COMMUNITY SCHOOL #53

Set in BUFFALO, New York, COMMUNITY SCHOOL #53 is a mid-tier K-5 school, operated by BUFFALO CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT. It instructs 464 students across grades pre-K through 8.

COMMUNITY SCHOOL #53 is one of 61 schools operated by BUFFALO CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT, a district that caters to 29,425 students overall.

Demographically, COMMUNITY SCHOOL #53 shows that the largest single group is Black, at 66% of enrollment. The remainder reads as 14% Asian, 10% Hispanic, 6% White, 4% multiracial. By comparison, Erie County as a whole is about 13% Black, so the school skews considerably more Black than its surroundings.

Looking at the economic backdrop, On paper, COMMUNITY SCHOOL #53 has 49 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 9.5:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 12.8:1, putting COMMUNITY SCHOOL #53 tighter than the state norm the norm. Around 97% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. That share is north of Erie County's rate of about 51%.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, COMMUNITY SCHOOL #53 falls in the UNDERPERFORMING tier of the BeatsExpectations residual. Given its student profile, a typical campus would land near 39.2%; this one comes in at 12.5%, -26.7 points off the demographic line.

In the area at large, the surrounding county (Erie County) reports that median household income runs about $72,839, roughly 38% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 9%. Across Erie County's 226 public schools (combined enrollment of about 122,519 students), COMMUNITY SCHOOL #53 is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is PS 74 HAMLIN PARK - CLAUDE AND OUIDA CLAPP ACADEMY, roughly 0.4 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Among the 7 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), COMMUNITY SCHOOL #53 ranks 7th on composite proficiency, below the local average of 31.2%.

The school occupies an urban site.

Trend over the last 7 years. Over the past 7-year window, the student count grew 7%: 434 students in 2018 compared to 464 in 2025. Black enrollment moved from 81% to 66% across the same window. Class-load math has fell: from 11.4:1 in 2018 to 9.5:1 in 2025.

On this page, members of the COMMUNITY SCHOOL #53 community share and discuss classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. The community welcomes input from current and former families.