Enrollment
476
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Morganton, NC
Salem Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Salem Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370048000191
👥 S:T ratio 27
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 5
📋 Attendance 24
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Salem Elementary earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of North Carolina schools.
- #11 of 12
- schools in Morganton · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.3:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 62.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Salem Elementary has class sizes larger than 83% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Salem Elementary ranks #11 of 12 schools in Morganton, NC.
School address
District: Burke County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370048000191 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.3:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
62.8%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-5% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Salem Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Salem Elementary
Salem Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Morganton, North Carolina, enrolling 476 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.3:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 62.8% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 476 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Among 448 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #382, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (79%) and Hispanic or Latino (14%) (diversity index 35/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 476 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 23.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Morganton's public schools, it stands alongside Mountain View Elementary (762 students): Salem Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18.3:1 vs 17.7:1).
Burke County Schools also operates Freedom High (1,299 students) and East Burke High (874 students) alongside 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 Salem Elementary compares
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 | 18.3:1 | ▲ 16% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 62.8% | ▼ 5% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 476 | top 53% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.3:1
Leaner classes than 23% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
476
Bigger than 59% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
62.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 5% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
18.3:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 83% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
30.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$11,845
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 476 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.1 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 79.2%
Hispanic or Latino 13.7%
Two or More 4.6%
Asian 1.7%
African American 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 79.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.2, 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 Burke County Schools, which includes Salem Elementary.
$11,845
Per student
-1%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 15.2%
State 61.7%
Federal 23.1%
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 Salem Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| East Burke High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mountain View Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Robert L. Patton High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Jimmy C Draughn High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Salem Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,299
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 874
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 762
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 756
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 661
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar other schools in Morganton
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Mountain View Elementary
Standard public school
762 students 17.7:1 students per teacher
Drexel Elementary
Standard public school
477 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
W a Young Elementary
Standard public school
327 students 12.1:1 students per teacher
Oak Hill Elementary
Standard public school
310 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Forest Hill Elementary
Standard public school
305 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
Glen Alpine Elementary
Standard public school
295 students 12.8:1 students per teacher
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 (~476 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Salem Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Salem Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Burke County 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 Salem Elementary
How many students attend Salem Elementary?
Salem Elementary has 476 students enrolled. It is a public school in Morganton, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Salem Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Salem Elementary is 18.3:1, which is 16% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 17% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Salem Elementary?
62.8% of students at Salem Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Salem Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Salem Elementary is White at 79.2% of enrollment, in Morganton, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Salem Elementary?
Salem Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower 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 Salem Elementary rank among schools in Morganton?
By Resource Investment Index, Salem Elementary ranks #11 of 12 schools in Morganton, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Morganton on the city page.
Is Salem Elementary a good school?
Salem Elementary earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of 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 Burke County Schools?
Besides Salem Elementary, Burke County Schools also operates Freedom High (1,299 students), East Burke High (874 students), and Mountain View Elementary (762 students). See the Burke County 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.