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Elementary Schools in Salem

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At a glance

DistrictSalem288^th of 351 Massachusetts districtsFull district overview →

Schools

2,103

Students

Top rankedCarlton509^th of 899 Massachusetts elementary schools

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Biggest riser

Horace Mann Laboratory up 67 spots statewide this year

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Smallest classes

Carlton 10.4 students per teacher

SchoolDigger ratings

2★

1★

0★

Compare Massachusetts districts →See the top-ranked Massachusetts schools →

Summary:

Six elementary schools serve Salem, Massachusetts: Witchcraft Heights, Saltonstall School, Bates, Horace Mann Laboratory, Bentley Academy Innovation School, and Carlton. Most serve grades K–5, and Bates, Horace Mann Laboratory, and Bentley Academy also include PK. Together they enroll 2,103 students, from 247 at Carlton to 455 at Witchcraft Heights. All six share the same district profile: rank 288 of 351 districts, 18th percentile, 1 star. Test figures below are percent proficient on the MCAS Next Generation.

Carlton stands out with the highest 2025 all-grade ELA (40.83%) and science (42.86%) scores — the only 2025 ELA result above the state average and one of only two science results above it — plus the highest 2025–2026 rank (43rd percentile, 2 stars) and the lowest student-teacher ratio (10.4). Bates is the strongest math school at 38.55% in 2025 and 39.52% in 2024, with the top 2024 science score (46.77%), all while reporting the lowest per-student spending ($18,948). Saltonstall School raised all-grade math from 23.11% in 2024 to 29.93% in 2025, a 6.82-point gain, and scored 43.24% in both 3rd-grade ELA and math. Witchcraft Heights is middle-of-the-pack but posts 41.79% in 5th-grade math, above the state’s 39.50%.

Horace Mann Laboratory and Bentley Academy Innovation School are the lowest performers. Bentley is lowest in all three 2025 all-grade subjects — 17.74% ELA, 9.60% math, 14.58% science — with the largest year-over-year declines and the highest student-teacher ratio (14.3). Across all six schools, 4th-grade ELA, 4th-grade math, and 5th-grade ELA fall below state averages everywhere, a district-wide concern. Free/reduced-lunch data were unavailable, so socioeconomic comparisons cannot be made.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts (2026)				MCAS Next Generation Mathematics (2026)				MCAS Next Generation Science (2026)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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	Directly certified (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 4th Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 5th Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts All Grades	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 3rd Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 4th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 5th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics All Grades	MCAS Next Generation Science 5th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Science All Grades	Total
Saltonstall School	Public	K-5	211 Lafayette Street	Salem	01970	Essex County	Salem	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 740-1297	412	31	13.2	66.0%	135 (32.8%)	22 (5.3%)	222 (53.9%)	4 (1.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (6.6%)	33.8	597^th of 899 public elementary schools	33.6%		41.4	537^th of 906 public elementary schools	40.7%	60	43.2	33.3	30.8	35.0	43.2	22.9	26.9	29.9	30.8	30.8	$23,905
Bates	Public	PK, KG-5	53 Liberty Hill Avenue	Salem	01970	Essex County	Salem	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 740-1250	410	33	12.5	54.1%	200 (48.8%)	30 (7.3%)	146 (35.6%)	5 (1.2%)	6 (1.5%)	2 (0.5%)	20 (4.9%)	39.9	536^th of 899 public elementary schools	40.4%		42.8	526^th of 906 public elementary schools	41.9%	10	36.7	32.8	32.7	34.1	40.7	39.7	34.7	38.6	36.7	36.7	$22,713
Carlton	Public	K-5	10 Skerry Street	Salem	01970	Essex County	Salem	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 740-1280	247	24	10.4	45.7%	136 (55.1%)	15 (6.1%)	80 (32.4%)	4 (1.6%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	9 (3.6%)	43.1	509^th of 899 public elementary schools	43.4%		38.9	559^th of 906 public elementary schools	38.3%	50	56.1	32.4	33.3	40.8	34.2	27.0	35.7	32.5	42.9	42.9	$24,681
Horace Mann Laboratory	Public	PK, KG-5	79 Willson Street	Salem	01970	Essex County	Salem	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 740-1290	293	25	11.8	64.8%	100 (34.1%)	22 (7.5%)	150 (51.2%)	11 (3.8%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.3%)	7 (2.4%)	17.5	753^rd of 899 public elementary schools	16.2%		12.5	820^th of 906 public elementary schools	9.5%	67	20.0	31.7	19.1	23.4	9.1	26.8	23.8	19.7	19.5	19.5	$23,351
Witchcraft Heights	Public	K-5	1 Frederick Street	Salem	01970	Essex County	Salem	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 740-1271	455	33	13.6	54.9%	196 (43.1%)	35 (7.7%)	185 (40.7%)	18 (4.0%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	17 (3.7%)	33.1	605^th of 899 public elementary schools	32.7%		35.4	590^th of 906 public elementary schools	34.9%	15	30.9	21.6	33.9	28.5	29.4	33.8	41.8	34.9	37.3	37.3	$24,568
Bentley Academy Innovation School	Public	PK, KG-5	25 Memorial Drive	Salem	01970	Essex County	Salem	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 740-1260	286	20	14.3	71.7%	36 (12.6%)	21 (7.3%)	224 (78.3%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	11.7	826^th of 899 public elementary schools	8.1%		18.1	760^th of 906 public elementary schools	16.1%	66	10.0	35.3	12.0	17.7	2.5	25.7	4.0	9.6	14.6	14.6	$27,350

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Bentley Academy Charter School (District)	0 mi	1
Salem Academy Charter (District)	0.83 mi	1	197^th
Beverly	1.68 mi	8	89^th
Marblehead	1.9 mi	5
Peabody	1.9 mi	11	266^th

See the top MA Massachusetts districts

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