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What do you wish you knew before starting at Buchanan High School?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
561
High
DISTRICT 261 · STATE 460
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·BUCHANAN COMMUNITY SCHOOLS·NCES 260714004308
Buchanan High School
401 W CHICAGO ST, BUCHANAN, MI 49107 · (269) 695-8403 · Berrien County
GRADES 08–12HIGH31-TOWNTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL561 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
18.1:1
31 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 16.2:1 · STATE 21.6:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
41%
229 students
DISTRICT 60% · STATE 55%
Community
5
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 8 | 133 | 24% |
| Grade 9 | 101 | 18% |
| Grade 10 | 112 | 20% |
| Grade 11 | 104 | 19% |
| Grade 12 | 111 | 20% |
Student demographics
24%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 27% · STATE 56% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
School pathway
Feeds from
Based on grade levels within Buchanan Community Schools. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
50.4%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
48.2%
based on MI schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+2.2pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 50% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 48% typical for Michigan schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Michigan's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like Buchanan High School
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buchanan High School this school | 561 | 40.8% | 50.4% |
| Zemmer Campus 89 LAPEER | 628 | 41.4% | 42.9% |
| Corunna High School CORUNNA | 610 | 38.9% | 31.8% |
| Kingsford High School KINGSFORD | 566 | 38.0% | N/A |
| Gladwin High School GLADWIN | 486 | 40.1% | N/A |
| Grayling High School GRAYLING | 462 | 43.3% | N/A |
Matched among Michigan high schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Buchanan High School ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In Michigan | In Berrien County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 50.4% | #24 of 62 | N/A |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 561 | #268 of 844 | #4 of 19 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 18.1:1 | #241 of 548 | #9 of 11 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 24.4% | #300 of 550 | #10 of 11 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 40.8% | #386 of 654 | #12 of 15 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -1.4% | #426 of 436 | #10 of 10 |
Ranked against other public high schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
561
+73 (+15%) vs 2020
+13% since 1990-91, when it was 497
Student : Teacher
18.1:1
was 16.8:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 561 | 31 | 18.1:1 | 41% (229) |
| 2023-24 | 524 | 32.6 | 16.1:1 | 39% (205) |
| 2022-23 | 522 | 30.8 | 16.9:1 | 39% (201) |
| 2020-21 | 488 | 29 | 16.8:1 | 42% (203) |
| 2017-18 | 569 | 33.8 | 16.9:1 | 50% (282) |
| 2015-16 | 568 | 32 | 17.8:1 | 33% (187) |
| 2010-11 | 474 | 23 | 20.6:1 | 39% (185) |
| 2000-01 | 492 | 28 | 17.6:1 | 19% (92) |
| 1990-91 | 497 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Buchanan High School.
Since 2017-18: students down 1% (569 to 561); teachers down 8% (33.8 to 31).
About Buchanan High School
In BUCHANAN, Michigan, part of Berrien County, Buchanan High School is a high school. A total of 561 students attend the school, which covers grades 8 through 12. Against the 460-student average for high schools in Michigan, enrollment here is 22% higher.
Buchanan Community Schools enrolls 1,567 students in 6 schools, including Buchanan High School.
Most students at Buchanan High School are White: 87% of enrollment. The remaining students are 6% multiracial, 3% Hispanic, and 3% Black. Census figures show Berrien County is about 74% White. The chance that two students picked at random at Buchanan High School belong to different racial or ethnic groups, known as the diversity index, is 24%.
The teaching staff at Buchanan High School is 31 full-time-equivalent teachers, and the ratio is 18.1:1. The average ratio among high schools in Michigan is 21.6:1, higher than at this school. About 41% of students, or 229, qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. That is lower than the 55% average for public schools in Berrien County.
After adjusting for student poverty, Buchanan High School lands between the top and bottom 10% of Michigan schools. Its average proficiency rate on state tests is 50.4%; the prediction is 48.2%.
According to the American Community Survey, in Berrien County, median household income is about $65,425, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 31%, and about 11% of people live in poverty. Buchanan High School is one of 75 public schools in Berrien County, which together enroll about 21,027 students.
Buchanan Virtual Academy is located less than a tenth of a mile from Buchanan High School. Other public schools within five miles: 6. Buchanan High School comes in 1st of 4 nearby schools on average proficiency.
The National Center for Education Statistics classifies the school's location as Town: Fringe, meaning it is in a town close to an urbanized area.
Enrollment was 488 in 2020-21 and 561 in 2024-25, a increase of 73 students. Staffing shifted too: the ratio moved from 16.8:1 to 18.1:1.
Community posts for Buchanan High School can cover science fairs, picture day, and bus routes. Questions from prospective families are welcome too.
Berrien County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
153,288
Census ACS
Median income
$65,425
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
31%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
11%
Below federal line
Schools in county
75
21,027 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Buchanan Community Schools
- Buchanan Middle SchoolMiddle · 358 students
- Moccasin Elementary SchoolElementary · 354 students
- Ottawa Elementary SchoolElementary · 230 students
- Buchanan Virtual AcademyCombined · 49 students
- Buchanan Step UpCombined · 15 students
Other schools in BUCHANAN
- Buchanan Middle SchoolMiddle · 358 students
- Moccasin Elementary SchoolElementary · 354 students
- Ottawa Elementary SchoolElementary · 230 students
- Buchanan Virtual AcademyCombined · 49 students
- Buchanan Step UpCombined · 15 students
Other Buchanan High schools
One other US public school is named Buchanan High. Buchanan High School is the 2nd largest of the 2.
- Buchanan HighClovis, CA · 2,551 students
Nearby schools
- Buchanan Virtual Academy0.0 mi · 49
- Buchanan Step Up0.0 mi · 15
- Ottawa Elementary School0.4 mi · 230
- Moccasin Elementary School0.6 mi · 354
- Buchanan Middle School0.8 mi · 358
- Ballard Elementary School4.5 mi · 516
Frequently asked questions
About Buchanan High SchoolWhat is the total enrollment at Buchanan High School?
Buchanan High School enrolls approximately 561 students in grades 08-12.
What age range does Buchanan High School serve?
Buchanan High School serves students from grade 08 through grade 12.
How many students per teacher at Buchanan High School?
Approximately 18.1:1 students per teacher at Buchanan High School.
What is the student diversity at Buchanan High School?
Student demographics at Buchanan High School are roughly 87% White, 3% Hispanic, 3% Black, 1% Asian, 6% Two or more.
Is Buchanan High School public or private?
Buchanan High School is a public K-12 school, overseen by Buchanan Community Schools.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.