Enrollment
492
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Salem, IN
Salem High School
Federal NCES profile for Salem High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 180981001600
👥 S:T ratio 40
📚 AP courses 15
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 84
📋 Attendance 4
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Salem High School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Indiana median.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Salem · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.9:1
- students per teacher
- 40.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Salem High School has class sizes near the Indiana median. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Salem High School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Salem, IN.
School address
District: Salem Community Schools · Indiana
NCES ID 180981001600 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.9:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
40.8%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Salem High School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Salem High School
Salem High School is a mid-sized high school in Salem, Indiana, enrolling 492 students.
At 14.9:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Indiana median, within a few percentage points of the 15.9:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 40.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 492 students, its enrollment sits close to the Indiana median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Against 568 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #196.
Its student body is predominantly White (92% of enrollment) (diversity index 15/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 3 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 82 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 4 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Salem Community Schools also operates Bradie Shrum Elementary (748 students) and Salem Middle School (352 students) alongside Salem High 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 High School compares
Salem High School on the metrics families compare, against Indiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Indiana | Indiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.9:1 | ▼ 6% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 40.8% | ▼ 18% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 492 | top 43% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.9:1
Leaner classes than 48% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
492
Bigger than 61% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
40.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% below the Indiana average of 49.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.9:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 44% in Indiana - lower ratio than 56% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
38.2%
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
$12,410
per pupil, district-wide
- above Indiana avg of $12,079
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 82 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
66
in-school suspensions + 15 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 13.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 16.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 expulsions.
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 92.1%
Two or More 3.0%
Hispanic or Latino 2.8%
Asian 1.2%
African American 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 92.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 15.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 15.0, Salem High School is less mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 3
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Salem Community Schools, which includes Salem High School.
$12,410
Per student
+3%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.9%
State 57.9%
Federal 21.2%
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 High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bradie Shrum Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Salem Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Salem High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 748
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 352
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Indiana, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~492 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Salem High School's federal record.
- Compare Salem High School against another school. Compare schools
- Salem Community 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 High School
How many students attend Salem High School?
Salem High School has 492 students enrolled. It is a high school in Salem, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Salem High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Salem High School is 14.9:1, which is 6% lower than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 5% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Salem High School?
40.8% of students at Salem High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Salem High School?
The largest demographic group at Salem High School is White at 92.1% of enrollment, in Salem, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Salem High School?
Salem High School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Salem High School rank among public schools in Salem?
By Resource Investment Index, Salem High School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Salem, IN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Salem on the city page.
Is Salem High School a good school?
Salem High School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Indiana 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 Community Schools?
Besides Salem High School, Salem Community Schools also operates Bradie Shrum Elementary (748 students) and Salem Middle School (352 students). See the Salem Community 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.