Best Public Schools in Salem, NH

Salem, New Hampshire, has nine schools serving approximately 3,836 students from elementary through high school, including seven Salem School District schools and two public charter schools. The area offers several elementary and K–8 options, one traditional middle school, and two high schools. Overall, Salem schools show stronger elementary and middle-grade results than high-school results, with mathematics emerging as the most important area for improvement.

North Salem Elementary School is the strongest overall performer, ranking in the 83rd state percentile with 73% math, 63% reading, and 43% science proficiency. Woodbury School is another strong option, particularly in reading, and made one of the largest recent gains in the area. The Birches Academy of Academics - Art A Public Charter School ranks well overall and has especially strong elementary reading results, although its middle-grade math performance is considerably weaker. William E. Lancaster School and Dr. L. F. Soule School also show encouraging results, with Soule improving in both ranking and math proficiency.

Parents comparing schools should pay attention to recent trends as well as current rankings. Mary A. Fisk Elementary School and William T. Barron Elementary School experienced notable declines, particularly in reading and science. At the high-school level, Salem High School has an 89% graduation rate, while Arts Academy of New Hampshire Chartered Public High School reports a 96.4% graduation rate and no dropouts. However, math proficiency is low at both schools—25% at Salem High and 13% at Arts Academy—so families may wish to examine math support carefully. Overall, the clearest systemwide priority is strengthening the transition from elementary and middle school into high-school mathematics.