Enrollment
745
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Lacey, WA
Salish Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Salish Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 530585003587
👥 S:T ratio 17
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 26
📋 Attendance 40
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Salish Middle School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of Washington schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Washington schools.
- #4 of 5
- middle schools in Lacey · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20.7:1
- large classes for Washington
- 37.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Salish Middle School has class sizes larger than 82% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Salish Middle School ranks #4 of 5 middle schools in Lacey, WA.
School address
District: North Thurston Public Schools · Washington
NCES ID 530585003587 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.7:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
37.7%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
-16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Salish Middle School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Salish Middle School
Salish Middle School is a large middle school in Lacey, Washington, enrolling 745 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 20.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 37.7% lands close to the Washington typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 745 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Among 348 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Washington schools statewide, it ranks #269, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (41%) and Hispanic or Latino (25%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 73/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 373 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 16 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Lacey's middle schools, it stands alongside Nisqually Middle School (789 students): Salish Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (20.7:1 vs 16.4:1).
North Thurston Public Schools also operates River Ridge High School (1,547 students) and Timberline High School (1,401 students) alongside Salish 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 Salish Middle School compares
Salish Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Washington and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Washington | Washington avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20.7:1 | ▲ 18% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 37.7% | ▼ 16% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 745 | top 13% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.7:1
Leaner classes than 14% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
745
Bigger than 83% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
37.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 16% below the Washington average of 45.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
20.7:1
students per teacher
- 18% above state mean
Top 82% in Washington - lower ratio than 18% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
24.2%
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
$15,854
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 373 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
61
in-school suspensions + 32 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 16 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 40.6%
Hispanic or Latino 25.1%
Two or More 16.9%
Asian 8.3%
African American 4.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 3.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Largest group: White at 40.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 73.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 73.3, Salish Middle School is more mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for North Thurston Public Schools, which includes Salish Middle School.
$15,854
Per student
-19%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
-4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.4%
State 61.3%
Federal 8.3%
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 Salish Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| River Ridge High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Timberline High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Thurston High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Nisqually Middle School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mountain View Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Salish Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,547
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,401
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,378
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 789
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 776
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar middle schools in Lacey
4 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Nisqually Middle School
Standard public school
789 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Chinook Middle School
Standard public school
746 students 18.2:1 students per teacher
Komachin Middle School
Standard public school
640 students 18.8:1 students per teacher
Aspire Middle School
Standard public school
323 students 23.1:1 students per teacher
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Washington, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~745 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Salish Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Salish Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- North Thurston Public 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 Salish Middle School
How many students attend Salish Middle School?
Salish Middle School has 745 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Lacey, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Salish Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Salish Middle School is 20.7:1, which is 18% higher than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 32% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Salish Middle School?
37.7% of students at Salish Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Salish Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Salish Middle School is White at 40.6% of enrollment, in Lacey, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 73.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Salish Middle School?
Salish Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Salish Middle School rank among middle schools in Lacey?
By Resource Investment Index, Salish Middle School ranks #4 of 5 middle schools in Lacey, WA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Lacey on the city page.
Is Salish Middle School a good school?
Salish Middle School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of Washington schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Washington 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 North Thurston Public Schools?
Besides Salish Middle School, North Thurston Public Schools also operates River Ridge High School (1,547 students), Timberline High School (1,401 students), and North Thurston High School (1,378 students). See the North Thurston Public 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.