Enrollment
603
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · West Salem, WI
West Salem High
Federal NCES profile for West Salem High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 551635002141
👥 S:T ratio 45
📚 AP courses 55
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 40
📋 Attendance 82
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
West Salem High earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Wisconsin median.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in West Salem · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.7:1
- students per teacher
- 15.4%
- free-lunch eligible
West Salem High has class sizes near the Wisconsin median. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, West Salem High ranks #2 of 3 public schools in West Salem, WI.
School address
District: West Salem School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 551635002141 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.7:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
15.4%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
-60% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Salem High compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at West Salem High
West Salem High is a lower-poverty, large high school in West Salem, Wisconsin, enrolling 603 students.
At 13.7:1, 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.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 15.4% free-meal eligibility runs 60% below the Wisconsin average.
Enrollment of 603 puts it in the larger third of Wisconsin schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,202 scored Wisconsin schools.
Against 338 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #128.
Its student body is predominantly White (92% of enrollment) (diversity index 15/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 11 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 302 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 7.1% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
West Salem School District also operates West Salem Elementary (677 students) and West Salem Middle (534 students) alongside West Salem 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 West Salem High compares
West Salem High on the metrics families compare, against Wisconsin and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Wisconsin | Wisconsin avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.7:1 | ▼ 5% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 15.4% | ▼ 60% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 603 | top 14% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.7:1
Leaner classes than 60% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
603
Bigger than 73% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
15.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 60% below the Wisconsin average of 38.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
13.7:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 56% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 44% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
7.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
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 302 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
18
in-school suspensions + 23 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.8 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 92.2%
Two or More 3.5%
Hispanic or Latino 2.6%
Asian 1.1%
African American 0.5%
Largest group: White at 92.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 14.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 14.8, West Salem High is less mixed than the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 11
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for West Salem School District, which includes West Salem High.
$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 High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Salem Elementary | 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 High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 677
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 534
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 63/100
Similar high 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 (~603 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on West Salem High's federal record.
- Compare West Salem High 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 High
How many students attend West Salem High?
West Salem High has 603 students enrolled. It is a high school in West Salem, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Salem High?
The student-teacher ratio at West Salem High is 13.7:1, which is 5% lower than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 and 13% 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 High?
15.4% of students at West Salem High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Salem High?
The largest demographic group at West Salem High is White at 92.2% of enrollment, in West Salem, WI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Salem High?
West Salem High has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does West Salem High rank among public schools in West Salem?
By Resource Investment Index, West Salem High ranks #2 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 High a good school?
West Salem High earns 50/100 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 High, West Salem School District also operates West Salem Elementary (677 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.