Enrollment
677
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · West Salem, WI
West Salem Elementary
Federal NCES profile for West Salem Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 551635002140
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 32
📋 Attendance 71
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
West Salem Elementary earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Wisconsin median.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in West Salem · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.5:1
- students per teacher
- 21.4%
- free-lunch eligible
West Salem Elementary has class sizes near the Wisconsin median. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, West Salem Elementary ranks #3 of 3 public schools in West Salem, WI.
School address
District: West Salem School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 551635002140 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
50.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.5:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
21.4%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
-44% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Salem Elementary compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at West Salem Elementary
West Salem Elementary is a large combined-grade school in West Salem, Wisconsin, enrolling 677 students.
At 13.5:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Wisconsin median, within a few percentage points of the 14.4:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 21.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 677 puts it in the larger third of Wisconsin schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,202 scored Wisconsin schools.
Against 355 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #179.
Its student body is predominantly White (93% of enrollment) (diversity index 14/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 339 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
11.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
West Salem School District also operates West Salem High (603 students) and West Salem Middle (534 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 Wisconsin and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Wisconsin | Wisconsin avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.5:1 | ▼ 6% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 21.4% | ▼ 44% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 677 | top 11% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.5:1
Leaner classes than 62% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
677
Bigger than 79% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
21.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 44% below the Wisconsin average of 38.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
13.5:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 54% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 46% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
11.7%
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
$13,029
per pupil, district-wide
- below Wisconsin avg of $14,919
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 339 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.1 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 92.5%
Hispanic or Latino 2.5%
Two or More 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.3%
African American 1.0%
Asian 1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 92.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 14.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 14.3, West Salem Elementary is less mixed than the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for West Salem School District, which includes West Salem Elementary.
$13,029
Per student
-13%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $14,919
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 44.5%
State 47.0%
Federal 8.5%
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 West Salem Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Salem High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| West Salem Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar 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
- 603
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 534
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 63/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Wisconsin, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~677 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on West Salem Elementary's federal record.
- Compare West Salem Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- West Salem 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 West Salem Elementary
How many students attend West Salem Elementary?
West Salem Elementary has 677 students enrolled. It is a public school in West Salem, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Salem Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at West Salem Elementary is 13.5:1, which is 6% lower than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 and 14% 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 West Salem Elementary?
21.4% of students at West Salem Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Salem Elementary?
The largest demographic group at West Salem Elementary is White at 92.5% of enrollment, in West Salem, WI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Salem Elementary?
West Salem Elementary 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 West Salem Elementary rank among public schools in West Salem?
By Resource Investment Index, West Salem Elementary ranks #3 of 3 public schools in West Salem, WI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in West Salem on the city page.
Is West Salem Elementary a good school?
West Salem Elementary earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Wisconsin 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 West Salem School District?
Besides West Salem Elementary, West Salem School District also operates West Salem High (603 students) and West Salem Middle (534 students). See the West Salem 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.