Enrollment
375
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Salem, VA
West Salem Elementary
Federal NCES profile for West Salem Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 510346002046
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 40
📋 Attendance 67
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
West Salem Elementary earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median.
- #4 of 11
- public schools in Salem · Resource Index
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.9:1
- students per teacher
- 32.6%
- free-lunch eligible
West Salem Elementary has class sizes near the Virginia median. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, West Salem Elementary ranks #4 of 11 public schools in Salem, VA.
School address
District: Salem City Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510346002046 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.9:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
32.6%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
-43% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Salem Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at West Salem Elementary
West Salem Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Salem, Virginia, enrolling 375 students.
At 13.9:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Virginia median, within a few percentage points of the 13.9:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 32.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 375 puts it in the smaller third of Virginia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Against 148 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #62.
Its student body is led by White (79%) and Hispanic or Latino (7%) (diversity index 37/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 300 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
13.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Salem City Public Schools also operates Salem High (1,202 students) and Andrew Lewis Middle (839 students) alongside West Salem Elementary.
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 West Salem Elementary compares
West Salem Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Virginia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.9:1 | ▼ 0% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 32.6% | ▼ 43% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 375 | top 77% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.9:1
Leaner classes than 58% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
375
Bigger than 44% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
32.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 43% below the Virginia average of 57.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
13.9:1
students per teacher
- 0% above state mean
Top 52% in Virginia - lower ratio than 48% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
13.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$13,711
per pupil, district-wide
- below Virginia avg of $14,649
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.3 FTE
Per 300 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 13 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.5 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 78.9%
Hispanic or Latino 6.9%
African American 6.4%
Two or More 4.5%
Asian 3.2%
Largest group: White at 78.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 36.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 36.6, West Salem Elementary is less mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Salem City Public Schools, which includes West Salem Elementary.
$13,711
Per student
-6%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 44.9%
State 41.4%
Federal 13.7%
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 West Salem Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salem High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Andrew Lewis Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| G.W. Carver Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| East Salem Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| South Salem Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to West Salem Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,202
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 839
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 404
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 378
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 371
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Virginia, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~375 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on West Salem Elementary's federal record.
- Compare West Salem Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Salem City 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 West Salem Elementary
How many students attend West Salem Elementary?
West Salem Elementary has 375 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Salem, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Salem Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at West Salem Elementary is 13.9:1, which is 0% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 11% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at West Salem Elementary?
32.6% of students at West Salem Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Salem Elementary?
The largest demographic group at West Salem Elementary is White at 78.9% of enrollment, in Salem, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Salem Elementary?
West Salem Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (higher 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 West Salem Elementary rank among public schools in Salem?
By Resource Investment Index, West Salem Elementary ranks #4 of 11 public schools in Salem, VA. 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 West Salem Elementary a good school?
West Salem Elementary earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia 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 City Public Schools?
Besides West Salem Elementary, Salem City Public Schools also operates Salem High (1,202 students), Andrew Lewis Middle (839 students), and G.W. Carver Elementary (404 students). See the Salem City 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.