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Salem Elementary

Q: Is Salem Elementary a good school?

Salem Elementary ranks 242 nd of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

242^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 84% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Salem Elementary is a PK-5 school in Apex, NC, serving 776 students within the Wake County Schools district. Salem has earned a 4-star SchoolDigger rating, ranking #242 out of 1,492 North Carolina elementary schools — the 84th percentile statewide. That ranking reflects a real turnaround: in 2017-18 and 2018-19, Salem sat near the state median with two-star ratings, then jumped beginning in 2020-21, reaching the 87th percentile by 2021-22 before settling into its current range over the last three reported years.

The most important context for parents is what sits in the school's own backyard. Within roughly three miles, Salem is surrounded by some of the highest-performing elementary schools in North Carolina. Davis Drive Elementary and Scotts Ridge Elementary rank in the top 20 statewide, while Olive Chapel Elementary, Green Hope Elementary, Laurel Park Elementary, Baucom Elementary, and Turner Creek Elementary all rank in the 90th percentile or better. Among these neighbors, Salem ranks above only Apex Elementary. Economics provide context for the gap: about 25.4% of Salem students qualify for free/reduced-price lunch, roughly twice the rate at Scotts Ridge and Davis Drive. Chronic absenteeism also runs a bit higher at Salem (14%) than at nearby schools, though it is far better than the Wake County Schools average of 20.5%.

Inside the building, results are uneven. Fifth grade is the brightest spot, with math proficiency at 84.3%, reading at 77.8%, and science at 83.3% — all well above district averages. Fourth grade is the only level where Salem falls below the Wake County Schools average in both reading and math. Looking at student groups, many of Salem's students perform in the low-to-mid 80th percentile compared with their peers statewide, while the school's economically disadvantaged students, African American students, and special education students rank at notably lower percentile levels in statewide comparisons of those same groups. Salem remains a strong, stable, above-average school; its clearest opportunities are supporting fourth graders and continuing to close the gap between its highest- and lowest-performing student groups.

776

Students ?

13.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

25.4%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

6116 Old Jenks Road
Apex, NC 27523

(919) 363-2865

District: Wake County Schools

Students who attend Salem Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Salem Middle
High:	Apex High
	Wake Early College of Health and Science
	Wake STEM Early College High School
	Wake Young Men's Leadership Academy
	More...
	Wake Young Women's Leadership Academy

Racial breakdown:

White:

49.4%

Asian:

25.4%

Hispanic:

16.4%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Salem Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 65th percentile in 2016 → 84th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (74% vs 61% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 16% of North Carolina elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 19 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school74%

District avg70%

North Carolina avg61%

242^nd of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 16%▲ up 18 pts since 2016

From top 35% (2016) to top 16% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

60^th of 246Wake County Schools among North Carolina 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	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	80.0	242 of 1492	83.8%	★★★★☆
2025	79.9	245 of 1490	83.6%	★★★★☆
2024	81.5	219 of 1505	85.4%	★★★★☆
2023	83.5	189 of 1502	87.4%	★★★★☆
2022	84.1	194 of 1514	87.2%	★★★★☆
2021	75.5	308 of 1489	79.3%	★★★★☆
2019	50.4	758 of 1473	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	49.7	757 of 1434	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2017	63.0	522 of 1429	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2016	64.0	494 of 1425	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2015	80.7	227 of 1440	84.2%	★★★★☆
2014	87.9	129 of 1390	90.7%	★★★★★
2013	92.2	81 of 1403	94.2%	★★★★★
2012	76.7	269 of 1388	80.6%	★★★★☆
2011	81.5	177 of 1381	87.2%	★★★★☆
2010	82.6	151 of 1363	88.9%	★★★★☆
2009	86.4	105 of 1354	92.2%	★★★★★
2008	92.3	40 of 1324	97.0%	★★★★★
2007	88.0	53 of 1293	95.9%	★★★★★
2006	85.2	103 of 1276	91.9%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	23.6	768 of 903	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.8	816 of 924	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	62.6	258 of 927	72.2%	★★★★☆
2019	25.5	797 of 949	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	10.5	902 of 927	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	34.9	103 of 134	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	54.3	79 of 131	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	64.5	61 of 130	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	64.7	52 of 114	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.0	62 of 107	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	46.4	69 of 95	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	75.4	73 of 634	88.5%	★★★★☆
2021	70.8	95 of 646	85.3%	★★★★☆
2019	41.6	498 of 878	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	41.3	504 of 897	43.8%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	43.4	280 of 519	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	50.2	226 of 563	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	33.9	370 of 533	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.7	264 of 514	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	62.6	104 of 485	78.6%	★★★★☆
2021	65.7	65 of 385	83.1%	★★★★☆
2019	16.5	483 of 497	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	18.6	395 of 421	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	78.0	248 of 1447	82.9%	★★★★☆
2025	81.6	193 of 1451	86.7%	★★★★☆
2024	86.1	139 of 1455	90.4%	★★★★★
2023	83.1	173 of 1459	88.1%	★★★★☆
2022	84.0	173 of 1458	88.1%	★★★★☆
2021	76.5	270 of 1440	81.3%	★★★★☆
2019	47.9	780 of 1424	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	42.4	888 of 1405	36.8%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	57.3	396 of 743	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	60.1	324 of 710	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	49.8	476 of 669	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	62.9	217 of 582	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	64.1	172 of 500	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	54.2	297 of 494	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	66.5	27 of 612	95.6%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	47.1	528 of 981	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	34.3	668 of 961	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	23.2	827 of 951	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	49.0	454 of 915	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	56.2	326 of 893	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	42.8	453 of 843	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	19.2	792 of 865	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	22.2	757 of 851	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	22.8	1251 of 1434	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	19.4	1296 of 1437	9.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	25.4	1218 of 1450	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	43.0	853 of 1437	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.3	986 of 1366	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	34.7	873 of 1329	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	20.6	1199 of 1361	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	12.0	1278 of 1332	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	78.1	252 of 1451	82.6%	★★★★☆
2025	75.5	296 of 1450	79.6%	★★★★☆
2024	73.2	334 of 1464	77.2%	★★★★☆
2023	81.2	209 of 1461	85.7%	★★★★☆
2022	81.4	210 of 1464	85.7%	★★★★☆
2021	71.8	363 of 1444	74.9%	★★★★☆
2019	51.8	708 of 1430	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	57.2	607 of 1413	57.0%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	40.8	447 of 815	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	46.8	369 of 821	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	67.7	150 of 801	81.3%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	82.2	150 of 1146	86.9%	★★★★☆
2025	74.1	267 of 1172	77.2%	★★★★☆
2024	79.9	199 of 1166	82.9%	★★★★☆
2023	76.1	235 of 1183	80.1%	★★★★☆
2022	72.6	287 of 1194	76.0%	★★★★☆
2021	68.1	334 of 1172	71.5%	★★★★☆
2019	73.5	270 of 1183	77.2%	★★★★☆
2018	73.5	283 of 1178	76.0%	★★★★☆

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)

Disabled (2022)88th percentile~ school

White (2026)87th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)83rd percentile~ school

Male (2026)83rd percentile~ school

Gifted and Talented (2026)47th percentile-37 vs school

Hispanic (2026)46th percentile-38 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)46th percentile-38 vs school

Special Education (2026)45th percentile-39 vs school

Asian (2026)23rd percentile-61 vs school

African American (2026)15th percentile-69 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)13th percentile-71 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science83%+16 vs state

Mathematics76%+12 vs state

Reading70%+13 vs state

3.4

5 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★2

4★1

3★0

2★1

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Saturday, October 31, 2020

Great administrators and dedicated teachers. Close Quote

by a parent
Friday, June 7, 2019

Teachers have been great, though most teachers with experience have left to get away from the current admin. Even the newly hired teachers are doing the same thing. Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Lots of bused in students from Raleigh. Downhill big time since 2016. Good teachers leaving left and right and I don't blame them! The new Administration is lacking in experience. Close Quote

Schools Near Salem 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)				EOG Mathematics (2026)						EOG Reading (2026)						EOG Science (2026)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
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/reduced lunch (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	EOG Mathematics 3rd Grade	EOG Mathematics 4th Grade	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Salem Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6116 Old Jenks Road	Apex	27523	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 363-2865	776	57	13.6	25.4%	383 (49.4%)	48 (6.2%)	127 (16.4%)	197 (25.4%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	17 (2.2%)	80	242^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	83.8%		79.9	245^th of 1490 public elementary schools	83.6%	3	76.1	68.7	84.3				69.9	62.6	77.8				83.3		$10,097	$801	$9,296
Peak Charter Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	1601 Orchard Villas Ave	Apex	27502	Wake County	Peak Charter Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(919) 377-1552	651	35	18.4	14.9%	209 (32.1%)	55 (8.4%)	55 (8.4%)	281 (43.2%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (7.2%)	95.2	36^th of 1492 public elementary schools	97.6%		92	82^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	94.5%	46	90.4	84.1	88.1	86.9	76.5	71.2	81.9	84.1	83.3	89.3	79.0	84.6	92.9	92.3
Baucom Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	400 Hunter St	Apex	27502	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 387-2168	675	49	13.8	21.2%	297 (44.0%)	61 (9.0%)	94 (13.9%)	192 (28.4%)	3 (0.4%)	4 (0.6%)	24 (3.6%)	89.4	124^th of 1492 public elementary schools	91.7%		89.2	119^th of 1490 public elementary schools	92.0%	5	82.8	83.2	80.4				75.9	81.2	78.3				82.6		$9,174	$659	$8,515
Laurel Park Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2450 Laura Duncan Rd	Apex	27523	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 290-2333	694	47	14.7	12.7%	444 (64.0%)	35 (5.0%)	67 (9.7%)	96 (13.8%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (7.2%)	90.8	102^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	93.2%		87.5	143^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	90.4%	41	82.4	79.1	84.7				78.4	79.1	80.3				87.0		$9,351	$452	$8,899
Davis Drive Elementary	Public	K-5	2151 Davis Drive	Cary	27519	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 387-2130	794	53	14.8	9.2%	324 (40.8%)	24 (3.0%)	54 (6.8%)	376 (47.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	14 (1.8%)	96.9	16^th of 1492 public elementary schools	98.9%		97.1	20^th of 1490 public elementary schools	98.7%	4	92.7	561.0	94.9				80.8	94.3	88.0				93.7		$9,368	$407	$8,961
Turner Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6801 Turner Creek Road	Cary	27519	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 363-1391	638	51	12.6	22.6%	280 (43.9%)	66 (10.3%)	100 (15.7%)	155 (24.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	34 (5.3%)	88.4	143^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	90.4%		79.8	247^th of 1490 public elementary schools	83.4%	104	74.2	79.8	90.1				70.1	78.2	79.2				90.1		$9,601	$458	$9,143
Apex Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	700 Tingen Road	Apex	27502	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 387-2150	550	39	14.0	34.2%	303 (55.1%)	49 (8.9%)	127 (23.1%)	43 (7.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	27 (4.9%)	76.4	297^th of 1492 public elementary schools	80.1%		76.2	304^th of 1490 public elementary schools	79.6%	7	72.5	77.5	75.6				61.5	67.6	70.7				74.0		$9,307	$377	$8,931
Olive Chapel Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1751 Olive Chapel Road	Apex	27502	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 387-4440	1,066	72	14.8	11.6%	551 (51.7%)	61 (5.7%)	95 (8.9%)	323 (30.3%)	4 (0.4%)	6 (0.6%)	26 (2.4%)	95.8	31^st of 1492 public elementary schools	97.9%		96.1	37^th of 1490 public elementary schools	97.5%	6	92.2	86.5	90.7				87.0	83.2	88.7				92.1		$9,289	$359	$8,930
Scotts Ridge Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6601 Apex Barbecue Rd	Apex	27502	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 694-0300	869	57	15.2	8.2%	553 (63.6%)	19 (2.2%)	54 (6.2%)	187 (21.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (6.3%)	96.9	17^th of 1492 public elementary schools	98.9%		95.8	43^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	97.1%	26	94.9	93.7	90.1				85.9	88.8	86.8				94.0		$8,607	$341	$8,266
Pleasant Plains Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1511 Woodall Crest Drive	Apex	27502	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(919) 694-8900	0			—															(n/a)	84.4	86.4	85.3				77.8	71.2	61.8				76.5

Frequently Asked Questions about Salem Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Salem Elementary?

Students at Salem Elementary are 49% White, 25% Asian, 16% Hispanic, 6% African American, 2% Two or more races.

How many students attend Salem Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 776 students attended Salem Elementary.

Is Salem Elementary a good school?

Salem Elementary ranks 242^nd of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Salem Elementary attend?

Students who attend Salem Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Salem Middle
High : Apex High
High : Wake Early College of Health and Science
High : Wake STEM Early College High School
High : Wake Young Men's Leadership Academy
High : Wake Young Women's Leadership Academy

What district is Salem Elementary in?

Wake County Schools

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2017–18 through 2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesSep 2, 2026

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 2, 2026

2016–17 through 2024–25 graduation ratesSep 3, 2025

2024–25 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 3, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction.

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.