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South Salem Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1034^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,238 Georgia Elementary Schools

Better than 16% of Georgia elementary schools

Summary

South Salem Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Covington, Georgia, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 848 students. The school is part of the Newton County School District, which is ranked 159 out of 206 districts in Georgia and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

South Salem Elementary School has consistently ranked in the bottom half of South Salem Elementary School Georgia elementary schools, with a ranking between 778 and 1161 out of around 1,200-1,250 schools over the past 10 years. The school has maintained a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger for most of this period, with a brief 2-star rating in 2015-2016 and 2014-2015. Academically, the school consistently underperforms the Newton County and Georgia state averages on the Milestones Assessments across all grade levels and subject areas, with proficiency rates ranging from 14.7% to 25.1% compared to the state's 34.9% to 44.3%.

Additionally, South Salem Elementary School has an extremely high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 84.98% to 96.7% over the past few years, significantly higher than the nearby schools. The school also has relatively low spending per student, ranging from $8,146 to $9,256 per student, and a higher student-teacher ratio, ranging from 14.6 to 15.5 students per teacher, compared to the nearby schools. These factors suggest that the school may face significant challenges in providing a high-quality education to its students and may require targeted interventions and support to address the needs of its economically disadvantaged population.

855

Students ?

14.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,856

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5335 Salem Rd
Covington, GA 30016

(770) 787-1330

District: Newton County

Students who attend South Salem Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Liberty Middle School
High:	Alcovy High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

66.8%

White:

13.3%

Hispanic:

13.0%

See top rated Georgia elementary schools

Compare South Salem Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 7th percentile in 2022 → 16th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 16th (2025) from a 7th-percentile low (2022)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Georgia average (21% vs 42% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (16th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (28% vs 20% Georgia)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school21%

District avg27%

Georgia avg42%

1,034^th of 1,238

Georgia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 16%▼ down 14 pts since 2015

From bottom 30% (2015) to bottom 16% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Georgia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

8^th of 14Elementary Schools in the Newton County

159^th of 206Newton County among Georgia 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	Georgia percentile	Rating
2025	17.7	1034 of 1238	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.2	1113 of 1248	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	13.6	1108 of 1242	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	10.5	1161 of 1244	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	14.5	1057 of 1214	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	20.5	991 of 1234	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	26.8	881 of 1209	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	24.1	924 of 1205	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	37.1	778 of 1233	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2015	29.8	868 of 1240	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2014	50.3	738 of 1231	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2013	41.7	858 of 1225	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2012	26.9	978 of 1201	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	34.4	913 of 1212	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	36.2	873 of 1183	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Georgia (2024-2025) ?

Science32%-12 vs state

English Language Arts21%-18 vs state

Mathematics18%-28 vs state

2.5

2 ratings · 1 written review

5★0

4★1

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

I like the teacher Mrs. McCartney she was the best teacher my child ever had!!!!! Close Quote

Schools Near South Salem Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				Milestones Assessment English Language Arts (2025)			Milestones Assessment Mathematics (2025)			Milestones Assessment Science (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 3rd Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 4th Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 5th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 3rd Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 4th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 5th Grade	Milestones Assessment Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
South Salem Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5335 Salem Rd	Covington	30016	Newton County	Newton County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 787-1330	855	59	14.5	100.0%	114 (13.3%)	571 (66.8%)	111 (13.0%)	6 (0.7%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	49 (5.7%)	17.7	1034^th of 1238 public elementary schools	16.5%		14.2	1113^th of 1248 public elementary schools	10.8%	79	18.0	19.7	25.2	21.1	17.9	14.7	32.2	$15,856	$1,184	$14,672
Livingston Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3657 Highway 81 S	Covington	30016	Newton County	Newton County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 784-2930	357	29	12.1	100.0%	30 (8.4%)	249 (69.7%)	35 (9.8%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	40 (11.2%)	21.8	977^th of 1238 public elementary schools	21.1%		17.7	1047^th of 1248 public elementary schools	16.1%	70	21.2	25.0	27.3	20.0	17.9	27.3	30.3	$18,261	$1,530	$16,731
Live Oak Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	500 Kirkland Rd	Covington	30016	Newton County	Newton County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 625-6654	936	61	15.2	100.0%	27 (2.9%)	791 (84.5%)	62 (6.6%)	5 (0.5%)	5 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	45 (4.8%)	10.4	1175^th of 1238 public elementary schools	5.1%		13.4	1132^nd of 1248 public elementary schools	9.3%	43	16.3	17.3	20.0	14.8	14.7	6.9	15.8	$14,030	$941	$13,089
West Newton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	13387 Brown Bridge Rd	Covington	30016	Newton County	Newton County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 385-6472	698	45	15.4	100.0%	35 (5.0%)	505 (72.3%)	127 (18.2%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	4 (0.6%)	24 (3.4%)	16.2	1068^th of 1238 public elementary schools	13.7%		14.4	1105^th of 1248 public elementary schools	11.5%	37	17.2	14.1	29.3	21.3	20.0	19.2	22.2	$14,806	$1,065	$13,741
Porterdale Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	45 Ram Dr	Covington	30014	Newton County	Newton County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 784-2928	405	31	13.0	100.0%	23 (5.7%)	309 (76.3%)	48 (11.9%)	6 (1.5%)	5 (1.2%)	2 (0.5%)	12 (3.0%)	25.9	912^th of 1238 public elementary schools	26.3%		24.4	937^th of 1248 public elementary schools	24.9%	25	10.7	22.0	25.8	28.6	20.0	24.2	50.0	$17,800	$1,554	$16,246
Fairview Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3325 Fairview Rd	Covington	30016	Newton County	Newton County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 784-2959	591	44	13.4	100.0%	79 (13.4%)	360 (60.9%)	117 (19.8%)	5 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (4.9%)	12.7	1137^th of 1238 public elementary schools	8.2%		18.3	1033^rd of 1248 public elementary schools	17.2%	104	16.0	16.0	20.0	16.0	17.0	17.9	22.1	$16,299	$1,168	$15,131
Middle Ridge Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	11649 Covington By Pass Rd	Covington	30014	Newton County	Newton County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 385-6463	594	44	13.4	100.0%	79 (13.3%)	368 (62.0%)	81 (13.6%)	8 (1.3%)	1 (0.2%)	5 (0.8%)	52 (8.8%)	14.6	1099^th of 1238 public elementary schools	11.2%		16.7	1070^th of 1248 public elementary schools	14.3%	29	10.3	19.1	24.0	13.8	16.9	19.8	28.1	$16,218	$1,471	$14,747
Peek's Chapel Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2800 Avalon Pkwy	Conyers	30013	Rockdale County	Rockdale County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 761-1842	591	37	15.9	100.0%	8 (1.4%)	485 (82.1%)	60 (10.2%)	10 (1.7%)	5 (0.8%)	2 (0.3%)	21 (3.6%)	19.1	1013^th of 1238 public elementary schools	18.2%		31.2	828^th of 1248 public elementary schools	33.7%	185	21.1	18.8	29.7	17.9	14.6	25.3	28.6	$15,212	$1,261	$13,951
Oak Hill Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6243 Highway 212	Covington	30016	Newton County	Newton County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 385-6906	663	47	14.1	100.0%	114 (17.2%)	394 (59.4%)	94 (14.2%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.8%)	5 (0.8%)	51 (7.7%)	39.4	695^th of 1238 public elementary schools	43.9%		35.2	769^th of 1248 public elementary schools	38.4%	74	16.8	40.2	37.9	25.7	41.5	37.9	44.2	$15,741	$887	$14,854
Barksdale Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	596 Oglesby Bridge Rd SE	Conyers	30094	Rockdale County	Rockdale County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 483-9514	495	44	11.2	87.3%	52 (10.5%)	327 (66.1%)	74 (14.9%)	3 (0.6%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (7.3%)	29.6	840^th of 1238 public elementary schools	32.1%		31.7	815^th of 1248 public elementary schools	34.7%	25	22.9	26.2	39.3	22.9	31.0	23.8	36.9	$17,456	$1,583	$15,872

Frequently Asked Questions about South Salem Elementary School

Is South Salem Elementary School a good school?

South Salem Elementary School ranks in the bottom 16.5% of Georgia elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of South Salem Elementary School?

Students at South Salem Elementary School are 67% African American, 13% White, 13% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races.

What district is South Salem Elementary School in?

Newton County

How many students attend South Salem Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 855 students attended South Salem Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of South Salem Elementary School attend?

Students who attend South Salem Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Liberty Middle School
High : Alcovy High School

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Georgia Department of Education.

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.