Enrollment
480
Massachusetts · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 250008401847 Charter school
Salem Academy Charter School — Salem, MA
Federal NCES profile for Salem Academy Charter School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 49/100.
👥 Class size 58
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 68
📋 Attendance 40
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: Salem Academy Charter (District) · Massachusetts
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)
47.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.4:1
vs 12.1:1 Massachusetts avg
-14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Salem Academy Charter School compares with Massachusetts 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
Salem Academy Charter School reports 480 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 47.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 10.4:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 14% below the Massachusetts state mean of 12.1:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 35% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Counselor coverage works out to roughly 160 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 24.0% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Salem Academy Charter (District) spends $23,156 per pupil district-wide, below the Massachusetts average of $28,509 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 83.6% from local sources (property taxes), 7.0% from the state, and 9.5% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (D), calculated from 4 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 Salem Academy Charter School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Massachusetts state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Massachusetts | Massachusetts avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.4:1 | ▼ 14% | 12.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 480 | top 61% | — | — |
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.
Staffing depth
10.4:1
students per teacher
— 14% below state mean
Top 25% in Massachusetts — lower ratio than 75% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
24.0%
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
$23,156
per pupil, district-wide
— below Massachusetts avg of $28,509
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 160 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 16 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 480 Top 61% in Massachusetts — larger than 39% of 1,831 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 47.0
Students per teacher 10.4:1 -14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 250008401847
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 57.2%
White 26.8%
African American 9.4%
Asian 4.0%
Two or More 2.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 57.2% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 12
Counselors (FTE) 3.0
Students per counselor 160:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 24.0%
In-school suspensions 5
Out-of-school suspensions 16
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Salem Academy Charter (District), which includes Salem Academy Charter School.
$23,156
Per student
-19%
vs Massachusetts
Avg $28,509
+19%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 83.6%
State 7.0%
Federal 9.5%
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.
Similar other schools in Salem
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 Salem Academy Charter School
How many students attend Salem Academy Charter School?
Salem Academy Charter School has 480 students enrolled. It is a other school in Salem, MA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Salem Academy Charter School?
The student-teacher ratio at Salem Academy Charter School is 10.4:1, which is 14% lower than the Massachusetts average of 12.1:1 and 35% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Salem Academy Charter School?
The largest demographic group at Salem Academy Charter School is Hispanic or Latino at 57.2%. The school serves a diverse student body in Salem, MA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Salem Academy Charter School?
Salem Academy Charter School has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (D) based on 4 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.