Enrollment
606
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Salem, MO
Salem Sr. High
Federal NCES profile for Salem Sr. High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 292709001678
👥 S:T ratio 38
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 39
📋 Attendance 16
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Salem Sr. High earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of Missouri schools.
- #9 of 9
- public schools in Salem · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.5:1
- large classes for Missouri
- 37.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Salem Sr. High has class sizes larger than 84% of Missouri schools. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Salem Sr. High ranks #9 of 9 public schools in Salem, MO.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.5:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
37.8%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
-18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Salem Sr. High compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Salem Sr. High
Salem Sr. High is a large high school in Salem, Missouri, enrolling 606 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 37.8% lands close to the Missouri typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 606 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 95% of the 2,313 Missouri schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 400 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Missouri schools statewide, it ranks #391, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (92% of enrollment) (diversity index 15/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 303 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data 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 Upper Elem. (335 students) and Wm. H. Lynch Elem. (257 students) alongside Salem Sr. High.
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 Sr. High compares
Salem Sr. High on the metrics families compare, against Missouri and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Missouri | Missouri avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.5:1 | ▲ 21% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 37.8% | ▼ 18% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 606 | top 14% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.5:1
Leaner classes than 42% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
606
Bigger than 73% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
37.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% below the Missouri average of 46.1%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.5:1
students per teacher
- 21% above state mean
Top 84% in Missouri - lower ratio than 16% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
33.5%
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
$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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 303 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
41
in-school suspensions + 19 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.9 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 91.9%
Hispanic or Latino 3.6%
Two or More 3.5%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 91.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 15.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 15.3, Salem Sr. High is less mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Salem R-80, which includes Salem Sr. High.
$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 Sr. High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salem Upper Elem. | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Wm. H. Lynch Elem. | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Salem Middle School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Salem Sr. High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 335
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 257
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 254
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar high 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 (~606 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Salem Sr. High's federal record.
- Compare Salem Sr. High 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 Sr. High
How many students attend Salem Sr. High?
Salem Sr. High has 606 students enrolled. It is a high school in Salem, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Salem Sr. High?
The student-teacher ratio at Salem Sr. High is 15.5:1, which is 21% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 1% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Salem Sr. High?
37.8% of students at Salem Sr. High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Salem Sr. High?
The largest demographic group at Salem Sr. High is White at 91.9% of enrollment, in Salem, MO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Salem Sr. High?
Salem Sr. High has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Salem Sr. High rank among public schools in Salem?
By Resource Investment Index, Salem Sr. High ranks #9 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 Sr. High a good school?
Salem Sr. High earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of Missouri 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 R-80?
Besides Salem Sr. High, Salem R-80 also operates Salem Upper Elem. (335 students), Wm. H. Lynch Elem. (257 students), and Salem Middle School (254 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.