Enrollment
472
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Salem, NJ
Salem Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Salem Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 341455005094
👥 S:T ratio 37
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 69
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Salem Middle School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of New Jersey schools.
- #6 of 6
- public schools in Salem · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.7:1
- large classes for New Jersey
- 78.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Salem Middle School has class sizes larger than 93% of New Jersey schools. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Salem Middle School ranks #6 of 6 public schools in Salem, NJ.
School address
District: Salem City School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 341455005094 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.7:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
+33% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
78.4%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+165% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Salem Middle School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Salem Middle School
Salem Middle School is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Salem, New Jersey, enrolling 472 students.
Class loads run heavy: 15.7:1 is larger than about 93% of New Jersey schools and 33% above the 11.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 78.4% of students qualify for free meals, 165% above the New Jersey average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 472 students, its enrollment sits close to the New Jersey median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 92% of the 2,501 New Jersey schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Against 161 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #101.
Its student body is led by African American (63%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%) (diversity index 53/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 157 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 40.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 151 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 472 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Salem City School District also operates Salem High School (393 students) and John Fenwick Academy (387 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 New Jersey and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs New Jersey | New Jersey avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.7:1 | ▲ 33% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 78.4% | ▲ 165% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 472 | top 44% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.7:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
472
Bigger than 58% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
78.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 165% above the New Jersey average of 29.6%
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
15.7:1
students per teacher
- 33% above state mean
Top 93% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
40.5%
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
$25,600
per pupil, district-wide
- above New Jersey avg of $24,984
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 157 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
62
in-school suspensions + 89 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 13.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 32.0 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
African American 63.1%
Hispanic or Latino 24.4%
White 9.3%
Two or More 2.8%
Asian 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 63.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.3, Salem Middle School is more mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Salem City School District, which includes Salem Middle School.
$25,600
Per student
+2%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+54%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 12.5%
State 72.9%
Federal 14.6%
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 School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salem High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| John Fenwick Academy | 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
- 393
- Students per teacher
- 10.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 387
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of New Jersey, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~472 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Salem Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Salem Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Salem City School District'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 472 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Salem, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Salem Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Salem Middle School is 15.7:1, which is 33% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 0% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Salem Middle School?
78.4% of students at Salem Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Salem Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Salem Middle School is African American at 63.1% of enrollment, in Salem, NJ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Salem Middle School?
Salem Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 #6 of 6 public schools in Salem, NJ. 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 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of New Jersey schools. 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 City School District?
Besides Salem Middle School, Salem City School District also operates Salem High School (393 students) and John Fenwick Academy (387 students). See the Salem City School District 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.