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Salem Avenue Elementary

Q: Is Salem Avenue Elementary a good school?

Salem Avenue Elementary ranks 443 rd of 864 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

443^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 864 Maryland Elementary Schools

Better than 49% of Maryland elementary schools

Summary

Salem Avenue Elementary in Hagerstown, MD, is a mid-sized school serving 713 students in grades PK-5 within the Washington County Public Schools district, where over 83% of students qualify for free and reduced lunch, indicating a very high level of economic need.

One of the biggest challenges at Salem Avenue is chronic absenteeism, with 37.4% of students missing significant school time in the 2024-2025 school year. This rate is much higher than nearby high-performing schools like Fountaindale Elementary (21.7%) and Paramount Elementary (15.2%), and is more comparable to Bester Elementary (44.3%), the lowest-performing school in the area. Academically, Salem Avenue has an unusual profile: math proficiency (28.6%) is slightly above the state average, but English Language Arts proficiency (48.6%) lags behind both the district and state. Science scores are a particular concern, with only 23.2% of 5th graders proficient, far below the district average of 38.5%. The school's state ranking (49th percentile) places it in the middle of nearby schools, outperforming Bester, Eastern Elementary, and Jonathan Hager Elementary, but falling behind Emma K. Doub Elementary, Paramount, and Fountaindale.

Despite spending a substantial $18,411 per student—more than higher-performing schools like Fountaindale ($14,992) and Paramount ($16,005)—the school's academic outcomes are not keeping pace, likely due to the overwhelming impact of chronic absenteeism and high poverty. The school has not fully recovered from the pandemic dip, and its persistent absenteeism remains a critical barrier to learning. However, compared to Bester Elementary, which shares similar challenges, Salem Avenue achieves better results, suggesting that its math instruction and slightly lower absenteeism are making a positive difference.

713

Students ?

14.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,411

Per pupil spending ?

83%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1323 Salem Ave Ext
Hagerstown, MD 21740-3542

(301) 766-8313

District: Washington County Public Schools

Students who attend Salem Avenue Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Western Heights Middle
High:	South Hagerstown High

Racial breakdown:

White:

33.1%

Hispanic:

26.1%

African American:

20.6%

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At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 39th percentile in 2016 → 49th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 10 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school37%

District avg41%

Maryland avg39%

443^rd of 864

Maryland public elementary schools ?

Bottom 49%▲ up 10 pts since 2016

From bottom 39% (2016) to bottom 49% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

16^th of 24Elementary Schools in the Washington County Public Schools

10^th of 25Washington County Public Schools among Maryland 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	Maryland percentile	Rating
2026	45.0	443 of 864	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	45.3	448 of 865	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.0	515 of 859	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.0	509 of 855	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	44.3	441 of 862	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	17.0	671 of 802	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	32.2	527 of 853	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	39.0	477 of 857	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	24.7	619 of 847	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	36.0	518 of 845	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2015	27.6	602 of 859	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2014	34.4	637 of 867	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	28.7	662 of 847	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	41.7	577 of 857	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2011	35.3	609 of 853	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	44.4	560 of 855	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2009	47.5	516 of 850	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2008	50.7	477 of 838	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2007	67.6	279 of 818	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2006	65.4	309 of 804	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2005	54.8	404 of 805	49.8%	★★★☆☆
2004	62.8	352 of 803	56.2%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	27.1	398 of 504	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	16.0	710 of 796	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	23.8	301 of 347	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	34.2	378 of 546	30.8%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	18.7	652 of 788	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	14.4	51 of 52	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	10.6	502 of 528	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Low Socio Economic Status (2021)31st percentile+14 vs school

African American (2021)21st percentile+5 vs school

Male (2021)17th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2021)13th percentile-3 vs school

Female (2021)11th percentile-6 vs school

White (2021)5th percentile-11 vs school

Multi-racial (2021)2nd percentile-14 vs school

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts49%-3 vs state

Mathematics29%~ state avg

Science23%-9 vs state

★

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Schools Near Salem Avenue Elementary

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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)				MCAP Mathematics (2026)				MCAP English Language Arts (2026)				MCAP 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	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	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	MCAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MCAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MCAP Mathematics All Grades	MCAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts All Grades	MCAP Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Salem Avenue Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1323 Salem Ave Ext	Hagerstown	21740	Washington County	Washington County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 766-8313	713	50	14.1	83.0%	236 (33.1%)	147 (20.6%)	186 (26.1%)	12 (1.7%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	131 (18.4%)	45	443^rd of 864 public elementary schools	48.7%		45.3	448^th of 865 public elementary schools	48.2%	5	34.9	19.8	31.3	28.6	47.6	50.0	48.2	48.6	23.2	$18,411	$3,622	$14,789
Jonathan Hager Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	12615 Sedgwick Way	Hagerstown	21740	Washington County	Washington County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 766-8440	498	34	14.8	69.3%	133 (26.7%)	211 (42.4%)	77 (15.5%)	16 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (12.2%)	34	535^th of 864 public elementary schools	38.1%		32.8	534^th of 865 public elementary schools	38.3%	1	30.2	14.3	21.4	21.7	46.0	28.6	39.1	37.6	30.4	$17,371	$2,789	$14,582
Fountaindale Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	901 Northern Ave	Hagerstown	21742	Washington County	Washington County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(301) 766-8156	413	27	15.2	56.9%	192 (46.5%)	71 (17.2%)	83 (20.1%)	17 (4.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (11.9%)	78.1	196^th of 864 public elementary schools	77.3%		74.9	217^th of 865 public elementary schools	74.9%	21	53.1	40.5	50.0	47.9	67.5	63.0	59.0	63.6	55.0	$14,992	$861	$14,131
Bester Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	385 Mill St	Hagerstown	21740	Washington County	Washington County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 766-8001	490	43	11.3	84.7%	141 (28.8%)	149 (30.4%)	106 (21.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	92 (18.8%)	16.7	730^th of 864 public elementary schools	15.5%		12.8	793^rd of 865 public elementary schools	8.3%	63	23.3	13.3	5.0	13.6	26.0	28.9	20.8	25.3	16.0	$22,906	$4,586	$18,321
Potomac Heights Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	301 E Magnolia Ave	Hagerstown	21742	Washington County	Washington County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 766-8305	351	21	16.6	66.4%	137 (39.0%)	80 (22.8%)	73 (20.8%)	10 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (14.5%)	61.5	306^th of 864 public elementary schools	64.6%		57.8	353^rd of 865 public elementary schools	59.2%	47	43.4	37.8	26.9	36.0	49.1	54.5	57.7	53.7	46.2	$14,275	$821	$13,455
Maugansville Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	18023 Maugans Ave	Maugansville	21767	Washington County	Washington County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 766-8230	698	47	14.7	60.2%	319 (45.7%)	137 (19.6%)	166 (23.8%)	20 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (8.0%)	42.2	466^th of 864 public elementary schools	46.1%		48.7	415^th of 865 public elementary schools	52.0%	51	34.6	30.8	15.3	26.6	55.8	44.2	39.6	46.4	23.9	$15,965	$1,693	$14,272
Pangborn Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	195 Pangborn Blvd	Hagerstown	21740	Washington County	Washington County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 766-8282	749	56	13.3	76.0%	265 (35.4%)	169 (22.6%)	206 (27.5%)	9 (1.2%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	97 (13.0%)	37.2	502^nd of 864 public elementary schools	41.9%		26.7	590^th of 865 public elementary schools	31.8%	88	33.7	18.0	13.0	21.1	45.5	36.1	43.0	41.2	35.2	$19,714	$3,422	$16,291
Emma K. Doub Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	1221 S Potomac St	Hagerstown	21740	Washington County	Washington County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(301) 766-8130	389	21	18.3	58.1%	178 (45.8%)	65 (16.7%)	81 (20.8%)	8 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (14.4%)	80.9	173^rd of 864 public elementary schools	80.0%		66.8	280^th of 865 public elementary schools	67.6%	107	56.9	51.7	37.1	47.9	72.9	61.7	64.3	66.1	55.7	$15,749	$1,563	$14,186
Lincolnshire Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	17545 Lincolnshire Rd	Hagerstown	21740	Washington County	Washington County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 766-8206	503	37	13.5	69.2%	228 (45.3%)	88 (17.5%)	116 (23.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	69 (13.7%)	38.1	500^th of 864 public elementary schools	42.1%		38.9	494^th of 865 public elementary schools	42.9%	6	35.6	24.7	12.9	23.1	49.2	39.5	34.1	40.0	33.3	$21,207	$4,306	$16,901
Paramount Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	19410 Longmeadow Rd	Hagerstown	21742	Washington County	Washington County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 766-8289	397	26	15.0	49.4%	217 (54.7%)	75 (18.9%)	62 (15.6%)	13 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (7.6%)	71	255^th of 864 public elementary schools	70.5%		70.3	254^th of 865 public elementary schools	70.6%	1	44.6	46.8	34.9	42.0	60.7	62.9	57.1	60.2	43.8	$16,005	$982	$15,023

Frequently Asked Questions about Salem Avenue Elementary

What schools do graduates of Salem Avenue Elementary attend?

Students who attend Salem Avenue Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Western Heights Middle
High : South Hagerstown High

Is Salem Avenue Elementary a good school?

Salem Avenue Elementary ranks 443^rd of 864 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Salem Avenue Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 713 students attended Salem Avenue Elementary.

What district is Salem Avenue Elementary in?

Washington County Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of Salem Avenue Elementary?

Students at Salem Avenue Elementary are 33% White, 26% Hispanic, 21% African American, 18% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

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Latest Maryland data All new data »

2025–26 MCAP test scoresNewJul 28, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026

2024–25 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 MCAP test scoresAug 26, 2025

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