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Salem City Public Schools

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At a glance

30^thof 131 Virginia districts▲ 5

Better than 77% of Virginia districts

Elementary 4 Middle 1 High 1 Alternative 1Grades PK, KG-12

510 South College Ave
Salem, VA 24153-5054·(540) 389-0130·All Virginia district rankings →

Statewide performance 2018–2026

2026: better than 77.1% of districts

Schools

3,984

Students

Top rankedG.W. Carver Elementary190^th of 1,111 Virginia elementary schools

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Biggest riser

G.W. Carver Elementary up 135 spots statewide this year

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Smallest classes

Virginia Virtual Academy at Salem 6.9 students per teacher

SchoolDigger ratings

4★

3★

2★

2 schools without a SchoolDigger rating (too few tested students)

Compare Virginia districts →See the top-ranked Virginia schools →

Summary:

Salem City Public Schools is a small Virginia district serving 3,984 students across 7 schools—4 elementary schools, 1 middle school, 1 high school, and 1 alternative/virtual school. The district holds a 4-star rating and ranks 30th out of 131 Virginia districts, placing it in the 77th percentile statewide. Salem High is the largest school with 1,202 students, followed by Andrew Lewis Middle with 839, while the elementary schools are relatively uniform in size, ranging from 371 to 404 students.

The district's standout success story is G.W. Carver Elementary, which ranks in the 83rd percentile among Virginia elementary schools despite having the highest poverty rate among brick-and-mortar schools at 88.4% free/reduced lunch. Carver's 5th grade math proficiency is 90.4% and reading is 87.7%, both far above state averages. In contrast, East Salem Elementary has a nearly identical poverty rate (88.1%) but ranks in just the 49th percentile, showing that school-level practices can overcome socioeconomic challenges. South Salem Elementary is a consistent performer in the 78th percentile with strong math and reading scores, while West Salem Elementary has the lowest chronic absenteeism at 6.1%. Salem High posts a 93.4% graduation rate and exceptional math results, including 100% proficiency in 9th grade Algebra II, though 10th grade reading (60%) trails the state.

Notably, spending and performance are not directly linked. East Salem Elementary spends the most per student ($12,726) yet has the lowest elementary ranking, while Virginia Virtual Academy at Salem spends just $5,540 per student but produces competitive middle-grade reading scores. Andrew Lewis Middle shows exceptional advanced math acceleration with 100% proficiency in 7th grade Algebra I and 8th grade Geometry. Every school in the district has chronic absenteeism below the state average of 14.8%, a notable district-wide strength. While East Salem Elementary and the virtual academy's math program represent areas for improvement, the district's strong attendance, advanced math offerings, and high-achieving elementary schools position Salem City well overall.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				SOL Geometry (2026)			SOL Algebra I (2026)						SOL Algebra II (2026)		SOL Mathematics (2026)						SOL Chemistry (2026)			SOL Biology (2026)				SOL Science (2026)		SOL Earth Science (2026)					SOL English Reading (2026)										SOL Geography (2026)	SOL VA and US History (2026)			SOL World History I (2026)		SOL World History II (2026)		SOL Civics and Economics (2026)		SOL VA Studies (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SOL Geometry 8th Grade	SOL Geometry 9th Grade	SOL Geometry 10th Grade	SOL Algebra I 7th Grade	SOL Algebra I 8th Grade	SOL Algebra I 9th Grade	SOL Algebra I 10th Grade	SOL Algebra I 11th Grade	SOL Algebra I 12th Grade	SOL Algebra II 9th Grade	SOL Algebra II 10th Grade	SOL Mathematics 3rd Grade	SOL Mathematics 4th Grade	SOL Mathematics 5th Grade	SOL Mathematics 6th Grade	SOL Mathematics 7th Grade	SOL Mathematics 8th Grade	SOL Chemistry 10th Grade	SOL Chemistry 11th Grade	SOL Chemistry 12th Grade	SOL Biology 9th Grade	SOL Biology 10th Grade	SOL Biology 11th Grade	SOL Biology 12th Grade	SOL Science 5th Grade	SOL Science 8th Grade	SOL Earth Science 8th Grade	SOL Earth Science 9th Grade	SOL Earth Science 10th Grade	SOL Earth Science 11th Grade	SOL Earth Science 12th Grade	SOL English Reading 3rd Grade	SOL English Reading 4th Grade	SOL English Reading 5th Grade	SOL English Reading 6th Grade	SOL English Reading 7th Grade	SOL English Reading 8th Grade	SOL English Reading 9th Grade	SOL English Reading 10th Grade	SOL English Reading 11th Grade	SOL English Reading 12th Grade	SOL Geography 8th Grade	SOL VA and US History 10th Grade	SOL VA and US History 11th Grade	SOL VA and US History 12th Grade	SOL World History I 9th Grade	SOL World History I 10th Grade	SOL World History II 9th Grade	SOL World History II 10th Grade	SOL Civics and Economics 7th Grade	SOL Civics and Economics 8th Grade	SOL VA Studies 4th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Salem High	Public	9-12	400 Spartan Dr	Salem	24153	Salem city	Salem City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 387-2437	1,202	133	9.0	40.3%	784 (65.2%)	200 (16.6%)	123 (10.2%)	29 (2.4%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	63 (5.2%)	70.8	81^st of 331 public high schools	75.5%		71.8	78^th of 328 public high schools	76.2%	3		95.5	≥ 50%			85.9	94.4	≥ 50%	≥ 50%	100.0	≥ 50%							≥ 50%	< 50%	≥ 50%	93.5	75.2	56.3	< 50%				372.0	399.0	417.0	≥ 50%							≥ 50%	60.0	92.8	421.0		< 50%	384.0	≥ 50%	360.0	< 50%	413.0	< 50%				$9,987	$297	$9,690
G.W. Carver Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6 Fourth St	Salem	24153	Salem city	Salem City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 387-2492	404	29	13.8	88.4%	234 (57.9%)	96 (23.8%)	47 (11.6%)	7 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	19 (4.7%)	80.9	190^th of 1111 public elementary schools	82.9%		72.1	325^th of 1110 public elementary schools	70.7%	135												89.5	82.3	90.4											82.2							81.1	83.3	87.7																		84.4	$11,206	$1,271	$9,935
Andrew Lewis Middle	Public	6-8	616 South College Ave	Salem	24153	Salem city	Salem City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 387-2513	839	49	17.1	44.8%	544 (64.8%)	138 (16.4%)	92 (11.0%)	19 (2.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (5.4%)	59.6	172^nd of 416 public middle schools	58.7%		60.4	172^nd of 419 public middle schools	58.9%		100.0			100.0	96.9										73.5	76.1	51.8									66.7	≥ 50%								77.7	75.1	72.2					365.0								68.2	409.0		$9,645	$536	$9,109
West Salem Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	520 N Bruffey St	Salem	24153	Salem city	Salem City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 387-2503	375	27	13.7	35.5%	296 (78.9%)	24 (6.4%)	26 (6.9%)	12 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.5%)	70.7	342^nd of 1111 public elementary schools	69.2%		72.2	323^rd of 1110 public elementary schools	70.9%	19												87.3	87.0	77.2											64.9							72.7	87.0	75.4																		87.9	$10,591	$289	$10,302
East Salem Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1765 Boulevard	Salem	24153	Salem city	Salem City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 375-7001	378	30	12.8	88.1%	163 (43.1%)	76 (20.1%)	94 (24.9%)	9 (2.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (9.3%)	54.2	569^th of 1111 public elementary schools	48.8%		54.4	545^th of 1110 public elementary schools	50.9%	24												71.4	83.9	80.6											59.7							74.6	78.6	62.7																		75.5	$12,726	$1,432	$11,295
South Salem Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1600 Carolyn Rd	Salem	24153	Salem city	Salem City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 387-2478	371	36	10.1	40.2%	282 (76.0%)	30 (8.1%)	36 (9.7%)	8 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.0%)	77.2	246^th of 1111 public elementary schools	77.9%		77.6	251^st of 1110 public elementary schools	77.4%	5												87.5	90.2	75.0											76.8							80.4	90.2	80.4																		84.5	$10,097	$503	$9,594
Salem Alternative	Public		510 S College Ave	Salem	24153	Salem city	Salem City Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(540) 389-0130	0	1	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Virginia Virtual Academy at Salem	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	510 South College Ave	Salem	24153	Salem city	Salem City Public Schools	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(540) 389-0130	415	59	6.9		225 (54.2%)	85 (20.5%)	39 (9.4%)	28 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (9.2%)								(n/a)	≥ 50%			451.0	71.4							38.5	54.2	50.0	56.1	54.7	49.4								58.2	67.9	≥ 50%					52.9	71.9	74.6	81.5	86.2	82.5													78.1	401.0	44.8	$5,540	$00	$5,540

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Roanoke County Public Schools	2.1 mi	29	11^th
Roanoke City Public Schools	4.61 mi	27	117^th
Roanoke Valley Governor's School	5.87 mi	1
Virginia Department of Corrections	6.98 mi	62
Regional Alternative Plus Self Project/Roanoke City	7.7 mi	1

See the top VA Virginia districts

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Virginia Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.