McKinley Vocational High School

Summary:

McKinley Vocational High School is a public high school in Buffalo, New York, serving 986 students in grades 9-12 as part of the Buffalo City School District, which is ranked 821 out of 865 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. Unfortunately, McKinley Vocational High School has consistently ranked in the bottom 10-15% of New York high schools over the past decade, with a current ranking of 1206 out of 1242 high schools in the state.

The school faces significant challenges, including low graduation rates ranging from 61.6% to 85.1% in recent years, much lower than the state average of around 80%. Chronic absenteeism is also a major issue, with rates ranging from 34.1% to 85.4%, far exceeding state and district averages. Proficiency rates on Regents/Common Core exams are consistently well below state and district averages across all subject areas, and the school struggles to serve its diverse student population, with rankings for various subgroups all in the bottom 10-20% of New York high schools. Despite spending between $12,251 and $14,913 per student, which is higher than the state average, the school has not shown significant improvement over the past decade.

In contrast, nearby schools in the Buffalo City School District, such as Buffalo Academy for the Visual & Performing Arts and Middle Early College High School, generally outperform McKinley Vocational High School on key metrics, suggesting that the challenges faced by McKinley Vocational High School may be unique to the school. The school's vocational focus and the socioeconomic status of its students, with 84.12% to 88.34% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, may be contributing factors to the persistent challenges the school faces.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 1500 Elmwood Ave
       Buffalo, NY  14207-3086


(716) 816-4480

District: Buffalo City School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
1206th of 1,242 New York High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $14,913 Help


Student/teacher ratio:  10.2 Help
Number of students:  940

Racial breakdown:

African American:
52.8%
Hispanic:
23.5%
White:
10.3%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  91.5% Help


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 Compare McKinley Vocational High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details McKinley Vocational High School ranks worse than 97.1% of high schools in New York. It also ranks 18th among 20 ranked high schools in the Buffalo City School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 5.1. (See more...)
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The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at McKinley Vocational High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
Help
The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (52.8%), Hispanic (23.5%), White (10.3%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 91.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at McKinley Vocational High School is 10.2. 14 high schools in the Buffalo City School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare McKinley Vocational High School employs 91.7 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at McKinley Vocational High School is $14,913. 13 high schools in the Buffalo City School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

McKinley Vocational High School:

SchoolDigger ranks McKinley Vocational High School 1206th of 1242 New York public high schools. (See McKinley Vocational High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Homeless students:
Female students:
Male students:
Asian students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Buffalo City School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Buffalo City School District 821st of 865 New York school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for McKinley Vocational High School?

Rank History for McKinley Vocational High School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at McKinley Vocational High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2005 25.67 757th 935 19.0%
2006 25.96 775th 986 21.4%
2007 22.55 816th 1002 18.6%
2008 21.94 836th 1027 18.6%
2009 24.72 849th 1086 21.8%
2010 13.46 1002nd 1117 10.3%
2011 20.22 959th 1165 17.7%
2012 11.63 1047th 1198 12.6%
2013 14.25 1004th 1217 17.5%
2014 11.92 1086th 1237 12.2%
2015 18.65 1032nd 1255 17.8%
2016 31.43 875th 1255 30.3%
2017 20.71 926th 1221 24.2%
2018 17.96 973rd 1210 19.6%
2019 21.17 939th 1207 22.2%
2022 3.86 1166th 1190 2.0%
2023 4.53 1196th 1228 2.6%
2024 5.10 1206th 1242 2.9%
See the entire list of New York High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at McKinley Vocational High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 8.84 265th 272 2.6%
See the entire list of Best New York High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at McKinley Vocational High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 45.74 270th 546 50.5%
2019 51.43 219th 565 61.2%
2022 26.63 397th 481 17.5%
2023 31.16 441st 583 24.4%
2024 25.00 550th 637 13.7%
See the entire list of Best New York High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at McKinley Vocational High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 37.30 662nd 1095 39.5%
2019 47.59 551st 1132 51.3%
2022 14.92 970th 1038 6.6%
2023 12.65 1084th 1130 4.1%
2024 12.70 1102nd 1144 3.7%
See the entire list of Best New York High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at McKinley Vocational High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 18.22 971st 1154 15.9%
2019 23.22 928th 1179 21.3%
2022 4.11 1081st 1101 1.8%
2023 4.68 1125th 1155 2.6%
2024 5.02 1140th 1170 2.6%
See the entire list of Best New York High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at McKinley Vocational High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 28.98 384th 498 22.9%
2019 36.94 315th 493 36.1%
2023 26.36 438th 531 17.5%
2024 17.22 529th 564 6.2%
See the entire list of Best New York High Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at McKinley Vocational High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 18.63 974th 1176 17.2%
2019 20.09 961st 1193 19.4%
2022 3.22 1138th 1155 1.5%
2023 5.93 1153rd 1197 3.7%
2024 5.81 1194th 1219 2.1%
See the entire list of Best New York High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at McKinley Vocational High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 18.06 966th 1176 17.9%
2019 23.82 913th 1190 23.3%
2022 3.96 1121st 1154 2.9%
2023 4.06 1167th 1191 2.0%
2024 5.75 1172nd 1211 3.2%
See the entire list of Best New York High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at McKinley Vocational High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 4.10 417th 426 2.1%
2019 10.03 418th 447 6.5%
2022 0.63 385th 386 0.3%
2023 4.31 412th 424 2.8%
2024 4.19 412th 426 3.3%
See the entire list of Best New York High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at McKinley Vocational High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 29.59 499th 679 26.5%
2019 33.55 456th 686 33.5%
2022 6.32 591st 593 0.3%
2023 9.98 642nd 671 4.3%
2024 9.42 666th 690 3.5%
See the entire list of Best New York High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at McKinley Vocational High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 35.52 511th 791 35.4%
2019 32.74 550th 815 32.5%
2022 6.16 749th 760 1.4%
2023 6.46 829th 851 2.6%
2024 9.67 822nd 865 5.0%
See the entire list of Best New York High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at McKinley Vocational High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 19.34 686th 765 10.3%
2019 14.74 729th 793 8.1%
2022 1.93 725th 738 1.8%
2023 3.34 751st 776 3.2%
2024 3.29 765th 781 2.0%
See the entire list of Best New York High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: NY State Education Department, 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.

McKinley Vocational High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 



Data source: NY State Education Department

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3)
50%

0%

0%

0%

50%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Thursday, October 24, 2019

Open Quote 🤨👎👎Do not send your child/children to this lousy school you'll regret it if you do🤨!!...This has too be the most crapiest high school here in buffalo western ny with the most Incompetent, unprofessional lazy butt teachers on staff only concerned about their paychecks!🤨🤬👎👎... #TerribleSchool👎👎😡🤨 Close Quote


by a citizen
Saturday, January 21, 2012

Open Quote When I went to McKinley back in the late 50's it was one of the best in Buffalo.
It's to bad so much of what was good in Buffalo has been lost. Another thing that
was really good were all the jobs and great shopping area's. Close Quote



Enrollment information for McKinley Vocational High School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1989 725 434 9 69 16 n/a n/a 0 1253
1990 687 438 23 64 16 n/a n/a 0 1228
1991 640 392 16 58 15 n/a n/a 0 1121
1992 649 470 11 67 21 n/a n/a 0 1218
1993 626 447 11 93 23 n/a n/a 0 1200
1994 600 436 13 108 21 n/a n/a 0 1178
1995 638 391 15 129 15 n/a n/a 0 1188
1996 638 391 15 129 15 n/a n/a 0 1188
1997 661 392 20 137 17 n/a n/a 0 1227
1998 657 376 23 133 18 n/a n/a 0 1207
1999 596 396 27 152 16 n/a n/a 0 1187
2000 563 430 35 145 22 n/a n/a 0 1195
2001 533 468 30 152 18 n/a n/a 0 1201
2002 463 541 23 141 22 n/a n/a 0 1190
2003 463 541 23 141 22 n/a n/a 0 1190
2004 433 520 15 132 20 n/a n/a 0 1120
2005 427 549 14 152 29 n/a n/a 0 1171
2006 397 561 13 149 32 n/a n/a 0 1152
2007 355 574 15 147 33 n/a n/a 0 1124
2008 313 617 17 141 35 n/a n/a 0 1123
2009 303 671 18 163 30 n/a n/a 0 1185
2010 258 671 19 169 33 n/a n/a 0 1150
2011 206 673 21 166 29 0 3 0 1098
2012 182 653 34 184 23 0 4 0 1080
2013 141 592 43 179 24 0 6 0 985
2014 142 572 48 179 20 0 7 0 968
2015 130 580 65 186 18 0 7 0 986
2016 133 579 77 179 19 0 6 0 993
2017 145 605 92 182 15 0 13 0 1052
2018 143 586 125 182 11 1 15 0 1063
2019 119 580 111 194 13 1 18 0 1036
2020 100 551 109 192 15 1 22 0 990
2021 96 555 95 189 13 1 27 0 976
2022 82 558 82 208 15 1 38 0 984
2023 96 546 78 212 12 0 42 0 986
2024 97 496 70 221 9 0 47 0 940

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 McKinley Vocational High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 1253 92.7 13.5 n/a
1990 1228 91.9 13.3 n/a
1991 1121 85.1 13.1 n/a
1992 1218 83.9 14.5 n/a
1993 1200 85.5 14.0 n/a
1994 1178 86.9 13.6 36.8
1995 1188 87.0 13.7 42.3
1996 1188 87.0 13.7 42.3
1997 1227 81.1 15.1 39.8
1998 1207 78.0 15.5 44.3
1999 1187 82.0 14.5 45.7
2000 1195 85.0 14.1 83.5
2001 1201 85.0 14.1 46.3
2002 1190 79.0 15.1 55.3
2003 1190 79.0 15.1 55.3
2004 1120 n/a n/a n/a
2005 1171 73.6 15.9 64.7
2006 1152 69.0 16.7 71.4
2007 1124 77.6 14.5 77.4
2008 1123 78.0 14.4 89.5
2009 1185 81.0 14.6 74.1
2010 1150 83.0 13.8 73.2
2011 1098 76.9 14.2 79.1
2012 1080 86.4 12.4 76.3
2013 985 86.4 11.3 76.9
2014 968 83.4 11.6 n/a
2015 986 75.0 13.1 10.6
2016 993 72.0 13.7 71.1
2017 1052 60.5 17.3 60.8
2018 1063 82.0 12.9 77.4
2019 1036 88.0 11.7 79.7
2020 990 94.0 10.5 81.8
2021 976 84.3 11.5 84.1
2022 984 93.8 10.4 85.7
2023 986 96.5 10.2 88.3
2024 940 91.7 10.2 91.5

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 McKinley Vocational High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 1253 92.7 13.5 n/a
1990 1228 91.9 13.3 n/a
1991 1121 85.1 13.1 n/a
1992 1218 83.9 14.5 n/a
1993 1200 85.5 14.0 n/a
1994 1178 86.9 13.6 36.8
1995 1188 87.0 13.7 42.3
1996 1188 87.0 13.7 42.3
1997 1227 81.1 15.1 39.8
1998 1207 78.0 15.5 44.3
1999 1187 82.0 14.5 45.7
2000 1195 85.0 14.1 83.5
2001 1201 85.0 14.1 46.3
2002 1190 79.0 15.1 55.3
2003 1190 79.0 15.1 55.3
2004 1120 n/a n/a n/a
2005 1171 73.6 15.9 64.7
2006 1152 69.0 16.7 71.4
2007 1124 77.6 14.5 77.4
2008 1123 78.0 14.4 89.5
2009 1185 81.0 14.6 74.1
2010 1150 83.0 13.8 73.2
2011 1098 76.9 14.2 79.1
2012 1080 86.4 12.4 76.3
2013 985 86.4 11.3 76.9
2014 968 83.4 11.6 n/a
2015 986 75.0 13.1 10.6
2016 993 72.0 13.7 71.1
2017 1052 60.5 17.3 60.8
2018 1063 82.0 12.9 77.4
2019 1036 88.0 11.7 79.7
2020 990 94.0 10.5 81.8
2021 976 84.3 11.5 84.1
2022 984 93.8 10.4 85.7
2023 986 96.5 10.2 88.3
2024 940 91.7 10.2 91.5

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.

Immunization Rates

McKinley Vocational High School

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Compare
YearCompletely ImmunizedReligious ExemptionMedical ExemptionPolioMeaslesMumpsRubellaDiphtheriaHepatitis BVaricella
201398.5%0.2%0.0%99.6%99.8%99.8%99.8%98.8%99.7%99.4%
201496.0%0.2%3.8%96.0%96.0%96.0%96.0%96.0%96.0%96.0%
201599.4%0.2%0.0%99.8%99.8%99.8%99.8%99.7%99.8%99.7%
201699.4%0.4%0.1%99.5%99.5%99.5%99.5%99.4%99.5%99.5%
201794.4%0.1%3.2%99.6%99.2%99.2%99.3%96.6%99.1%99.3%
201877.5%0.2%0.1%99.8%77.5%79.5%80.2%91.5%98.5%98.8%
201990.8%0.0%0.0%99.5%99.3%99.3%99.3%99.6%99.6%99.2%
202096.9%0.0%99.7%99.7%99.7%99.7%99.7%98.2%99.1%

Data source: New York State Department of Health
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for McKinley Vocational High School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $891 (8.2%) $9,971 (91.8%) $10,863
2020 $589 (4.8%) $11,663 (95.2%) $12,251
2021 $915 (7.1%) $11,886 (92.9%) $12,801
2022 $709 (5.5%) $12,119 (94.5%) $12,829
2023 $1,561 (10.5%) $13,352 (89.5%) $14,913

Data source: New York Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on McKinley Vocational High School

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 939th of 1207 High schoolsRanks 1196th of 1228 High schools
 19.6%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
End of Course Common Core Algebra I (McKinley Vocational High School)57.227.3
 29.9%
   End of Course Common Core Algebra I (Buffalo City School District)55.145.5
 9.6%
   End of Course Common Core Algebra I (New York)71.164.6
 6.5%
End of Course Common Core Algebra II (McKinley Vocational High School)5016.7
 33.3%
   End of Course Common Core Algebra II (Buffalo City School District)60.844.5
 16.3%
   End of Course Common Core Algebra II (New York)82.764.1
 18.5%
End of Course Common Core English Language Arts (McKinley Vocational High School)78.549.4
 29.1%
   End of Course Common Core English Language Arts (Buffalo City School District)73.461
 12.4%
   End of Course Common Core English Language Arts (New York)83.976.9
 6.9%
End of Course Common Core Geometry (McKinley Vocational High School)42.33.5
 38.9%
   End of Course Common Core Geometry (Buffalo City School District)45.727.7
 18%
   End of Course Common Core Geometry (New York)70.153.2
 17%
End of Course Earth Science (McKinley Vocational High School)25.88.9
 16.9%
   End of Course Earth Science (Buffalo City School District)34.933.7
 1.2%
   End of Course Earth Science (New York)68.965
 3.9%
End of Course Global History and Geography (McKinley Vocational High School)5427.1
 26.9%
   End of Course Global History and Geography (Buffalo City School District)61.549.9
 11.7%
   End of Course Global History and Geography (New York)78.873.6
 5.2%
End of Course Living Environment (McKinley Vocational High School)37.921.8
 16%
   End of Course Living Environment (Buffalo City School District)46.139.3
 6.8%
   End of Course Living Environment (New York)73.265.7
 7.5%
End of Course U.S. History and Government (McKinley Vocational High School)77.146.5
 30.6%
   End of Course U.S. History and Government (Buffalo City School District)62.661.8
 0.8%
   End of Course U.S. History and Government (New York)76.979.7
 2.8%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students1036986
 4.8%
African American580546
 5.9%
American Indian1312
 7.7%
Asian11178
 29.7%
Hispanic194212
 9.3%
Pacific Islander10
 100%
White11996
 19.3%
Two or More Races1842
 133.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients79.7%88.3%
 8.6%


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Frequently Asked Questions about McKinley Vocational High School

McKinley Vocational High School ranks in the bottom 2.9% of New York high schools.

In the 2023-24 school year, 940 students attended McKinley Vocational High School.

Students at McKinley Vocational High School are 53% African American, 24% Hispanic, 10% White, 7% Asian, 5% Two or more races.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the WNYC and the New York State Department of Health and the NY State Education Department.

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.





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