Enrollment
294
New Hampshire · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 330606000403
William E. Lancaster School — Salem, NH
Federal NCES profile for William E. Lancaster School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 37/100.
👥 Class size 47
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 41
📋 Attendance 30
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Salem School District · New Hampshire
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.2:1
vs 11.5:1 New Hampshire avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
13.7%
vs 21.5% New Hampshire avg
-36% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How William E. Lancaster School compares with New Hampshire and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
William E. Lancaster School reports 294 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 21.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 13.2:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 15% above the New Hampshire state mean of 11.5:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 17% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 13.7% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 36% below the New Hampshire average and 74% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 294 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 27.9% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Salem School District spends $25,854 per pupil district-wide, below the New Hampshire average of $33,165 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 63.7% from local sources (property taxes), 30.4% from the state, and 5.9% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How William E. Lancaster School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against New Hampshire state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs New Hampshire | New Hampshire avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.2:1 | ▲ 15% | 11.5:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 13.7% | ▼ 36% | 21.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 294 | top 54% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
13.7%
free-lunch eligible
— 36% below the New Hampshire average of 21.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold — federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
13.2:1
students per teacher
— 15% above state mean
Top 81% in New Hampshire — lower ratio than 19% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
27.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$25,854
per pupil, district-wide
— below New Hampshire avg of $33,165
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 294 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 294 Top 54% in New Hampshire — larger than 46% of 500 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 21.0
Students per teacher 13.2:1 +15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 13.7% -36% vs state
NCES ID 330606000403
Student demographics
White 77.9%
Hispanic or Latino 11.2%
Two or More 7.5%
African American 2.4%
Asian 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 77.9% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 294:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 27.9%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Salem School District, which includes William E. Lancaster School.
$25,854
Per student
-22%
vs New Hampshire
Avg $33,165
+33%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 63.7%
State 30.4%
Federal 5.9%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,116
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Enrollment
- 762
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Enrollment
- 377
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Enrollment
- 353
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Enrollment
- 272
- Students per teacher
- 10.8:1
Similar elementary schools in Salem
5 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
William T. Barron Elementary School
Standard public school
377 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
North Salem Elementary School
Standard public school
353 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
The Birches Academy of Academics - Art a Public Charter Sch
Standard public school
286 students 15:1 students per teacher
Mary a. Fisk Elementary School
Standard public school
272 students 10.8:1 students per teacher
Dr. L. F. Soule School
Standard public school
270 students 12:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about William E. Lancaster School
How many students attend William E. Lancaster School?
William E. Lancaster School has 294 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Salem, NH.
What is the student-teacher ratio at William E. Lancaster School?
The student-teacher ratio at William E. Lancaster School is 13.2:1, which is 15% higher than the New Hampshire average of 11.5:1 and 17% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at William E. Lancaster School?
13.7% of students at William E. Lancaster School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Hampshire average of 21.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of William E. Lancaster School?
The largest demographic group at William E. Lancaster School is White at 77.9%. The school serves a diverse student body in Salem, NH.
What is the Resource Investment Index for William E. Lancaster School?
William E. Lancaster School has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.