Wayne County peers in math and reading but trails the top Cabell County schools like Hite Saunders Elementary (84.5% math) and Meadows Elementary (60.8% math). The school spends $11,516 per student—less than several lower-performing schools—suggesting efficient resource use. However, the overall ranking has slipped from the 80th percentile (2017-2022) to the 63rd percentile recently, with a notable gender gap emerging: boys now perform much stronger than girls. While the special education success story is a point of pride, addressing the science gap and the upper-grade math decline will be critical to reversing the school's downward trajectory.

402

Students ?

14.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,568

Per pupil spending ?

43.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

331 Buffalo Creek Rd
Kenova, WV 25530-9611

(304) 429-2911

District: Wayne County Schools

Students who attend Buffalo Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Buffalo Middle School
High:	Spring Valley High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

93.3%

African American:

3.7%

Two or more races:

2.0%

See top rated West Virginia elementary schools

Compare Buffalo Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 89th percentile in 2018 → 63rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the West Virginia average (50% vs 44% meeting standards)

✓Above the West Virginia median (63rd percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped from its 89th-percentile peak (2018) to 63rd (2026)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school50%

District avg41%

West Virginia avg44%

132^nd of 355

West Virginia public elementary schools ?

Top 37%▲ up 13 pts since 2016

From top 50% (2016) to top 37% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of West Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 9Elementary Schools in the Wayne County Schools

25^th of 55Wayne County Schools among West Virginia 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	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	58.2	132 of 355	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	58.5	132 of 355	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	60.5	126 of 368	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	72.6	73 of 368	80.2%	★★★★☆
2022	71.3	72 of 375	80.8%	★★★★☆
2021	68.1	85 of 380	77.6%	★★★★☆
2019	72.3	77 of 383	79.9%	★★★★☆
2018	81.5	42 of 392	89.3%	★★★★☆
2017	71.5	86 of 399	78.4%	★★★★☆
2016	51.3	200 of 402	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2015	33.5	310 of 408	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	36.9	305 of 422	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	44.2	245 of 428	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2012	52.4	181 of 426	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2011	71.6	67 of 426	84.3%	★★★★☆
2010	72.4	67 of 427	84.3%	★★★★☆
2009	59.6	151 of 420	64.0%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2017	72.8	18 of 187	90.4%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2017	79.8	12 of 75	84.0%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2022	57.8	42 of 154	72.7%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	47.6	157 of 300	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	64.4	85 of 302	71.9%	★★★★☆
2024	64.7	85 of 316	73.1%	★★★★☆
2023	83.4	30 of 317	90.5%	★★★★★
2022	66.3	88 of 325	72.9%	★★★★☆
2021	67.1	79 of 322	75.5%	★★★★☆
2019	66.4	86 of 339	74.6%	★★★★☆
2018	73.9	63 of 366	82.8%	★★★★☆
2017	59.0	136 of 381	64.3%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	56.0	122 of 315	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	50.8	149 of 328	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	60.7	101 of 336	69.9%	★★★★☆
2023	57.9	114 of 333	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	65.8	76 of 347	78.1%	★★★★☆
2021	48.3	163 of 335	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	83.5	25 of 368	93.2%	★★★★★
2017	76.0	59 of 382	84.6%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	67.5	80 of 303	73.6%	★★★★☆
2025	51.2	150 of 305	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.8	149 of 325	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	59.4	109 of 322	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	68.6	70 of 330	78.8%	★★★★☆
2021	67.8	76 of 333	77.2%	★★★★☆
2019	72.2	71 of 338	79.0%	★★★★☆
2018	83.5	32 of 364	91.2%	★★★★★
2017	74.5	62 of 382	83.8%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2017	48.0	109 of 218	50.0%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	96.3	3 of 165	98.2%	★★★★★
2025	61.9	46 of 171	73.1%	★★★★☆
2024	48.6	85 of 183	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.1	48 of 180	73.3%	★★★★☆
2019	65.9	41 of 185	77.8%	★★★★☆
2018	85.1	16 of 258	93.8%	★★★★★
2017	65.2	56 of 377	85.1%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	57.2	130 of 353	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	58.1	133 of 353	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.9	128 of 367	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	71.5	79 of 366	78.4%	★★★★☆
2022	70.9	76 of 373	79.6%	★★★★☆
2021	67.4	87 of 376	76.9%	★★★★☆
2019	70.5	80 of 373	78.6%	★★★★☆
2018	80.5	46 of 374	87.7%	★★★★☆
2017	68.5	91 of 382	76.2%	★★★★☆

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)

Special Education (2026)98th percentile+35 vs school

African American (2017)90th percentile+12 vs school

Asian (2017)84th percentile+6 vs school

Male (2026)74th percentile+11 vs school

Disabled (2022)73rd percentile-8 vs school

White (2026)63rd percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)61st percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2017)50th percentile-28 vs school

Female (2026)48th percentile-15 vs school

By subject vs West Virginia (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics57%+18 vs state

English Language Arts51%+3 vs state

Science30%-5 vs state

★

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Schools Near Buffalo Elementary School

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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)				WV Assessment Mathematics (2026)				WV Assessment English Language Arts (2026)				WV Assessment 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 (2021)	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	WV Assessment Mathematics 3rd Grade	WV Assessment Mathematics 4th Grade	WV Assessment Mathematics 5th Grade	WV Assessment Mathematics All Grades	WV Assessment English Language Arts 3rd Grade	WV Assessment English Language Arts 4th Grade	WV Assessment English Language Arts 5th Grade	WV Assessment English Language Arts All Grades	WV Assessment 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	331 Buffalo Creek Rd	Kenova	25530	Wayne County	Wayne County Schools	No	No	No	No	(304) 429-2911	402	27	14.8	43.1%	375 (93.3%)	15 (3.7%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.0%)	58.2	132^nd of 355 public elementary schools	62.8%		58.5	132^nd of 355 public elementary schools	62.8%		70.6	59.2	45.3	57.3	51.0	53.1	48.4	50.6	29.7	$8,568	$667	$7,902
Kellogg Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4415 Piedmont Rd	Huntington	25704	Wayne County	Wayne County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(304) 429-4441	328	23	14.2	53.7%	297 (90.5%)	10 (3.0%)	5 (1.5%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.3%)	65	96^th of 355 public elementary schools	73.0%		76.1	59^th of 355 public elementary schools	83.4%	37	66.7	69.6	69.2	68.7	43.6	46.4	46.2	45.5	43.6	$9,087	$998	$8,089
Lavalette Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1150 Beech Fork Road	Lavalette	25535	Wayne County	Wayne County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(304) 525-3221	245	21	11.6	51.9%	232 (94.7%)	4 (1.6%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.8%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.6%)	35.1	254^th of 355 public elementary schools	28.5%		40.1	223^rd of 355 public elementary schools	37.2%	31	51.3	41.7	31.8	43.2	54.0	33.3	31.8	41.1	36.4	$10,328	$915	$9,414
Central City Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2100 Washington Ave	Huntington	25704	Wayne County	Cabell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(304) 528-5231	408	33	12.3	81.5%	313 (76.7%)	25 (6.1%)	13 (3.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (13.5%)	28.8	281^st of 355 public elementary schools	20.8%		34.5	249^th of 355 public elementary schools	29.9%	32	55.6	35.9	31.6	41.2	40.0	41.5	29.0	37.5	29.0	$12,284	$2,302	$9,982
Ceredo-Kenova Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1 Wonder Ln	Kenova	25530	Wayne County	Wayne County Schools	No	No	No	No	(304) 453-1521	632	37	17.0	44.7%	613 (97.0%)	11 (1.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (0.9%)	55.9	148^th of 355 public elementary schools	58.3%		62.3	110^th of 355 public elementary schools	69.0%	38	54.7	50.0	57.7	54.3	44.2	43.4	49.4	45.8	50.6	$8,129	$442	$7,687
Southside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	930 2nd St	Huntington	25701	Cabell County	Cabell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(304) 528-5168	387	28	13.8	42.9%	264 (68.2%)	59 (15.2%)	11 (2.8%)	3 (0.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (12.7%)	63.6	105^th of 355 public elementary schools	70.4%		57.2	139^th of 355 public elementary schools	60.8%	34	51.1	49.1	45.1	48.0	55.3	54.6	62.0	57.8	53.5	$9,954	$382	$9,572
Meadows Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1 Wildcat Way	Huntington	25701	Cabell County	Cabell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(304) 528-5166	251	18	13.9	41.6%	195 (77.7%)	23 (9.2%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (12.4%)	77.1	54^th of 355 public elementary schools	84.8%		73.9	64^th of 355 public elementary schools	82.0%	10	61.8	64.9	54.8	60.8	47.1	64.9	71.0	60.8	51.6	$10,144	$380	$9,764
Spring Hill Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1901 Hall Ave	Huntington	25701	Cabell County	Cabell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(304) 528-5175	381	35	10.8	78.4%	153 (40.2%)	159 (41.7%)	17 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (13.6%)	20.6	314^th of 355 public elementary schools	11.5%		21.1	315^th of 355 public elementary schools	11.3%	1	32.6	44.1	44.4	40.9	17.4	33.9	35.2	29.6	22.2	$12,971	$2,775	$10,196
Explorer Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	2901 Saltwell Rd	Huntington	25705	Cabell County	Cabell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(304) 528-5126	373	27	13.8	56.4%	262 (70.2%)	31 (8.3%)	7 (1.9%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	70 (18.8%)	45.7	190^th of 355 public elementary schools	46.5%		28.8	285^th of 355 public elementary schools	19.7%	95	53.3	35.7	47.6	44.8	40.0	46.4	54.8	46.9	38.1	$11,311	$1,885	$9,426
Hite Saunders Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3708 Green Valley Rd	Huntington	25701	Cabell County	Cabell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(304) 528-5132	225	17	13.2	37.3%	193 (85.8%)	7 (3.1%)	1 (0.4%)	5 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (8.4%)	93.3	10^th of 355 public elementary schools	97.2%		94.8	8^th of 355 public elementary schools	97.7%	2	80.0	81.3	93.3	84.5	51.4	75.0	90.0	71.1	86.7	$10,283	$441	$9,842

Frequently Asked Questions about Buffalo Elementary School

Is Buffalo Elementary School a good school?

Buffalo Elementary School ranks 132^nd of 355 West Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Buffalo Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Buffalo Middle School
High : Spring Valley High School

What district is Buffalo Elementary School in?

Wayne County Schools

What is the racial makeup of Buffalo Elementary School?

Students at Buffalo Elementary School are 93% White, 4% African American, 2% Two or more races.

How many students attend Buffalo Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 402 students attended Buffalo Elementary School.

Rate Buffalo Elementary School!

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Schools in Kenova, WV

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Latest West Virginia data All new data »

2019–20 through 2024–25 school spending dataAug 24, 2026

2025–26 WV Assessment scoresAug 12, 2026

2024–25 graduation ratesJan 9, 2026

2024–25 WV Assessment scoresAug 13, 2025

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