Enrollment
409
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Salisbury, MD
West Salisbury
Federal NCES profile for West Salisbury, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 240069001317
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 18
📋 Attendance 32
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
West Salisbury earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maryland median.
- #5 of 6
- schools in Salisbury · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.1:1
- students per teacher
- 57.9%
- free-lunch eligible
West Salisbury has class sizes near the Maryland median. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, West Salisbury ranks #5 of 6 schools in Salisbury, MD.
School address
District: Wicomico County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240069001317 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.1:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
57.9%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
+18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Salisbury compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at West Salisbury
West Salisbury is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Salisbury, Maryland, enrolling 409 students.
At 15.1:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Maryland median, within a few percentage points of the 14.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 57.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 409 puts it in the smaller third of Maryland schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 93% of the 1,382 Maryland schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 276 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Maryland schools statewide, it ranks #258, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (54%) and Hispanic or Latino (23%) (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 409 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Salisbury's public schools, it stands alongside Prince Street School (976 students): West Salisbury is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.1:1 vs 17.4:1).
Wicomico County Public Schools also operates James M. Bennett High (1,474 students) and Wicomico High (1,304 students) alongside West Salisbury.
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 Salisbury compares
West Salisbury on the metrics families compare, against Maryland and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.1:1 | ▲ 4% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 57.9% | ▲ 18% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 409 | top 71% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.1:1
Leaner classes than 46% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
409
Bigger than 49% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
57.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% above the Maryland average of 49.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.1:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 59% in Maryland - lower ratio than 41% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
27.4%
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
$17,780
per pupil, district-wide
- below Maryland avg of $20,446
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 409 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: 0.2 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
African American 53.8%
Hispanic or Latino 23.2%
White 11.0%
Two or More 6.8%
Asian 2.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.0%
Largest group: African American at 53.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.9, West Salisbury is more mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wicomico County Public Schools, which includes West Salisbury.
$17,780
Per student
-13%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
+7%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.7%
State 66.2%
Federal 14.1%
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 Salisbury Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| James M. Bennett High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Wicomico High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Parkside High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Prince Street School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bennett Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to West Salisbury's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,474
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,304
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,272
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 976
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 963
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar other schools in Salisbury
5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Prince Street School
Standard public school
976 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Beaver Run School
Standard public school
741 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
Pinehurst Elementary
Standard public school
564 students 13.4:1 students per teacher
Pemberton Elementary
Standard public school
506 students 11.8:1 students per teacher
Charles H. Chipman Elementary
Standard public school
303 students 11.2:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Maryland, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~409 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on West Salisbury's federal record.
- Compare West Salisbury against another school. Compare schools
- Wicomico County 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 Salisbury
How many students attend West Salisbury?
West Salisbury has 409 students enrolled. It is a public school in Salisbury, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Salisbury?
The student-teacher ratio at West Salisbury is 15.1:1, which is 4% higher than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 4% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at West Salisbury?
57.9% of students at West Salisbury are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Salisbury?
The largest demographic group at West Salisbury is African American at 53.8% of enrollment, in Salisbury, MD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Salisbury?
West Salisbury has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower 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 Salisbury rank among schools in Salisbury?
By Resource Investment Index, West Salisbury ranks #5 of 6 schools in Salisbury, MD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Salisbury on the city page.
Is West Salisbury a good school?
West Salisbury earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maryland 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 Wicomico County Public Schools?
Besides West Salisbury, Wicomico County Public Schools also operates James M. Bennett High (1,474 students), Wicomico High (1,304 students), and Parkside High (1,272 students). See the Wicomico County 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.