Enrollment
469
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Benton, AR
Salem Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Salem Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 050369000121
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 6
📋 Attendance 65
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Salem Elementary School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arkansas median.
- #5 of 7
- elementary schools in Benton · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.1:1
- students per teacher
- 34.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Salem Elementary School has class sizes near the Arkansas median. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Salem Elementary School ranks #5 of 7 elementary schools in Benton, AR.
School address
District: Bryant School District · Arkansas
NCES ID 050369000121 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.1:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.7%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
-41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Salem Elementary School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Salem Elementary School
Salem Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Benton, Arkansas, enrolling 469 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.1:1 puts it in the larger third of Arkansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 34.7% of students eligible for free meals.
With 469 students, its enrollment sits close to the Arkansas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,066 scored Arkansas schools.
Against 253 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #114.
Its student body is led by White (73%) and Hispanic or Latino (11%) (diversity index 44/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 469 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
14.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Bryant School District spends $9,843 per pupil, 20% below the Arkansas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 15.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Bryant School District also operates Bryant High School (2,369 students) and Bryant Junior High School (1,545 students) alongside Salem Elementary School.
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 School compares
Salem Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Arkansas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arkansas | Arkansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.1:1 | ▲ 11% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.7% | ▼ 41% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 469 | top 37% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.1:1
Leaner classes than 46% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
469
Bigger than 58% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
34.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% below the Arkansas average of 59.2%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.1:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 61% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
14.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$9,843
per pupil, district-wide
- below Arkansas avg of $12,251
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 469 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
17
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.6 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 73.3%
Hispanic or Latino 11.3%
African American 9.2%
Two or More 5.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: White at 73.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 43.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 43.9, Salem Elementary School is more mixed than the Arkansas school average of 40.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bryant School District, which includes Salem Elementary School.
$9,843
Per student
-20%
vs Arkansas
Avg $12,251
-41%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.7%
State 49.1%
Federal 15.2%
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 School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bryant High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bryant Junior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bryant Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bryant Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bethel Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Salem Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,369
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 1,545
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 785
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 774
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 762
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Arkansas, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~469 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Salem Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Salem Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Bryant School District'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 School
How many students attend Salem Elementary School?
Salem Elementary School has 469 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Benton, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Salem Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Salem Elementary School is 15.1:1, which is 11% higher than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 4% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Salem Elementary School?
34.7% of students at Salem Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Salem Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Salem Elementary School is White at 73.3% of enrollment, in Benton, AR.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Salem Elementary School?
Salem Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (typical 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 School rank among elementary schools in Benton?
By Resource Investment Index, Salem Elementary School ranks #5 of 7 elementary schools in Benton, AR. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Benton on the city page.
Is Salem Elementary School a good school?
Salem Elementary School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arkansas median. 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 Bryant School District?
Besides Salem Elementary School, Bryant School District also operates Bryant High School (2,369 students), Bryant Junior High School (1,545 students), and Bryant Elementary School (785 students). See the Bryant School District 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.