Best Middle Schools in Zip Code 97306

ZIP code 97306, covering the southern part of Salem, Oregon, has exactly one middle school in the available data: Crossler Middle School, which serves 804 students in grades 6–8 as part of the Salem-Keizer School District 24J. Because it is the only middle school in this ZIP code, families should compare it against district and state benchmarks rather than against other nearby middle schools.

Crossler's clearest signal is its upward trajectory. In 2023–2024 it ranked 225th of 371 schools (39th percentile, 2 stars); by 2025–2026 it had climbed to 154th of 371 (58th percentile, 3 stars), a gain of 71 rank positions in two years. That places it well above its own district, which ranks 105th of 141 districts (26th percentile, 1 star). On 2025–2026 OSAS tests, Crossler beat the district in all ten reported comparisons, with the largest gaps in 6th-grade math (+15.0 points), 8th-grade ELA (+11.3), math across all grades (+9.4), and 8th-grade science (+8.4). Against the state, results are mixed: above average in math overall (33.5% vs 32.9%), 6th-grade math (38.5% vs 29.7%), 7th-grade math (35.3% vs 33.3%), 8th-grade ELA (47.6% vs 41.5%), and 8th-grade science (28.2% vs 27.7%); below in ELA overall, science overall, 6th- and 7th-grade ELA, and 8th-grade math (26.4% vs 30.0%).

Crossler serves a high-poverty population, with 88.81% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch, a student-teacher ratio of 24.3, and $18,300 in per-student spending. Its chronic absenteeism rate of 33.7% is nearly identical to the state's 33.5% but 9.4 percentage points below the district's 43.1% — a notable relative strength, though roughly one in three students is still chronically absent. 8th-grade ELA is the standout strength, while 8th-grade math is the weakest state comparison.