Summary:
Zip code 36767 in Orrville, Alabama, is served by a single elementary school, Salem Elementary School, which enrolls 155 students in grades PK through 5 within the Dallas County district.
For parents considering this area, Salem Elementary School is a high-poverty school (78% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch) that faces significant academic challenges. The school's state ranking has declined each year, falling from the 32nd percentile in 2023-2024 to the 15th percentile in 2025-2026, placing it 586th out of 686 Alabama schools. Test scores are generally well below state averages across most subjects and grade levels. For example, in 2025-2026, 5th-grade math proficiency was just 10.53% compared to the state's 39.06%, and 4th-grade science was 22.73% versus the state's 50.23%. The one bright spot was 3rd-grade math, where proficiency reached 50%, actually exceeding the state average of 44.89%.
Several factors stand out. Chronic absenteeism is a critical concern, with 21.8% of students chronically absent—nearly double the state average of 12.0%. This likely contributes to the inconsistent and volatile test scores, which swung dramatically between school years. For instance, 3rd-grade math proficiency jumped from 13.64% to 50% in one year, while 5th-grade math dropped from 29.41% to 10.53%. The school spends a substantial $11,997 per student, yet outcomes remain low, suggesting that financial resources alone aren't overcoming the challenges of poverty and absenteeism. Performance is also uneven across subjects and grades, with no clear school-wide instructional pattern. While the school outperformed its district in 3rd-grade math, it lagged in most other areas. Parents should be aware that this is a school in transition, facing significant hurdles that will require targeted interventions to improve student outcomes.
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