Summary:
The 97301 zip code area of Salem, Oregon is home to 18 schools, including 11 elementary schools, 5 middle schools, 1 high school, and 1 alternative school, all part of the Salem-Keizer School District 24J. While the district as a whole is underperforming, ranking 110 out of 140 school districts in Oregon, a few standout schools demonstrate that high-quality educational options are available in the area.
The Howard Street Charter and Jane Goodall Environmental Middle Charter School are two public charter middle schools that significantly outperform the district and state averages, ranking 15th and 34th out of 380 and 371 Oregon middle schools, respectively, with 5-star ratings from SchoolDigger. These schools have 60-80% of students proficient in core subjects, in contrast to the generally low test scores across the district. Another high-performing school is Eagle Charter School, a public charter elementary school that ranks 128th out of 710 Oregon elementary schools and has a 4-star rating.
However, the majority of schools in the 97301 area face significant challenges, with all schools having a chronic absenteeism rate of 34.3%, well above the state average, and most schools scoring well below the state averages in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. Additionally, the majority of schools have free/reduced lunch rates between 65-68%, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student populations. While spending per student and student-teacher ratios are relatively high, these factors do not appear to be translating into strong academic outcomes, suggesting the need for more effective instructional practices and school improvement strategies across the district.
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