Enrollment
245
Oregon · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Salem, OR
Salem Heights Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Salem Heights Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 411082000805
👥 S:T ratio 25
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 51
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Salem Heights Elementary School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Oregon median.
- #7 of 38
- elementary schools in Salem · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.8:1
- students per teacher
- 97.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Salem Heights Elementary School has class sizes near the Oregon median. Computed live against every Oregon school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Salem Heights Elementary School ranks #7 of 38 elementary schools in Salem, OR.
School address
District: Salem-Keizer Sd 24j · Oregon
NCES ID 411082000805 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
13.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.8:1
vs 17.6:1 Oregon avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
97.6%
vs 52.8% Oregon avg
+85% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Salem Heights Elementary School compares with Oregon and U.S. medians
What stands out at Salem Heights Elementary School
Salem Heights Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Salem, Oregon, enrolling 245 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Oregon schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 97.6% of students qualify for free meals, 85% above the Oregon average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 245 puts it in the smaller third of Oregon schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,273 scored Oregon schools.
Against 33 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #16.
Its student body is led by White (57%) and Hispanic or Latino (28%) (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 245 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 43.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Salem's elementary schools, it stands alongside Auburn Elementary School (592 students): Salem Heights Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (18.8:1 vs 19.1:1).
Salem-Keizer Sd 24j also operates Mckay High School (2,380 students) and South Salem High School (2,195 students) alongside Salem Heights 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 Heights Elementary School compares
Salem Heights Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Oregon and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Oregon | Oregon avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.8:1 | ▲ 7% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 97.6% | ▲ 85% | 52.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 245 | top 70% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.8:1
Leaner classes than 21% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
245
Bigger than 25% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
97.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 85% above the Oregon average of 52.8%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
18.8:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 67% in Oregon - lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
43.7%
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
$15,528
per pupil, district-wide
- below Oregon avg of $18,086
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 245 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.2 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 56.6%
Hispanic or Latino 28.3%
Two or More 10.2%
African American 1.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.6%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Largest group: White at 56.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.9, Salem Heights Elementary School is more mixed than the Oregon school average of 47.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Salem-Keizer Sd 24j, which includes Salem Heights Elementary School.
$15,528
Per student
-14%
vs Oregon
Avg $18,086
-6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.2%
State 61.3%
Federal 11.5%
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.
How Salem Heights Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mckay High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Salem High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Salem High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mcnary High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sprague High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Salem Heights Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,380
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 2,195
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 2,107
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,995
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,712
- Students per teacher
- 22.2:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
Similar elementary schools in Salem
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Auburn Elementary School
Standard public school
592 students 19.1:1 students per teacher
Eyre Elementary School
Standard public school
538 students 16.8:1 students per teacher
Harritt Elementary School
Standard public school
498 students 22.6:1 students per teacher
Swegle Elementary School
Standard public school
496 students 17.7:1 students per teacher
Pringle Elementary School
Standard public school
488 students 21.2:1 students per teacher
Kalapuya Elementary School
Standard public school
483 students 19.3:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Oregon, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~245 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Salem Heights Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Salem Heights Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Salem-Keizer Sd 24j'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 Heights Elementary School
How many students attend Salem Heights Elementary School?
Salem Heights Elementary School has 245 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Salem, OR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Salem Heights Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Salem Heights Elementary School is 18.8:1, which is 7% higher than the Oregon average of 17.6:1 and 20% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Salem Heights Elementary School?
97.6% of students at Salem Heights Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Oregon average of 52.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Salem Heights Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Salem Heights Elementary School is White at 56.6% of enrollment, in Salem, OR. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Salem Heights Elementary School?
Salem Heights Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 Heights Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Salem?
By Resource Investment Index, Salem Heights Elementary School ranks #7 of 38 elementary schools in Salem, OR. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Salem on the city page.
Is Salem Heights Elementary School a good school?
Salem Heights Elementary School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Oregon 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 Salem-Keizer Sd 24j?
Besides Salem Heights Elementary School, Salem-Keizer Sd 24j also operates Mckay High School (2,380 students), South Salem High School (2,195 students), and North Salem High School (2,107 students). See the Salem-Keizer Sd 24j 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.