King Center Charter School, Buffalo NY

Original Research by School Decision on King Center Charter School

King Center Charter School serves grades kindergarten through eighth in Buffalo, New York. It is a charter school rather than a traditional public school, and enrollment sits at a modest level for its grade span, with about equal-sized cohorts moving through each grade.

The school's student population is predominantly Black, with smaller shares of Asian, Hispanic, and multiracial students. About all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating the school serves a very economically strained community. Special-population counts were not available in the data.

State assessment results from the most recent year show proficiency rates across math, English language arts, and science (where tested). In math, proficiency ranges from a low of about a quarter of students in grade six to a high of around half in grade eight. In ELA, rates similarly span from roughly a quarter to around four in ten students meeting proficiency. Science proficiency in grade five sits near a quarter of students, while grade eight science reaches closer to four in ten. These rates place the school in the bottom quartile when compared to other districts in Erie County. Participation in state testing is generally high, with most grades at or near complete participation, suggesting the data represents most of the student body taking the exams.

Buffalo itself is a city in active redevelopment, with downtown and East Side neighborhoods undergoing substantial housing rehabilitation and new construction. The city is increasingly walkable in its core neighborhoods, has an Olmsted park system anchored by Delaware Park, and operates a light-rail system connecting to bus routes. Major employers span government, healthcare, finance, education, and manufacturing. The housing market in the school's zip code area shows modest median values with rents in a moderate range.

The school has faced significant governance turmoil in recent years. Staff unionized in late 2024, and in 2025 a leadership crisis unfolded when the board declined to renew or fired the principal and other top administrators. Court action resulted in their reinstatement pending further proceedings, and the crisis prompted formal appeals to the state Department of Education and calls for independent investigation. Following the upheaval, enrollment fell and a substantial share of teachers departed. The charter was renewed through 2028 by the SUNY Charter Schools Institute, confirming authorization to operate in the near term. However, advocates have publicly raised concerns about the school's trajectory, noting that two other SUNY-authorized Buffalo charters have recently closed after facing similar problems. A parent considering this school may want to look closely into the school's current leadership stability, staff retention, and recovery plan, given the recent institutional instability.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 339%

School 39% · district not reported

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Grade 434%

School 34% · district not reported

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 541%

School 41% · district not reported

▼ 11 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 625%

School 25% · district not reported

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 737%

School 37% · district not reported

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 847%

School 47% · district not reported

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 22 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 341%

School 41% · district not reported

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 430%

School 30% · district not reported

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Grade 536%

School 36% · district not reported

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 635%

School 35% · district not reported

▼ 11 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 738%

School 38% · district not reported

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 834%

School 34% · district not reported

▼ 14 pts below state median · even with county median

Science

Grade 524%

School 24% · district not reported

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 844%

School 44% · district not reported

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

This schoolDistrict average, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 5Lower-income36%Higher-income33%3 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income34%Higher-income40%6 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income30%Higher-income60%30 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 5Lower-income39%Higher-income50%11 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income23%Higher-income40%17 pp gap