Buffalo Public Schools serves approximately 31,000 students in Buffalo, New York, It is located in Erie County of western New York and operates nearly 70 facilities.
The Buffalo Public School System was started in 1838, 13 years after the completion of the Erie Canal and only 6 years after the 1832 incorporation of the City of Buffalo. Buffalo was the first city in the state of New York to have a free public education system supported by local taxes. Although New York City had a free public education system prior to 1838, NYC obtained additional funding through private donations and sources. Buffalo Public Schools' first Superintendent of Schools, Oliver Gray Steele (1805âÂÂ1879), was a prominent and successful businessman. Originally from Connecticut, Steele relocated to Buffalo in 1827. He held three different terms as Superintendent between 1838 and 1852, during which twelve new elementary facilities were built, bringing the total to 15 elementary buildings. A building for a dedicated high school was also purchased during this time. Steele is credited as being the "Father of the Public Schools of Buffalo" as his reorganization of the schools in Buffalo enabled children to have access to a free public education. Over 35 people have held the position of Superintendent of Buffalo Public Schools since that time.
Between 1870 and 1900, the population of Buffalo more than doubled. The school population grew along with it, straining existing facilities. Around this time, the city embarked on a campaign of expansion, constructing four public high schools in the first decades of the twentieth century. Additionally, several primary schools were designed by the architectural firm of Louise Bethune, the first woman to be a professional architect in the United States.
On April 26, 2025, Richard Hy, a detective with the Buffalo Police Department with a history of misconduct investigations against him, claimed on the Unsubscribe podcast that the Buffalo Public Schools district covered up and refused to work with law enforcement with cases of sexual assaults and abuse. Hy also stated that Buffalo Public Schools officials and attorneys obstructed evidence and ignored subpoenas and court orders to cover up child abuse and sexual abuse within the district. Hy also stated that the Erie County District Attorney's office and his superiors were also frustrated to which they replied no comment with concerns about compromising ongoing investigations. In May 2025, Richard Hy again made additional allegations of misconduct. Representatives of Buffalo Public Schools and the Buffalo Teachers Federation have disputed Hy's claims. In late May 2025, Missouri-based lawyer Kayla Ferrel Onder was retained by 12 clients to who claimed they had been abused by BPS to file a legal complaint. In June, the School Board selected Rupp Pfalzgraf LLC to conduct an independent investigation into the allegations. In February 2026, Rupp Pfalzgraff released their report, stating that while not all of Hy's allegations were substantiated, they did find "confusion between emergency protocols, communication failures, inadequate video-retention practices, and gaps in post-incident documentation" across the district.
The Board of Education of the Buffalo City School District is the policy-making body for the Buffalo Public Schools, as provided by the Constitution of New York, and is under the general supervision of the New York State Education Department. The board consists of nine members elected by popular vote of District residents.
Except where noted, all schools serve Grades PreK-8
Except where noted, all schools serve Grades 9-12