Summary
Howard Street Charter is a small grades 6–8 charter middle school in Salem, OR, serving 184 students at 625 Marion St NE as part of Salem-Keizer School District 24J. In 2025–2026 it ranks 42nd of 371 Oregon middle schools (89th percentile, 4 stars) — a standout result, since its district ranks 105th of 141 (26th percentile, 1 star). The school was even stronger recently, earning 5 stars and ranking 15th of 371 in 2023–2024 and 15th of 380 in 2022–2023, and it has sat in the top 5–10% statewide for most of the past decade.
Academically, Howard Street Charter posts 66.9% English language arts, 51.7% math, and 38.9% science proficiency, well above district (34.5%/24.1%/20.9%) and state (43.8%/32.9%/30.6%) averages. The closest traditional school, Parrish Middle School (0.42 miles away), reports 32.5% ELA, 26.5% math, and 12.8% science. Attendance is an even bigger differentiator: chronic absenteeism is 6.2%, versus 43.1% district and 33.5% statewide, and far below the next-best nearby school, Jane Goodall Environmental Middle Charter School at 17.2%.
Two caveats matter for families. First, Howard's free/reduced lunch rate is 21.74%, while nearby traditional middle schools run roughly 88%–90%, and per-student spending is $10,045 versus roughly $18,174–$20,859 nearby — comparisons that aren't apples-to-apples. Second, Jane Goodall Environmental Middle Charter School, the closest peer at 48th of 371, beats Howard in science (59.4% vs. 38.9%), making 8th-grade science Howard's clearest improvement area. Gifted-and-talented effectiveness is the one subgroup outlier (45th of 103, 56th percentile).
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