Enrollment
254
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Salem, MO
Salem Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Salem Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 292709001677
👥 S:T ratio 49
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 49
📋 Attendance 39
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Salem Middle School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri median.
- #8 of 9
- public schools in Salem · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.7:1
- students per teacher
- 52.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Salem Middle School has class sizes near the Missouri median. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Salem Middle School ranks #8 of 9 public schools in Salem, MO.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.7:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
52.5%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
+14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Salem Middle School compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Salem Middle School
Salem Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Salem, Missouri, enrolling 254 students.
At 12.7:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Missouri median, within a few percentage points of the 12.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 52.5% of students eligible for free meals.
With 254 students, its enrollment sits close to the Missouri median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Among 292 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Missouri schools statewide, it ranks #233, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (84% of enrollment) (diversity index 29/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 254 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.4% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Salem R-80 spends $8,863 per pupil, 31% below the Missouri average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 23.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Salem R-80 also operates Salem Sr. High (606 students) and Salem Upper Elem. (335 students) alongside Salem Middle 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 Middle School compares
Salem Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Missouri and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Missouri | Missouri avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.7:1 | ▼ 1% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 52.5% | ▲ 14% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 254 | top 60% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.7:1
Leaner classes than 69% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
254
Bigger than 26% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
52.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 14% above the Missouri average of 46.1%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.7:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 50% in Missouri - lower ratio than 50% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
24.4%
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
$8,863
per pupil, district-wide
- below Missouri avg of $12,931
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 254 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
17
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.0 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 83.5%
Two or More 8.3%
Hispanic or Latino 5.1%
African American 1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Asian 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 83.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 29.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 29.3, Salem Middle School is about as mixed as the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Salem R-80, which includes Salem Middle School.
$8,863
Per student
-31%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-47%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 41.0%
State 36.0%
Federal 23.0%
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 School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salem Sr. High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Salem Upper Elem. | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Wm. H. Lynch Elem. | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Salem Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 606
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 335
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 257
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Missouri, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~254 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Salem Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Salem Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Salem R-80'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 School
How many students attend Salem Middle School?
Salem Middle School has 254 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Salem, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Salem Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Salem Middle School is 12.7:1, which is 1% lower than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 19% 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 Middle School?
52.5% of students at Salem Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Salem Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Salem Middle School is White at 83.5% of enrollment, in Salem, MO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Salem Middle School?
Salem Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 Middle School rank among public schools in Salem?
By Resource Investment Index, Salem Middle School ranks #8 of 9 public schools in Salem, MO. 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 Middle School a good school?
Salem Middle School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri 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 R-80?
Besides Salem Middle School, Salem R-80 also operates Salem Sr. High (606 students), Salem Upper Elem. (335 students), and Wm. H. Lynch Elem. (257 students). See the Salem R-80 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.