Salem School District

Salem School District in Connecticut is a single-school district served by Salem Elementary School, a PK–8 school with 389 students in a small-town setting. Because there is only one school, district-level and school-level data are essentially the same, and the analysis focuses on grade-level performance and state comparisons. The school has a strong 11:1 student–teacher ratio, and about 24% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Over the past three years, Salem Elementary has improved its statewide rank from 250th to 214th out of roughly 490 schools, now sitting in the 56th percentile with a 3-star rating. Overall, its 2025–2026 proficiency averages are above the state in both English language arts and math.

Academically, the school shows clear strengths in early elementary math and middle-school ELA. In 2025–2026, 4th grade math proficiency reached 78.7% versus 52.1% statewide, and 7th grade ELA reached 78% versus 52.2% statewide. Fourth grade ELA also came in well above the state average. However, not every grade is equally strong: 5th grade math proficiency was 40% versus 45.8% statewide, and 8th grade math was 37.5% versus 41.9% statewide. The 8th grade math result is a major improvement from the previous year’s 23.7%, but it still trails the state. Because the school is small, single-grade cohort effects are magnified, which helps explain why 4th grade math can be 78.7% while 5th grade math is 40% in the same year. Year-to-year changes for the same grade level can also be dramatic, reflecting individual class dynamics rather than a clear schoolwide trend.

Chronic absenteeism is a notable bright spot. The district’s 2025–2026 rate is just 7.9%, roughly half the state rate of 16.4%, and even the school-level rate from the previous year was below the state average. This strong attendance likely supports learning. One caveat is that per-student spending data is from 2018–2019 and too outdated for current conclusions. There is no high school in the district, so this PK–8 school represents the entire academic picture. Overall, Salem Elementary is a solidly average-to-above-average school in Connecticut, with particular strengths in 4th grade math and 7th grade ELA, low chronic absenteeism, and steady improvement in statewide rank. The main area to watch is middle-grade math, especially 5th and 8th grade, where proficiency falls below state levels.