Enrollment
2,106
California · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 063398005335
North Salinas High — Salinas, CA
Federal NCES profile for North Salinas High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 36/100.
👥 Class size 14
📚 AP courses 60
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 53
📋 Attendance 23
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Salinas Union High · California
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
98.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.6:1
vs 21.6:1 California avg
+0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
74.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
+34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How North Salinas High compares with California and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
North Salinas High reports 2,106 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 98.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 21.6:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 0% above the California state mean of 21.6:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 36% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 74.3% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 34% above the California average and 43% above the national baseline. The school offers 12 Advanced Placement courses, a stronger academic pipeline indicator than enrollment alone. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 234 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 31.0% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Salinas Union High spends $17,390 per pupil district-wide, below the California average of $18,039 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 23.3% from local sources (property taxes), 65.8% from the state, and 11.0% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (F), calculated from 5 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How North Salinas High compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against California state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 21.6:1 | ▼ 0% | 21.6:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 74.3% | ▲ 34% | 55.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 2,106 | top 97% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
74.3%
free-lunch eligible
— 34% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
21.6:1
students per teacher
— 0% above state mean
Top 45% in California — lower ratio than 55% of state schools
Above 20:1 — larger class loads than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is stretched relative to enrollment.
Engagement
31.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$17,390
per pupil, district-wide
— below California avg of $18,039
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors9.0 FTE
Per 234 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
11
in-school suspensions + 92 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 5 expulsions.
Overview
Enrollment 2,106 Top 97% in California — larger than 3% of 10,006 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 98.0
Students per teacher 21.6:1 +0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 74.3% +34% vs state
NCES ID 063398005335
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 92.0%
Asian 3.4%
White 2.5%
Two or More 1.2%
African American 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 92.0% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 12
Counselors (FTE) 9.0
Students per counselor 234:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 31.0%
In-school suspensions 11
Out-of-school suspensions 92
Expulsions 5
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Salinas Union High, which includes North Salinas High.
$17,390
Per student
-4%
vs California
Avg $18,039
-11%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 23.3%
State 65.8%
Federal 11.0%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,742
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Enrollment
- 2,380
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Enrollment
- 1,978
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Enrollment
- 1,600
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Enrollment
- 1,101
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
Similar high schools in Salinas
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Alisal High
Standard public school
2,742 students 23.6:1 students per teacher
Salinas High
Standard public school
2,380 students 22.9:1 students per teacher
Everett Alvarez High
Standard public school
1,978 students 22.1:1 students per teacher
Rancho San Juan High
Standard public school
1,600 students 22.1:1 students per teacher
Mount Toro High
Alternative education program
204 students 16.5:1 students per teacher
Open Door Charter
Alternative education program
55 students 18.3:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about North Salinas High
How many students attend North Salinas High?
North Salinas High has 2,106 students enrolled. It is a high school in Salinas, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at North Salinas High?
The student-teacher ratio at North Salinas High is 21.6:1, which is 0% higher than the California average of 21.6:1 and 36% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at North Salinas High?
74.3% of students at North Salinas High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of North Salinas High?
The largest demographic group at North Salinas High is Hispanic or Latino at 92.0%. The school serves a diverse student body in Salinas, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for North Salinas High?
North Salinas High has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (F) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.