Enrollment
401
Kentucky · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Russell Springs, KY
Salem Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Salem Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 210516001266
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 20
📋 Attendance 59
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Salem Elementary School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kentucky median.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Russell Springs · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.4:1
- students per teacher
- 61.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Salem Elementary School has class sizes near the Kentucky median. Computed live against every Kentucky school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Salem Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Russell Springs, KY.
School address
District: Russell County · Kentucky
NCES ID 210516001266 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.4:1
vs 15.2:1 Kentucky avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
61.5%
vs 59.2% Kentucky avg
+4% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Salem Elementary School compares with Kentucky and U.S. medians
What stands out at Salem Elementary School
Salem Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Russell Springs, Kentucky, enrolling 401 students.
At 15.4:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Kentucky median, within a few percentage points of the 15.2:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 61.5% lands close to the Kentucky typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 401 students, its enrollment sits close to the Kentucky median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,389 scored Kentucky schools.
Against 465 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #136.
Its student body is predominantly White (88% of enrollment) (diversity index 22/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 401 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
16.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 23.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Russell Springs's public schools, it stands alongside Russell Springs Elementary School (632 students): Salem Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.4:1 vs 15:1).
Russell County also operates Russell County High School (859 students) and Russell County Middle School (652 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 Kentucky and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Kentucky | Kentucky avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.4:1 | ▲ 1% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 61.5% | ▲ 4% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 401 | top 56% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.4:1
Leaner classes than 43% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
401
Bigger than 48% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
61.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 4% above the Kentucky average of 59.2%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.4:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 55% in Kentucky - lower ratio than 45% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
16.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,803
per pupil, district-wide
- below Kentucky avg of $13,211
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 401 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 87.8%
Hispanic or Latino 9.7%
Two or More 2.0%
African American 0.5%
Largest group: White at 87.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 21.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 21.9, Salem Elementary School is less mixed than the Kentucky school average of 34.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Russell County, which includes Salem Elementary School.
$12,803
Per student
-3%
vs Kentucky
Avg $13,211
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.0%
State 55.1%
Federal 23.8%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Russell County High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Russell County Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Russell Springs Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Jamestown Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar 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
- 859
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 652
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 632
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 480
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar other schools in Russell Springs
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 Kentucky, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~401 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Salem Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Salem Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Russell County'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 401 students enrolled. It is a public school in Russell Springs, KY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Salem Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Salem Elementary School is 15.4:1, which is 1% higher than the Kentucky average of 15.2:1 and 2% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Salem Elementary School?
61.5% of students at Salem Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kentucky 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 87.8% of enrollment, in Russell Springs, KY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Salem Elementary School?
Salem Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (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 public schools in Russell Springs?
By Resource Investment Index, Salem Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Russell Springs, KY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Russell Springs on the city page.
Is Salem Elementary School a good school?
Salem Elementary School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kentucky 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 Russell County?
Besides Salem Elementary School, Russell County also operates Russell County High School (859 students), Russell County Middle School (652 students), and Russell Springs Elementary School (632 students). See the Russell County 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.