Enrollment
249
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Marshville, NC
New Salem Elementary
Federal NCES profile for New Salem Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370462001796
👥 S:T ratio 29
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 50
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
New Salem Elementary earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of North Carolina schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most North Carolina schools.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Marshville · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17.8:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 30.7%
- free-lunch eligible
New Salem Elementary has class sizes larger than 80% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, New Salem Elementary ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Marshville, NC.
School address
District: Union County Public Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370462001796 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.8:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
30.7%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-53% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How New Salem Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at New Salem Elementary
New Salem Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Marshville, North Carolina, enrolling 249 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.8:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 30.7% free-meal eligibility runs 53% below the North Carolina average.
Enrollment of 249 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 103 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #55.
Its student body is predominantly White (89% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 20/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 249 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 15.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Marshville's public schools, it stands alongside Marshville Elementary (419 students): New Salem Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.8:1 vs 14:1).
Union County Public Schools also operates Marvin Ridge High (1,961 students) and Weddington High (1,899 students) alongside New Salem Elementary.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How New Salem Elementary compares
New Salem Elementary on the metrics families compare, against North Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.8:1 | ▲ 13% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 30.7% | ▼ 53% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 249 | top 83% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.8:1
Leaner classes than 26% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
249
Bigger than 25% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
30.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 53% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17.8:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 80% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 20% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
18.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,010
per pupil, district-wide
- below North Carolina avg of $12,017
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 249 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 89.2%
Hispanic or Latino 6.8%
Two or More 2.4%
African American 0.8%
Asian 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 89.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 19.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 19.9, New Salem Elementary is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Union County Public Schools, which includes New Salem Elementary.
$11,010
Per student
-8%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.9%
State 55.8%
Federal 15.3%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How New Salem Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marvin Ridge High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Weddington High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cuthbertson High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Porter Ridge High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Porter Ridge Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to New Salem Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,961
- Students per teacher
- 21.1:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,899
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,857
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,809
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,447
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
Similar other schools in Marshville
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of North Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~249 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on New Salem Elementary's federal record.
- Compare New Salem Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Union County Public Schools's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about New Salem Elementary
How many students attend New Salem Elementary?
New Salem Elementary has 249 students enrolled. It is a public school in Marshville, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at New Salem Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at New Salem Elementary is 17.8:1, which is 13% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 13% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at New Salem Elementary?
30.7% of students at New Salem Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of New Salem Elementary?
The largest demographic group at New Salem Elementary is White at 89.2% of enrollment, in Marshville, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for New Salem Elementary?
New Salem Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does New Salem Elementary rank among public schools in Marshville?
By Resource Investment Index, New Salem Elementary ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Marshville, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Marshville on the city page.
Is New Salem Elementary a good school?
New Salem Elementary earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of North Carolina schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most North Carolina schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Union County Public Schools?
Besides New Salem Elementary, Union County Public Schools also operates Marvin Ridge High (1,961 students), Weddington High (1,899 students), and Cuthbertson High (1,857 students). See the Union County Public Schools district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.