dossier ↑ parent activity group ·

research dossier

BUFFALO COMMONS CHARTER SCHOOL

BUFFALO, NY · EIN 854160029 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE B29 · Education · Medium ($1M-$10M) · buffalocommonscharter.org

revenue

$1.7M

expenses

$1.8M

net assets

$-56K

employees

volunteers

program ratio

75%

mission · from form 990

ESTABLISH AND OPERATE A CHARTER SCHOOL TO PREPARE OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITY OF STUDENTS TO SUCCEED ACADEMICALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY REGARDLESS OF BACKGROUND AND CIRCUMSTANCE.

profile · synthesized from sources

Buffalo Commons Charter School is a K-8 public charter school in Buffalo, NY, serving a diverse student population. The school emphasizes academic rigor, creativity, and collaboration, with a mission to prepare students to succeed academically and professionally regardless of background. It operates a structured school day with integrated breakfast, after-school options, and transportation support.

named programs · 4 · from sources

What they call their work

After-School Program

Low-cost or no-cost after-school program available from 2:30 to 5:30 PM, with participation determined through family survey

Bus Transportation Program

Coordinates with Buffalo Public School Transportation and other district providers to offer bus transportation for students living within and outside the Buffalo School District

Daily Academic Program

Structured K-8 instructional day beginning at 7:50 AM, following research-based teaching practices and innovative programming to support academic rigor and student engagement

Free Breakfast Program

Provides free daily breakfast to all students from 7:00 to 7:35 AM in the school cafeteria

activities · 14 groups

What they do

Charter School Admissions Lottery Management 2 activities
- Administer student admissions via public lottery
  
  Conducts a public, random lottery for each grade level in April when applications exceed available seats, in compliance with Education Law §2854(2)(B), and backfills vacated seats through the first semester.
- Facilitate school choice applications through Enroll Buffalo Charters
  
  Participates in the Enroll Buffalo Charters centralized application system, allowing families to apply to Buffalo Commons and other charter schools between December 1 and March 30.
Structured Critical Thinking Curriculum 1 activity
- Deliver research-based and innovative instructional programming
  
  Implements research-based teaching practices and innovative programming, including project-based learning with real-world, community-based problem-solving, to support academic success and student confidence.
Special Education Support Services 1 activity
- Deliver special education and English language learner services
  
  Provides special education services through co-taught classrooms for students with IEPs and offers ENL instruction using push-in and pull-out models at all developmental levels.
Family-School Engagement Programs 1 activity
- Engage families in school policy development
  
  Develops school policies and systems by honoring parent and family experiences.
Admissions Outreach and Enrollment Support 1 activity
- Host virtual open houses for prospective families
  
  Hosts virtual open houses in webinar format to introduce prospective families to the school’s programs and culture.
Community-Based Educational Programming 1 activity
- Integrate community and cross-difference collaboration into learning
  
  Builds a learning community that integrates the local community into the classroom and emphasizes collaboration across differences among students.
Individualized Academic Support 1 activity
- Maintain low student-to-teacher ratios with multi-teacher classrooms
  
  Operates with a 9:1 student-to-teacher ratio through the use of multi-teacher classrooms and support instructors to enhance instructional quality.
After-School Academic and Enrichment Programs 1 activity
- Offer robust physical education, arts, and after-school programming
  
  Provides a strong physical education and arts curriculum during the school day and offers after-school programs that include snack time, physical activity, story time, and creative games; after-school programming is low-cost or no-cost, with a standard fee of $50 per month to increase accessibility.
Charter School Operations 1 activity
- Operate a tuition-free public charter school for K-8 students
  
  Provides tuition-free, public charter education for students in grades K-8, open to all without special enrollment requirements, with a focus on eliminating the opportunity gap for a diverse student body including students with special needs and English Language Learners.
Before and After School Childcare 1 activity
- Provide comprehensive student support services
  
  Offers free daily breakfast, morning care starting at 7:00 a.m., and bus dismissal services with consistent drop-off locations; coordinates free bus transportation for all students, including those within and outside the Buffalo School District.
Play-Based Early Childhood Education 1 activity
- Provide early childhood and enrichment programming
  
  Offers early childhood education, literacy initiatives, and hands-on enrichment activities to support student development, particularly in under-resourced communities.
Sliding-Scale Tuition Programs 1 activity
- Provide faculty and staff with educational benefits
  
  Offers a 25% tuition discount for faculty and staff through a partnership with Canisius College and grants employee children preference in the school’s annual admissions lottery.
Mentorship and Professional Development Programs 1 activity
- Support faculty recruitment and retention through competitive compensation and benefits
  
  Offers a competitive salary schedule based on experience, a 401K plan with 5% employer match, and ensures faculty and staff have all necessary technology, supplies, and tools for effective job performance.
Uncategorized 1 activity
- Support student development through portfolios and purpose-based learning
  
  Guides students in creating portfolios that document their personal journey toward a sense of purpose and mutual recognition of value.

financials · form 990 · fy2024

revenue

Total revenue$1.68M

Contributions & grants$67K4%

Program service revenue$1.60M95%

Investment income$00%

Other revenue$10K

expenses

Total expenses$1.76M

Program expenses75%

Admin / overhead25%

Fundraising0%

Salaries & benefits$1.09M

Grants paid out$0

Largest expense lineCompensation

balance sheet

Total assets$625K

Cash$228K

Investments$0

Liabilities$682K

Net assets$-56K

Liquid reserves1.6 mo

4 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +28.8%

leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 1

Name	Title	Hours/wk	Compensation
DANIEL BRINK-WASHINGTON	EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR	40	$117K

board members · 8

JESI MILLER — VICE CHAIR
KEVIN L SOUTHERN — TRUSTEE
KRYSTLE HINTON — SECRETARY
LATRICIA DAVIS — TRUSTEE
MARK BAETZHOLD — TRUSTEE
RUQAYYAH SIMMONS — TRUSTEE
TREY THOMPSON — CHAIR
ZAKIYYAH MISSERT — TRUSTEE

relationships · 13

Who they work with

Board of Regents Government — Charter school authorizer for Buffalo Commons Charter School
Buffalo Public School Transportation Partner — Provides bus transportation services for BCCS students residing in the Buffalo School District.
CHEEKTOWAGA CENTRAL Partner — Coordinates bus transportation for BCCS students residing in the Cheektowaga Central School District.
Canisius College Partner — Partner institution offering a 25% tuition discount to Commons faculty and staff.
Enroll Buffalo Charters Partner — Collaborates with Enroll Buffalo Charters to manage school admissions applications.
KEN-TON Partner — Coordinates bus transportation for BCCS students residing in the Ken-Ton School District.
NORTH TONAWANDA Partner — Coordinates bus transportation for BCCS students residing in the North Tonawanda School District.
NYSED Government — State education department providing information on charter schools
New York State Government — Public charter school authorized to serve students residing in New York State.
SUNY Trustees Government — Charter school authorizer for Buffalo Commons Charter School
SWEET HOME Partner — Coordinates bus transportation for BCCS students residing in the Sweet Home School District.
WEST SENECA Partner — Coordinates bus transportation for BCCS students residing in the West Seneca School District.
Wix Partner — Uses Wix.com platform for website hosting and content management

strategies · 4

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

Holistic and Whole-Child Development Model

methodology: holistic_student_development
By integrating rigorous academics with ethical development, cultural humility, social-emotional growth, and after-school enrichment, the school supports holistic student development, because addressing the full range of student needs—academic, emotional, and social—enables long-term success and well-being.
Inclusive, Integrated Classroom Model

methodology: inclusion_model
By using co-taught classrooms and integrated ENL support, the school enables students with IEPs and English language learners to thrive in general education settings, because inclusive, differentiated instruction in integrated spaces fosters equity, belonging, and shared learning for all students.
Project-Based, Community-Connected Learning

methodology: project-based_learning
By using project-based and community-based learning experiences that connect education to real-world contexts, the school makes learning relevant and develops critical thinking, collaboration, and belonging, because experiential engagement fosters deeper understanding and student agency.
Purpose-Driven Education with Real-World Application

methodology: purpose-driven_education
By aligning students' personal identity, strengths, and values with community needs through creative problem-solving and real-world engagement, the school fosters student purpose, confidence, and civic contribution, because meaningful connection to society deepens motivation and learning.