Enrollment
1,057
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Apex, NC
Salem Middle
Federal NCES profile for Salem Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 370472002746
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 30
📋 Attendance 70
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Salem Middle earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #1 of 5
- middle schools in Apex · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16.5:1
- students per teacher
- 17.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Salem Middle has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Salem Middle ranks #1 of 5 middle schools in Apex, NC.
School address
District: Wake County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370472002746 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
64.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.5:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
17.9%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-73% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Salem Middle compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Salem Middle
Salem Middle is a lower-poverty, large middle school in Apex, North Carolina, enrolling 1,057 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.5:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 17.9% free-meal eligibility runs 73% below the North Carolina average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in North Carolina, bigger than 91% of state schools at 1,057 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Among 168 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #17, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (52%) and Asian (21%) (diversity index 66/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 352 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
12.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 16.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Apex's middle schools, it stands alongside Apex Friendship Middle (1,412 students): Salem Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.5:1 vs 18.6:1).
Wake County Schools also operates Apex Friendship High (2,748 students) and Enloe High (2,643 students) alongside Salem Middle.
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 Middle compares
Salem Middle 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 | 16.5:1 | ▲ 4% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 17.9% | ▼ 73% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,057 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.5:1
Leaner classes than 34% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,057
Bigger than 92% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
17.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 73% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.5:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 68% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 32% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
12.1%
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
$11,859
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 352 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
86
in-school suspensions + 31 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.1 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 51.6%
Asian 20.5%
Hispanic or Latino 15.0%
African American 7.4%
Two or More 5.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 51.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.1, Salem Middle is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wake County Schools, which includes Salem Middle.
$11,859
Per student
-1%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.9%
State 54.5%
Federal 16.6%
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 Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apex Friendship High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Enloe High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Panther Creek High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Millbrook High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Apex High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Salem Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,748
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 2,643
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,609
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 2,498
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 2,449
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar middle schools in Apex
4 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Apex Friendship Middle
Standard public school
1,412 students 18.6:1 students per teacher
Lufkin Road Middle
Standard public school
1,035 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Apex Middle
Standard public school
867 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
West Lake Middle
Standard public school
687 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
Similar middle 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 (~1,057 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Salem Middle's federal record.
- Compare Salem Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Wake 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 Middle
How many students attend Salem Middle?
Salem Middle has 1,057 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Apex, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Salem Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Salem Middle is 16.5:1, which is 4% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 5% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Salem Middle?
17.9% of students at Salem Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Salem Middle?
The largest demographic group at Salem Middle is White at 51.6% of enrollment, in Apex, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Salem Middle?
Salem Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (higher 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 Middle rank among middle schools in Apex?
By Resource Investment Index, Salem Middle ranks #1 of 5 middle schools in Apex, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Apex on the city page.
Is Salem Middle a good school?
Salem Middle earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina 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 Wake County Schools?
Besides Salem Middle, Wake County Schools also operates Apex Friendship High (2,748 students), Enloe High (2,643 students), and Panther Creek High (2,609 students). See the Wake 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.