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Salem, New Jersey - 3 schools
An equity score of 68/100 ranks Salem City School District #105 of 587 districts in New Jersey (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $25,600 per pupil, Salem City School District ranks #234 of 649 New Jersey districts by per-pupil spending (New Jersey districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
1,348
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$25,600
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Salem City School District operates 3 public schools serving 1,348 students, placing it among the smallest districts in New Jersey. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 elementary, 1 high, 1 combined schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Salem County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $25,600 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 649 New Jersey districts by per-pupil spending. See how New Jersey compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 12.5% local, 72.9% state, and 14.6% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 68/100, ranked #105 of 587 in New Jersey against a state average of 50, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 3 schools offering Advanced Placement (9 AP courses district-wide), a 128.2:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 37.0% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 62.3% African American, 18.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% White across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Salem High School, with a diversity index of 57.1/100.
Its largest campus is Salem Middle School, enrolling 472 students (38% of the district's total enrollment).
Salem Middle School accounts for 35.0% of all Salem City School District student enrollment
That dominant concentration means Salem City School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: elementary. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
Salem City School District has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 68.2% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch
free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Eligibility here is approaching the 75% concentration-grant threshold; it does not yet unlock the extra funding tier but sits meaningfully above the baseline 50% majority mark. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.
Salem City School District student-counselor ratio is 128:1 — well below typical (typically associated with unusually small scale or exceptionally high per-unit investment)
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Values this far below typical often correlate with unusually small scale or population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se — worth checking whether the underlying denominator is itself an outlier.
Salem City School District chronic absenteeism rate is 37.0% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
How many schools are in Salem City School District?
Salem City School District has 3 schools, including 1 elementary, 1 high, 1 combined. Total enrollment is 1,348 students.
How much does Salem City School District spend per student?
Salem City School District spends $25,600 per student. The district has an equity score of 68/100, ranking #105 in New Jersey.
What is the demographic composition of Salem City School District?
Salem City School District students are 62.3% African American, 18.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% White, 0.2% Asian, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Salem City School District?
Salem City School District has an equity score of 68/100, ranking #105 out of 587 districts in New Jersey.