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Salem Elementary

Q: Is Salem Elementary a good school?

Salem Elementary ranks 378 th of 1490 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

378^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,490 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 75% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Salem Elementary is a public elementary school located in Morganton, North Carolina, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 436 students. The school is part of the Burke County Schools district, which is ranked 121 out of 242 districts in the state.

Salem Elementary consistently ranks among the top 25% of elementary schools in North Carolina, with a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger for the majority of the years. The school's proficiency rates in Mathematics and Reading for grades 3-5 are significantly higher than the district and state averages, indicating effective teaching and learning practices. However, the school has seen a significant increase in its free and reduced lunch rates, from 50.25% in 2021-2022 to 99.31% in 2023-2024, suggesting a high percentage of economically disadvantaged students.

While Salem Elementary outperforms the nearby schools in the Burke County Schools district, the performance of these schools is generally lower than the state averages. The presence of a high-performing charter school, New Dimensions, in the area provides an alternative option for families and may contribute to the competitive landscape for Salem Elementary.

476

Students ?

17.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,182

Per pupil spending ?

98.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1329 Salem Road
Morganton, NC 28655-4835

(828) 437-5901

District: Burke County Schools

Students who attend Salem Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Liberty Middle
High:	Patton High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

79.2%

Hispanic:

13.7%

Two or more races:

4.6%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Salem Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 77th percentile in 2015 → 75th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (66% vs 57% meeting standards)

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Burke County Schools

✓Above the North Carolina median (75th percentile)

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school66%

District avg56%

North Carolina avg57%

378^th of 1,490

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 25%▼ down 2 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 14Elementary Schools in the Burke County Schools

121^st of 242Burke County Schools among North Carolina districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	70.7	378 of 1490	74.6%	★★★★☆
2024	73.5	352 of 1505	76.6%	★★★★☆
2023	74.3	337 of 1502	77.6%	★★★★☆
2022	75.8	313 of 1514	79.3%	★★★★☆
2021	69.9	401 of 1489	73.1%	★★★★☆
2019	76.1	288 of 1473	80.4%	★★★★☆
2018	71.9	368 of 1434	74.3%	★★★★☆
2017	76.0	305 of 1429	78.7%	★★★★☆
2016	72.2	357 of 1425	74.9%	★★★★☆
2015	74.4	336 of 1440	76.7%	★★★★☆
2014	71.5	366 of 1390	73.7%	★★★★☆
2013	65.0	439 of 1403	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2012	70.7	388 of 1388	72.0%	★★★★☆
2011	68.6	443 of 1381	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2010	67.2	463 of 1363	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2009	62.6	557 of 1354	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2008	66.8	407 of 1324	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2007	64.7	449 of 1293	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2006	55.7	611 of 1276	52.1%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	71.5	140 of 878	84.1%	★★★★☆
2018	59.3	275 of 897	69.3%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	65.6	441 of 1451	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	68.5	392 of 1455	73.1%	★★★★☆
2023	74.2	310 of 1459	78.8%	★★★★☆
2022	72.1	342 of 1458	76.5%	★★★★☆
2021	61.9	487 of 1440	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	71.7	356 of 1424	75.0%	★★★★☆
2018	74.7	309 of 1405	78.0%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	62.5	269 of 710	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	43.9	549 of 669	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	70.2	14 of 500	97.2%	★★★★★
2021	46.6	361 of 494	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	62.2	273 of 612	55.4%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2021	95.9	27 of 843	96.8%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	69.3	323 of 1437	77.5%	★★★★☆
2024	67.9	354 of 1450	75.6%	★★★★☆
2023	74.5	246 of 1437	82.9%	★★★★☆
2022	94.2	25 of 1366	98.2%	★★★★★
2021	87.7	74 of 1329	94.4%	★★★★★
2019	80.6	150 of 1361	89.0%	★★★★☆
2018	68.4	336 of 1332	74.8%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	72.7	339 of 1450	76.6%	★★★★☆
2024	75.0	300 of 1464	79.5%	★★★★☆
2023	71.4	346 of 1461	76.3%	★★★★☆
2022	76.7	283 of 1464	80.7%	★★★★☆
2021	72.8	353 of 1444	75.6%	★★★★☆
2019	77.5	251 of 1430	82.4%	★★★★☆
2018	68.0	422 of 1413	70.1%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	48.0	93 of 159	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	26.7	88 of 103	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	40.5	460 of 821	44.0%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	50.9	590 of 1172	49.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	49.5	618 of 1166	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	61.2	443 of 1183	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	65.6	372 of 1194	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	47.7	608 of 1172	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	57.3	507 of 1183	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.6	630 of 1178	46.5%	★★☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Hispanic (2021)97th percentile+24 vs school

Disabled (2019)84th percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)78th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2025)77th percentile~ school

Female (2025)70th percentile-5 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2025)62nd percentile-13 vs school

White (2025)50th percentile-25 vs school

Special Education (2025)44th percentile-31 vs school

Multi-racial (2024)42nd percentile-35 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Science75%+13 vs state

Mathematics74%+13 vs state

Reading54%~ state avg

1.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Saturday, May 23, 2015

I moved here and this school has no communication with parents. We moved here in January and no one was helpful it took over a hour to get my son in class that day and I had filled out all the paper work before that day. Other parents in this school discuit are rude to outsiders, and continuely put other schools down. I hate this school. Close Quote

Schools Near Salem Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				EOG Mathematics (2025)						EOG Reading (2025)						EOG Science (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOG Mathematics 3rd Grade	EOG Mathematics 4th Grade	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Salem Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1329 Salem Road	Morganton	28655	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 437-5901	476	28	17.0	98.7%	377 (79.2%)	3 (0.6%)	65 (13.7%)	8 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	22 (4.6%)	70.7	378^th of 1490 public elementary schools	74.6%		73.5	352^nd of 1505 public elementary schools	76.6%	26	77.0	75.8	68.7				54.0	58.1	50.7				74.6		$9,182	$1,028	$8,153
Mull Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1140 Old NC 18 South	Morganton	28655	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 437-5785	291	20	14.2	98.6%	203 (69.8%)	8 (2.7%)	48 (16.5%)	13 (4.5%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (5.8%)	64	499^th of 1490 public elementary schools	66.5%		78.5	272^nd of 1505 public elementary schools	81.9%	227	58.7	78.1	73.1				30.4	65.6	67.3				69.2		$11,063	$1,857	$9,205
Forest Hill Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	304 Ann Street	Morganton	28655	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 437-5906	305	19	15.8	99.0%	78 (25.6%)	25 (8.2%)	175 (57.4%)	7 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (6.6%)	23.1	1217^th of 1490 public elementary schools	18.3%		22.3	1239^th of 1505 public elementary schools	17.7%	22	46.3	35.7	43.2				26.8	45.2	40.9				56.8		$10,628	$1,562	$9,066
W A Young Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	325 Conley Road	Morganton	28655	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 584-0632	327	25	12.9	95.4%	246 (75.2%)	4 (1.2%)	22 (6.7%)	32 (9.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (7.0%)	37.9	953^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	36.0%		64.4	499^th of 1505 public elementary schools	66.8%	454	62.8	68.2	36.2				46.5	61.4	29.8				36.2		$10,309	$1,352	$8,957
Mountain View Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	805 Bouchelle St	Morganton	28655	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 437-1584	762	52	14.5	97.8%	287 (37.7%)	58 (7.6%)	346 (45.4%)	12 (1.6%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	56 (7.3%)	28.6	1107^th of 1490 public elementary schools	25.7%		34.7	1015^th of 1505 public elementary schools	32.6%	92	55.0	54.1	44.9				25.2	45.9	41.1				52.3		$9,734	$1,324	$8,410
Hillcrest Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	201 Tennessee Street	Morganton	28655	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 437-4258	254	18	14.0	97.6%	38 (15.0%)	17 (6.7%)	182 (71.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (6.7%)	25.1	1181^st of 1490 public elementary schools	20.7%		25.7	1184^th of 1505 public elementary schools	21.3%	3	52.9	42.2	57.1				32.4	37.8	40.5				42.9		$11,197	$1,694	$9,503
Glen Alpine Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	302 London Street	Morganton	28655	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 584-0661	295	22	13.2	99.0%	180 (61.0%)	14 (4.7%)	49 (16.6%)	20 (6.8%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (10.2%)	60.4	557^th of 1490 public elementary schools	62.6%		52.6	706^th of 1505 public elementary schools	53.1%	149	72.5	57.8	75.5				43.1	51.1	52.8				71.7		$10,621	$1,368	$9,253
New Dimensions	Public, Charter	K-8	550 Lenoir Road	Morganton	28655	Burke County	The New Dimensions School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(828) 437-5753	569	39	14.7	33.0%	500 (87.9%)	21 (3.7%)	13 (2.3%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (5.4%)	58.1	596^th of 1490 public elementary schools	60.0%		58.5	608^th of 1505 public elementary schools	59.6%	12	76.6	62.7	46.4	56.9	60.4	66.7	57.8	56.7	48.2	60.0	73.6	70.8	60.7	72.9
Drexel Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	100 Alta Vista Street	Morganton	28655	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 437-3160	477	29	16.4	98.7%	316 (66.2%)	23 (4.8%)	55 (11.5%)	41 (8.6%)	4 (0.8%)	3 (0.6%)	35 (7.3%)	51	733^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	50.8%		66.1	473^rd of 1505 public elementary schools	68.6%	260	56.1	63.9	46.5				54.5	48.6	49.3				74.6		$9,435	$1,433	$8,002
Oak Hill Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2363 Nc 181	Morganton	28655	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 433-1533	310	20	15.2	99.0%	194 (62.6%)	40 (12.9%)	38 (12.3%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	34 (11.0%)	29.1	1102^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	26.0%		26.7	1169^th of 1505 public elementary schools	22.3%	67	41.8	42.6	38.9				36.4	55.3	42.6				59.3		$9,195	$1,040	$8,155

Frequently Asked Questions about Salem Elementary

What schools do graduates of Salem Elementary attend?

Students who attend Salem Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Liberty Middle
High : Patton High School

What is the racial makeup of Salem Elementary?

Students at Salem Elementary are 79% White, 14% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

How many students attend Salem Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 476 students attended Salem Elementary.

Is Salem Elementary a good school?

Salem Elementary ranks 378^th of 1490 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Salem Elementary in?

Burke County Schools

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.