Is Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element a good school?

Yes. Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element ranks in the top 5.4% of Minnesota elementary schools.

How many students attend Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element?

In the 2022-23 school year, 201 students attended Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element.

What is the racial makeup of Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element?

Students at Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element are 81% White, 14% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element attend?

Students who attend Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element usually go on to attend: High : Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Seconda

Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element

Summary:

Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element is an elementary school located in Hector, Minnesota, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 201 students. This school is part of the GFW Public Schools district, which is ranked 234 out of 463 districts in the state.

Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in Minnesota, with a statewide ranking between 48 and 210 out of 881 schools in recent years. The school has maintained a 4 or 5-star rating from SchoolDigger, indicating strong academic performance. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school's proficiency rates in Math (78.13%), Reading (69.79%), and Science (67.74%) for all grades are significantly higher than the state averages. Additionally, the school has shown exceptional performance for specific student subgroups, such as male students and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, ranking 6th out of 826 Minnesota elementary schools for male students and 3rd out of 793 schools for low socioeconomic status students.

When compared to nearby schools, Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element stands out as a high-performing institution. While Cedar Mountain Elementary and BOLD-Bird Island Elementary are also respectable schools, Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element consistently outperforms them in academic proficiency rates. The Hutchinson-area schools, such as Hutchinson Park Elementary, Hutchinson Tiger Elementary, and Hutchinson West Elementary, while having good academic performance, do not consistently outperform Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

220 3rd St W
Hector, MN 55342-8888

(320) 848-2233

District: Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart

SchoolDigger Rank:
48^th of 881 Minnesota Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,748

Students who attend Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element usually attend:

High:

Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Seconda

Student/teacher ratio: 12.4

Number of students: 201

Racial breakdown:

White:

81.1%

Hispanic:

13.9%

Two or more races:

4.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 60.7%

See top rated Minnesota elementary schools

Compare Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element ranks better than 94.6% of elementary schools in Minnesota. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 89.46. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (81.1%), Hispanic (13.9%), two or more races (4.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 60.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element is 12.4. (See more...)

Compare Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element employs 16.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element is $14,748.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element:

SchoolDigger ranks Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element 48^th of 881 Minnesota public elementary schools. (See Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart:

SchoolDigger ranks Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart 234^th of 463 Minnesota school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element?

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Rank History for Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element

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Rank History for all students at Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2003	56.82	343^rd	674	49.1%
2004	47.48	427^th	676	36.8%
2005	69.74	192^nd	685	72.0%
2006	76.72	123^rd	756	83.7%
2007	66.08	256^th	777	67.1%
2008	48.11	504^th	781	35.5%
2010	63.14	330^th	803	58.9%
2011	80.00	90^th	814	88.9%
2012	81.96	67^th	820	91.8%
2013	51.55	479^th	824	41.9%
2014	61.21	371^st	826	55.1%
2015	79.19	120^th	840	85.7%
2016	84.67	54^th	848	93.6%
2017	89.83	14^th	853	98.4%
2018	81.10	113^th	847	86.7%
2019	81.71	116^th	870	86.7%
2021	73.49	210^th	869	75.8%
2022	74.67	198^th	858	76.9%
2023	78.99	155^th	845	81.7%
2024	89.46	48^th	881	94.6%

See the entire list of Minnesota Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	83.18	53^rd	728	92.7%
2019	84.52	45^th	740	93.9%
2021	87.79	38^th	683	94.4%
2022	66.37	185^th	663	72.1%
2023	91.40	21^st	774	97.3%
2024	97.54	3^rd	793	99.6%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	78.30	124^th	774	84.0%
2019	80.65	98^th	787	87.5%
2021	63.49	299^th	783	61.8%
2022	62.16	331^st	799	58.6%
2023	67.32	266^th	787	66.2%
2024	75.90	164^th	809	79.7%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	80.66	103^rd	779	86.8%
2019	78.98	119^th	798	85.1%
2021	74.51	165^th	784	79.0%
2022	79.00	130^th	808	83.9%
2023	83.06	95^th	799	88.1%
2024	95.76	6^th	826	99.3%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	74.58	136^th	712	80.9%
2019	74.50	139^th	722	80.7%
2021	60.53	253^rd	710	64.4%
2022	64.37	235^th	725	67.6%
2023	69.45	178^th	712	75.0%
2024	84.56	55^th	730	92.5%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Minnesota Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Minnesota Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1994	350	0	0	15	1	n/a	n/a	0	366
1995	341	0	0	25	0	n/a	n/a	0	366
1996	341	0	0	25	0	n/a	n/a	0	366
1997	333	0	0	25	0	n/a	n/a	0	358
1998	303	0	0	27	1	n/a	n/a	3	334
1999	239	0	0	26	1	n/a	n/a	0	266
2000	242	0	1	32	1	n/a	n/a	0	276
2001	223	0	1	32	1	n/a	n/a	0	257
2002	191	0	1	26	1	n/a	n/a	0	219
2003	191	0	1	26	1	n/a	n/a	0	219
2004	186	2	3	38	0	n/a	n/a	0	229
2005	204	4	4	44	0	n/a	n/a	0	256
2006	195	4	0	47	0	n/a	n/a	0	246
2007	199	3	2	35	3	n/a	n/a	0	242
2008	229	3	3	37	2	n/a	n/a	0	274
2009	233	1	5	46	2	n/a	n/a	0	287
2010	232	0	6	46	2	n/a	n/a	0	286
2011	222	0	3	47	0	0	7	0	279
2012	230	0	4	35	0	0	6	0	275
2013	232	0	3	42	0	0	7	0	284
2014	244	0	4	45	0	0	9	0	302
2015	232	0	2	38	0	1	7	0	280
2016	207	0	2	46	0	0	6	0	261
2017	214	2	0	33	0	0	7	0	256
2018	213	0	0	26	0	0	8	0	247
2019	199	0	0	19	0	0	11	0	229
2020	190	0	0	21	0	0	11	0	222
2021	163	1	0	27	0	0	11	0	202
2022	169	1	0	36	0	0	10	0	216
2023	163	1	0	28	0	0	9	0	201

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1994	366	17.2	21.3	12.6
1995	366	20.7	17.7	19.4
1996	366	20.7	17.7	19.4
1997	358	20.6	17.4	16.5
1998	334	n/a	0.0	19.9
1999	266	23.1	11.5	22.9
2000	276	20.8	13.3	37.7
2001	257	18.3	14.0	37
2002	219	19.3	11.3	39.3
2003	219	19.3	11.3	39.3
2004	229	20.4	11.2	42.8
2005	256	19.3	13.3	44.5
2006	246	19.0	12.9	42.3
2007	242	18.8	12.9	42.6
2008	274	18.0	15.2	40.5
2009	287	21.8	13.2	40.8
2010	286	23.1	12.3	49.3
2011	279	21.7	12.8	44.1
2012	275	20.1	13.6	47.3
2013	284	20.1	14.0	41.5
2014	302	21.5	14.0	42.4
2015	280	21.0	13.3	49.3
2016	261	20.0	13.0	44.8
2017	256	21.2	12.0	47.3
2018	247	19.8	12.4	46.2
2019	229	20.8	10.9	43.7
2020	222	20.8	10.6	44.6
2021	202	16.6	12.1	38.6
2022	216	17.0	12.6	37.5
2023	201	16.2	12.4	60.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1994	366	17.2	21.3	12.6
1995	366	20.7	17.7	19.4
1996	366	20.7	17.7	19.4
1997	358	20.6	17.4	16.5
1998	334	n/a	0.0	19.9
1999	266	23.1	11.5	22.9
2000	276	20.8	13.3	37.7
2001	257	18.3	14.0	37
2002	219	19.3	11.3	39.3
2003	219	19.3	11.3	39.3
2004	229	20.4	11.2	42.8
2005	256	19.3	13.3	44.5
2006	246	19.0	12.9	42.3
2007	242	18.8	12.9	42.6
2008	274	18.0	15.2	40.5
2009	287	21.8	13.2	40.8
2010	286	23.1	12.3	49.3
2011	279	21.7	12.8	44.1
2012	275	20.1	13.6	47.3
2013	284	20.1	14.0	41.5
2014	302	21.5	14.0	42.4
2015	280	21.0	13.3	49.3
2016	261	20.0	13.0	44.8
2017	256	21.2	12.0	47.3
2018	247	19.8	12.4	46.2
2019	229	20.8	10.9	43.7
2020	222	20.8	10.6	44.6
2021	202	16.6	12.1	38.6
2022	216	17.0	12.6	37.5
2023	201	16.2	12.4	60.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$14,748

Data source: Minnesota Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 116^th of 870 Elementary schools	Ranks 155^th of 845 Elementary schools	5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Math (Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element)	77.8	79.4	1.6%
3rd Grade Math (Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart)	77.8	79.4	1.6%
3rd Grade Math (Minnesota)	65.6	59.1	6.5%
3rd Grade Reading (Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element)	80.6	61.8	18.8%
3rd Grade Reading (Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart)	80.6	61.8	18.8%
3rd Grade Reading (Minnesota)	54.6	47.4	7.2%
4th Grade Math (Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element)	77.5	87.1	9.6%
4th Grade Math (Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart)	77.5	87.1	9.6%
4th Grade Math (Minnesota)	63.9	57.1	6.8%
4th Grade Reading (Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element)	60	80.7	20.7%
4th Grade Reading (Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart)	60	80.7	20.7%
4th Grade Reading (Minnesota)	55.4	48.4	7.1%
5th Grade Math (Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element)	87.2	53.9	33.3%
5th Grade Math (Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart)	87.2	53.9	33.3%
5th Grade Math (Minnesota)	52	44.4	7.6%
5th Grade Reading (Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element)	79.5	64.1	15.4%
5th Grade Reading (Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart)	79.5	64.1	15.4%
5th Grade Reading (Minnesota)	65.8	58.7	7%
5th Grade Science (Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element)	66.7	48.7	18%
5th Grade Science (Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart)	66.7	48.7	18%
5th Grade Science (Minnesota)	54.9	48.4	6.5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	229	201	12.2%
African American	0	1
American Indian	0	0
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	19	28	47.4%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	199	163	18.1%
Two or More Races	11	9	18.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	43.7%	60.7%	17%

Schools Near Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				MCA-III Math (2024)						MCA-III Reading (2024)						MCA-III Science (2024)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCA-III Math 3rd Grade	MCA-III Math 4th Grade	MCA-III Math 5th Grade	MCA-III Math 6th Grade	MCA-III Math 7th Grade	MCA-III Math All Grades	MCA-III Reading 3rd Grade	MCA-III Reading 4th Grade	MCA-III Reading 5th Grade	MCA-III Reading 6th Grade	MCA-III Reading 7th Grade	MCA-III Reading All Grades	MCA-III Science 5th Grade	MCA-III Science All Grades	Total
Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element	Public	PK, KG-5	220 3rd St W	Hector	55342	Renville County	Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart	No	No	No	Yes	(320) 848-2233	201	16	12.4	60.7%	163 (81.1%)	1 (0.5%)	28 (13.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (4.5%)	89.5	48^th of 881 public elementary schools	94.6%		79	155^th of 845 public elementary schools	81.7%	107	89.7	80.6	64.5			78.1	72.4	61.1	77.4			69.8	67.7	67.7	$14,748
Hutchinson Tiger Elementary	Public	2-3	805 School Road SW	Hutchinson	55350	McLeod County	Hutchinson Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(320) 587-1122	369	26	13.9	41.5%	295 (79.9%)	3 (0.8%)	56 (15.2%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	12 (3.3%)								(n/a)	63.8					63.8	42.4					42.4
Hutchinson West Elementary	Public	PK, KG-1	875 School Rd	Hutchinson	55350	McLeod County	Hutchinson Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(320) 587-4470	426	35	12.1	42.3%	347 (81.5%)	5 (1.2%)	56 (13.1%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	15 (3.5%)								(n/a)															$12,733
GFW Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	323 E 11th St	Gibbon	55335	Sibley County	GFW Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(507) 207-2200	199	19	10.3	62.8%	150 (75.4%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (21.1%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.0%)	48.6	508^th of 881 public elementary schools	42.3%		60.1	367^th of 845 public elementary schools	56.6%	141	38.2	65.1				53.3	32.4	51.2				42.9			$13,422
Hutchinson Park Elementary	Public	4-5	100 Glen St S	Hutchinson	55350	McLeod County	Hutchinson Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(320) 587-2837	381	30	12.8	38.1%	308 (80.8%)	2 (0.5%)	52 (13.6%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	16 (4.2%)	81.5	126^th of 881 public elementary schools	85.7%		71.4	237^th of 845 public elementary schools	72.0%	111		70.8	63.6			66.9		61.8	70.2			66.3	57.6	57.6	$10,698
New Discoveries Montessori Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	1000 5th Ave SE	Hutchinson	55350	McLeod County	New Discoveries Montessori Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(320) 234-6362	237	24	10.0	74.3%	192 (81.0%)	3 (1.3%)	30 (12.7%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.2%)	31.9	642^nd of 881 public elementary schools	27.1%		35.6	602^nd of 845 public elementary schools	28.8%	40	20.8	40.7	17.7	27.3	26.7	30.1	24.0	51.9	41.2	59.1	60.0	49.1	23.5	36.0	$21,781
Bold-Bird Island Elementary	Public	K-4	701 S. 9th St	Olivia	56277	Renville County	Bird Island-Olivia-Lake Lillian	No	No	No	Yes	(320) 523-1031	230	18	12.9	59.1%	195 (84.8%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (13.9%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	66.3	296^th of 881 public elementary schools	66.4%		57.8	393^rd of 845 public elementary schools	53.5%	97	68.6	60.5				64.4	54.3	47.4				50.7			$12,355
Cedar Mountain Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	231 4th Ave E	Franklin	55333	Renville County	Cedar Mountain School District	No	No	No	Yes	(507) 557-2251	194	18	11.0	55.2%	147 (75.8%)	4 (2.1%)	14 (7.2%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (9.3%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (5.7%)	69.5	261^st of 881 public elementary schools	70.4%		77.2	176^th of 845 public elementary schools	79.2%	85	65.5	80.8	36.4			62.3	41.4	53.9	81.8			57.1	59.1	59.1	$14,595

Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element

Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart:

What do you think?

Rank History for Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element

Rank History for all students at Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element

Rank History for Female students at Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element

Rank History for Male students at Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element

Rank History for White students at Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element

Enrollment information for Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element

Student/Teacher Ratio Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element

Per Pupil Expenditures for Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element

Impact of COVID-19 on Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element