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Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 01970

Coming soon: We're expecting this year's test scores from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education any day now — new rankings will be posted the moment they're released!

Coming soon: This year's test scores are expected from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education any day now — new rankings will follow the moment they're released!

At a glance

Schools

2,837

Students

Districts

Top rankedBates526^th of 906 Massachusetts elementary schools

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Biggest riser

Bentley Academy Innovation School up 80 spots statewide this year

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Smallest classes

Carlton 10.4 students per teacher

SchoolDigger ratings

2★

1★

0★

1 school without a SchoolDigger rating (too few tested students)

See the top-ranked Massachusetts schools →

Summary:

The 01970 zip code area of Salem, Massachusetts is home to 7 elementary schools serving students from kindergarten through 8th grade. These schools exhibit a range of academic performance, with some standouts like Carlton and Bates leading the pack, while others like Horace Mann Laboratory and Bentley Academy Innovation School lag behind.

Carlton stands out as the top performer, with the highest proficiency rates in English Language Arts (40.63% in 2024-2025) and Science (41.67% in 2024-2025), as well as respectable Math proficiency (28.91% in 2024-2025). Bates follows closely, with the second-highest proficiency rates in English Language Arts (33.73% in 2024-2025) and Math (39.52% in 2024-2025), and the highest Science proficiency (46.77% in 2024-2025). Saltonstall School also stands out for offering a wider grade range (K-8) compared to the other elementary schools, with respectable proficiency rates in English Language Arts (37.26% in 2024-2025) and Science (34.88% in 2024-2025).

The data suggests that factors such as student-teacher ratios and per-student spending may play a role in the schools' performance, with Bentley Academy Innovation School having the lowest student-teacher ratio (9.5) and Salem Early Childhood having the highest per-student spending ($35,086). However, other elements like student demographics, school programs, and teaching quality are also likely to influence the schools' academic outcomes. To gain a more comprehensive understanding of the schools' performance, additional data on these factors would be valuable.

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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 (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts (2025)							MCAS Next Generation Mathematics (2025)							MCAS Next Generation Science (2025)			MCAS Next Generation Civics (2025)	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	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2015)	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	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 6th Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 7th Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 8th 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 6th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 7th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 8th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics All Grades	MCAS Next Generation Science 5th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Science 8th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Science All Grades	MCAS Next Generation Civics 8th Grade	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	41.1%	135 (32.8%)	22 (5.3%)	222 (53.9%)	4 (1.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (6.6%)	41.4	537^th of 906 public elementary schools	40.7%		41.2	551^st of 916 public elementary schools	39.8%	14	33.3	45.8	43.5	43.9	20.9	35.0	37.3	37.8	29.2	21.7	26.2	11.6	10.0	23.1	47.8	20.0	34.9	22.5	$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	61.3%	200 (48.8%)	30 (7.3%)	146 (35.6%)	5 (1.2%)	6 (1.5%)	2 (0.5%)	20 (4.9%)	42.8	526^th of 906 public elementary schools	41.9%		38.6	568^th of 916 public elementary schools	38.0%	42	26.8	41.7	33.9				33.7	32.1	56.3	33.3				39.5	46.8		46.8		$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	69.4%	136 (55.1%)	15 (6.1%)	80 (32.4%)	4 (1.6%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	9 (3.6%)	38.9	559^th of 906 public elementary schools	38.3%		46.5	509^th of 916 public elementary schools	44.4%	50	42.5	35.0	43.8				40.6	25.0	32.5	29.2				28.9	41.7		41.7		$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	66.9%	100 (34.1%)	22 (7.5%)	150 (51.2%)	11 (3.8%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.3%)	7 (2.4%)	12.5	820^th of 906 public elementary schools	9.5%		12.7	827^th of 916 public elementary schools	9.7%	7	22.0	11.1	25.0				19.7	24.4	5.4	10.0				13.6	20.0		20.0		$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	41.2%	196 (43.1%)	35 (7.7%)	185 (40.7%)	18 (4.0%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	17 (3.7%)	35.4	590^th of 906 public elementary schools	34.9%		30.1	635^th of 916 public elementary schools	30.7%	45	31.6	33.3	30.1				31.6	46.1	34.9	30.1				36.9	34.9		34.9		$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		36 (12.6%)	21 (7.3%)	224 (78.3%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	18.1	760^th of 906 public elementary schools	16.1%		11.6	840^th of 916 public elementary schools	8.3%	80	36.4	11.1	26.7				23.6	23.5	8.9	26.1				19.2	21.7		21.7		$27,350
Swampscott Elementary School	Public	K-4	10 Whitman Road	Swampscott	01970	Essex County	Swampscott	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(781) 596-8847	734	64	11.5		557 (75.9%)	17 (2.3%)	111 (15.1%)	18 (2.5%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	28 (3.8%)								(n/a)

Cities Near Zip Code 01970

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Salem	0.25 mi	14	287^th
Peabody	1.18 mi	11	293^rd
Marblehead	2.21 mi	6	93^rd
Beverly	2.45 mi	8	103^rd
Swampscott	2.8 mi	3	122^nd

See the top MA Massachusetts cities

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.