Buffalo Elementary - 02

Buffalo Elementary - 02 operates as a cozy elementary-level community in Buffalo, South Dakota, one of the schools within Harding County School District 31-1. Current enrollment sits at 101 students spanning grades K through 5. That puts it 50% below the typical public school in South Dakota, which averages around 204 students.

Within Harding County School District 31-1, which oversees 3 schools and 227 students, Buffalo Elementary - 02 is one campus in the system.

On the student-mix side, Buffalo Elementary - 02 records that nearly all students (95%) are White. Other groups include 3% multiracial. That mix tracks the wider county fairly closely.

Looking at school resources, On paper, Buffalo Elementary - 02 has 10 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 10.4:1. The state averages around 15.4:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. An estimated 26% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy.

After controlling for student poverty, Buffalo Elementary - 02 sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 52.5%; this one delivers 48.9%.

Across the wider county, census data for Harding County shows median household earnings sit near $80,441, 30% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 4%. Across Harding County's 5 public schools (combined enrollment of about 227 students), Buffalo Elementary - 02 is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Harding County High School - 01, roughly 0.0 miles away. 2 of the 2 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius.

Geographically, the school is in a rural area.

Five-year trend. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Buffalo Elementary - 02 has increased 28%, going from 79 students in 2018 to 101 in 2025.

Within the allk12 community for this school, the feed for Buffalo Elementary - 02 typically covers enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.