Best Public Schools in Zip Code 97301

ZIP code 97301 in Salem, Oregon is served by 17 public schools enrolling roughly 8,900 students, spanning elementary (K-5), middle (6-8), high school (9-12 and 7-12), one K-12 alternative program, and one specialized state school, Oregon School for the Deaf. Thirteen are traditional Salem-Keizer School District 24J schools, three are charters, and the district as a whole ranks 105 of 141 statewide (26th percentile, 1 star).

The clearest divide for families is charter versus traditional. All three charters — Howard Street Charter, Eagle Charter School, and Jane Goodall Environmental Middle Charter School — rank in the top 10-13% of Oregon schools, roughly 40 proficiency points ahead of the average traditional school here. Jane Goodall is the most striking case: it serves the highest poverty rate in the ZIP yet still scores well above the state in all three subjects. Among traditional schools, Englewood Elementary, Grant Community School, and Parrish Middle School stand out, with Parrish climbing from the 13th to the 29th percentile. Roberts High School is an outlier that should be compared with alternative programs, not comprehensive high schools.

Attendance is the most consistent signal in the data: every school with chronic absenteeism under 20% scores above the state, while every school above 40% trails the district. Per-student spending runs the opposite direction from results, with the highest-funded traditional schools posting the lowest scores. Math generally lags English language arts, science lags both, and performance often varies sharply by grade within the same school. North Salem High School is the notable decliner, while Houck Middle School, Auburn Elementary School, and Eagle Charter School are improving.