Buchanan Virtual Academy

Summary:

Buchanan Virtual Academy is a small public virtual school serving grades K-12 in Buchanan, Michigan, which is part of the Buchanan Community Schools district. With just 82 students enrolled, the school has some unique characteristics that parents should be aware of.

Buchanan Virtual Academy has seen fluctuating academic performance, with graduation rates ranging from a low of 22.2% to a high of 68.4% over the past few years - significantly lower than the state average and surrounding schools like Buchanan Step Up. The school also struggles with high dropout rates, reaching as much as 50%, and very high chronic absenteeism, up to 80.5% in the current school year. On state assessments, Buchanan Virtual Academy's 11th-grade students performed worse in Math, Science, and Social Studies compared to the district and state. Additionally, the school has a higher percentage of white students and economically disadvantaged students receiving free or reduced-price lunch than nearby schools.

While Buchanan Virtual Academy has seen an increase in per-student spending and a decrease in its student-teacher ratio, these changes have not translated to improved student outcomes. The school's unique challenges, including instability in key metrics and poor academic performance relative to surrounding schools, suggest that parents may want to consider other educational options in the area, such as Berrien Springs Virtual Academy or Niles Virtual School, which may better meet their child's needs.

Detail:

Public, Virtual, Alternative K-12

401 W Chicago St
Buchanan, MI 49107-1044

(269) 695-8401

District: Buchanan Community Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,235

Student/teacher ratio: 18.9

Number of students: 54

Racial breakdown:

White:

81.5%

Two or more races:

11.1%

African American:

5.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 64.8%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Buchanan Virtual Academy is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2018 the calculated Average Standard Score was 16.4. (See more...)

Compare Details Buchanan Virtual Academy is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 37.46. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Buchanan Virtual Academy who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

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

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (81.5%), two or more races (11.1%), African American (5.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 64.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Buchanan Virtual Academy is 18.9. (See more...)

Compare Buchanan Virtual Academy employs 2.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Buchanan Virtual Academy is $11,235.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Buchanan Virtual Academy was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Buchanan Community Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Buchanan Community Schools 113^th of 610 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Buchanan Virtual Academy

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Rank History for all middle school students at Buchanan Virtual Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	16.40	733^rd	838	12.5%

See the entire list of Michigan Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Buchanan Virtual Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	20.84	673^rd	815	17.4%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Alternative Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for middle school White students at Buchanan Virtual Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	13.92	618^th	678	8.8%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Alternative Schools for White Students!

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

Rank History for Buchanan Virtual Academy

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Rank History for all high school students at Buchanan Virtual Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2017	19.28	588^th	835	29.6%
2018	12.15	675^th	824	18.1%
2023	37.46	450^th	735	38.8%

See the entire list of Michigan Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at Buchanan Virtual Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	17.91	590^th	755	21.9%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Alternative Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for high school White students at Buchanan Virtual Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	5.34	644^th	708	9.0%
2023	25.69	493^rd	647	23.8%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Alternative Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Michigan 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: Michigan Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Buchanan Virtual Academy

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Year	White	African American	Hispanic	American Indian	Two or More Races	Total
2015	32	1	4	0	3	40
2016	37	3	2	0	3	45
2017	47	1	3	1	4	56
2018	53	3	2	0	5	63
2019	53	1	0	1	2	57
2020	44	1	2	1	5	53
2021	155	15	6	4	23	203
2022	77	5	7	0	21	110
2023	66	2	4	0	10	82
2024	44	3	1	0	6	54

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 Buchanan Virtual Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2015	40	n/a	n/a	62.5
2016	45	6.0	7.5	66.7
2017	56	5.1	10.9	57.1
2018	63	3.7	17.0	68.3
2019	57	4.4	12.9	61.4
2020	53	4.3	12.3	66
2021	203	2.1	94.4	64
2022	110	1.7	62.8	57.3
2023	82	3.6	22.4	65.9
2024	54	2.8	18.9	64.8

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 Buchanan Virtual Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2015	40	n/a	n/a	62.5
2016	45	6.0	7.5	66.7
2017	56	5.1	10.9	57.1
2018	63	3.7	17.0	68.3
2019	57	4.4	12.9	61.4
2020	53	4.3	12.3	66
2021	203	2.1	94.4	64
2022	110	1.7	62.8	57.3
2023	82	3.6	22.4	65.9
2024	54	2.8	18.9	64.8

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 Buchanan Virtual Academy

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$40 (0.6%)	$6,488 (99.4%)	$6,528
2020	$61 (0.6%)	$9,458 (99.4%)	$9,519
2021	$589 (9.9%)	$5,365 (90.1%)	$5,954
2022	$472 (5.4%)	$8,276 (94.6%)	$8,748
2023	$239 (2.1%)	$10,996 (97.9%)	$11,235

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Buchanan Virtual Academy

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.

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	57	82	43.9%
African American	1	2	100%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	0	4
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	53	66	24.5%
Two or More Races	2	10	400%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	61.4%	65.9%	4.5%

Schools Near Buchanan Virtual Academy

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()				PSAT English Language Arts (2024)	PSAT Mathematics (2024)	SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (2024)	M-Step English Language Arts (2024)				M-Step Math (2024)			M-Step Science (2024)			M-Step Social Studies (2024)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
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 ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSAT English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSAT Mathematics 8th Grade	SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 11th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 3rd Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 5th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 6th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 7th Grade	M-Step Math 3rd Grade	M-Step Math 6th Grade	M-Step Math 7th Grade	M-Step Science 5th Grade	M-Step Science 8th Grade	M-Step Science 11th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 8th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Buchanan Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	401 W Chicago St	Buchanan	49107	Berrien County	Buchanan Community Schools	No	No	Yes	No	(269) 695-8401	54	3	18.9	64.8%	44 (81.5%)	3 (5.6%)	1 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (11.1%)								(n/a)																$11,235	$239	$10,997
Buchanan Step Up	Public, Virtual, Magnet, Alternative	K-12	401 W Chicago St	Buchanan	49107	Berrien County	Buchanan Community Schools	No	Yes	Yes	No	(269) 695-8401	26	3	9.8	76.9%	19 (73.1%)	1 (3.8%)	2 (7.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (15.4%)								(n/a)
Southside Special Educ School	Public, Alternative	4-12	1450 Silverbrook Ave	Niles	49120	Berrien County	Niles Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 683-0421	55	5	11.0	67.3%	37 (67.3%)	10 (18.2%)	4 (7.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (7.3%)								(n/a)																$32,499	$16,171	$16,328
Niles Virtual School	Public, Alternative	K-12	1 Tyler St	Niles	49120	Berrien County	Niles Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 683-0736	14	2	8.6	78.6%	8 (57.1%)	1 (7.1%)	1 (7.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (7.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (21.4%)								(n/a)																$10,507	$655	$9,852
Berrien Springs Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	501 Middle School Drive	Berrien Springs	49103	Berrien County	Berrien Springs Public Schools	No	No	Yes	No	(269) 473-0500	144	7	19.4	34.0%	104 (72.2%)	14 (9.7%)	10 (6.9%)	5 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	10 (6.9%)								(n/a)	83.3	33.3		38.5	50.0		40.0	33.3		40.0	41.7	47.4		36.8		$5,668	$912	$4,757
Blossomland Learning Center	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	711 Saint Joseph Ave	Berrien Springs	49103	Berrien County	Berrien Regional Educational Service Agency	No	No	No	No	(269) 473-2600	138	25	5.5	73.2%	81 (58.7%)	44 (31.9%)	6 (4.3%)	2 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.6%)								(n/a)
Brookside Learning Center	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	61662 Dailey Rd	Cassopolis	49031	Cass County	Heritage Southwest Intermediate School District	No	No	No	No	(269) 445-6260	66	12	5.5	78.8%	51 (77.3%)	5 (7.6%)	4 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (9.1%)								(n/a)
Lighthouse Education Center	Public, Alternative	K-12	379 W Glenlord Rd	Saint Joseph	49085	Berrien County	Berrien Regional Educational Service Agency	No	No	No	No	(269) 429-2351	115	30	3.8	81.7%	70 (60.9%)	26 (22.6%)	9 (7.8%)	2 (1.7%)	3 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (4.3%)								(n/a)
Countryside Academy MiddleHigh School	Public, Charter, Alternative	2-12	4800 Meadowbrook Rd	Benton Harbor	49022	Berrien County	Countryside Academy	Yes	No	No	No	(269) 944-3319	372	24	15.7	86.8%	38 (10.2%)	196 (52.7%)	126 (33.9%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.4%)								(n/a)	53.1	12.2	25.0			21.3	19.0		6.6	9.2		16.7	25.8	18.8	29.0	$12,129	$1,643	$10,486
North Pointe Center	Public, Alternative	K-12	704 Orchard St	Dowagiac	49047	Cass County	Heritage Southwest Intermediate School District	No	No	No	No	(269) 390-5055	43	3	14.3	69.8%	26 (60.5%)	6 (14.0%)	2 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.3%)	8 (18.6%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Buchanan Virtual Academy

What is the racial makeup of Buchanan Virtual Academy?

Students at Buchanan Virtual Academy are 81% White, 11% Two or more races, 6% African American, 2% Hispanic.

What district is Buchanan Virtual Academy in?

Buchanan Community Schools

How many students attend Buchanan Virtual Academy?

In the 2023-24 school year, 54 students attended Buchanan Virtual Academy.

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Schools in Buchanan, MI

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Michigan Department of Education.

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.