Enrollment
658
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Spokane, WA
Salk Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Salk Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 530825001406
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 34
📋 Attendance 35
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Salk Middle School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median.
- #4 of 10
- middle schools in Spokane · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15:1
- students per teacher
- 53.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Salk Middle School has class sizes near the Washington median. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Salk Middle School ranks #4 of 10 middle schools in Spokane, WA.
School address
District: Spokane School District · Washington
NCES ID 530825001406 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
53.0%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
+18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Salk Middle School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Salk Middle School
Salk Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Spokane, Washington, enrolling 658 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15:1 puts it in the smaller third of Washington schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 53.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 658 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 396 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #149.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and Hispanic or Latino (13%) (diversity index 54/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 329 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 17.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 133 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 658 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Spokane's middle schools, it stands alongside Sacajawea Middle School (855 students): Salk Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15:1 vs 19.9:1).
Spokane School District also operates Lewis & Clark High School (1,673 students) and North Central High School (1,647 students) alongside Salk 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 Salk Middle School compares
Salk 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 | 15:1 | ▼ 15% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 53.0% | ▲ 18% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 658 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15:1
Leaner classes than 47% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
658
Bigger than 77% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
53.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% above the Washington average of 45.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15:1
students per teacher
- 15% below state mean
Top 34% in Washington - lower ratio than 66% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
26.0%
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
$17,305
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 329 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
75
in-school suspensions + 58 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 11.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 20.2 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 65.2%
Hispanic or Latino 12.5%
Two or More 11.4%
African American 4.4%
Asian 2.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 2.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.1%
Largest group: White at 65.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.3, Salk Middle School is about as mixed as the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Spokane School District, which includes Salk Middle School.
$17,305
Per student
-11%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
+4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.2%
State 60.3%
Federal 17.5%
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 Salk Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis & Clark High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Central High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ferris High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rogers High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Shadle Park High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Salk Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,673
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 1,647
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 1,644
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 1,498
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 1,445
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
Similar middle schools in Spokane
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Sacajawea Middle School
Standard public school
855 students 19.9:1 students per teacher
Highland Middle School
Standard public school
704 students 18.1:1 students per teacher
Shaw Middle School
Standard public school
693 students 12.8:1 students per teacher
Chase Middle School
Standard public school
685 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
Westwood Middle School
Standard public school
624 students 18.9:1 students per teacher
Pauline Flett Middle School
Standard public school
609 students 26.5:1 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 (~658 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Salk Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Salk Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Spokane 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 Salk Middle School
How many students attend Salk Middle School?
Salk Middle School has 658 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Spokane, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Salk Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Salk Middle School is 15:1, which is 15% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 4% 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 Salk Middle School?
53.0% of students at Salk Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Salk Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Salk Middle School is White at 65.2% of enrollment, in Spokane, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Salk Middle School?
Salk Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Salk Middle School rank among middle schools in Spokane?
By Resource Investment Index, Salk Middle School ranks #4 of 10 middle schools in Spokane, 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 Spokane on the city page.
Is Salk Middle School a good school?
Salk Middle School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington 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 Spokane School District?
Besides Salk Middle School, Spokane School District also operates Lewis & Clark High School (1,673 students), North Central High School (1,647 students), and Ferris High School (1,644 students). See the Spokane 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.