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Elementary Schools in Salem City Public Schools

At a glance

DistrictSalem City Public Schools30^th of 131 Virginia districtsFull district overview →

Schools

1,528

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

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

Summary:

Salem City Public Schools in Virginia serves four elementary schools — G.W. Carver Elementary, East Salem Elementary, West Salem Elementary, and South Salem Elementary — all spanning grades PK–5 with enrollments between 371 and 404 students. The district overall is strong, ranking 30th out of 131 Virginia divisions (77th percentile, 4 stars), and every school here posts SOL proficiency averages above the state level of roughly 71-72%, even the lowest performer.

South Salem is the model of consistency, earning 4 stars for three straight years and staying in the top quartile statewide; it also has the lowest student-teacher ratio (10.1:1) and lowest per-student spending ($10,097) while posting the district's best average SOL score in 2024-2025. G.W. Carver is the highest-ranked school for 2025-2026 (83rd percentile) despite having the highest poverty rate (88.4% free/reduced lunch) — its 85.1% overall SOL average led the district, including top scores in 5th grade math (90.4%) and reading (87.7%). West Salem is a steady mid-to-upper performer with the lowest chronic absenteeism (6.1%) and lowest poverty (35.5%), though its 5th grade science (64.9%) falls below state averages. East Salem is the priority school: it has declined to the 49th percentile with just 2 stars, the highest chronic absenteeism (11.7%), and the highest per-student spending ($12,726) yet the lowest test scores — most notably 5th grade reading (62.7%) and science (59.7%).

The most striking takeaway is that poverty and spending do not predict outcomes: Carver and East Salem share nearly identical poverty rates, yet Carver tops the district while East Salem trails it. Chronic absenteeism is another warning sign, with the two highest-absenteeism schools (East Salem and Carver) showing the most volatility. Science proficiency in 5th grade is a district-wide challenge, with West Salem and East Salem both below state averages, while East Salem's 3rd grade reading (74.6%) being above state suggests a transition problem in upper elementary. For parents, South Salem and Carver represent the strongest choices academically, West Salem offers a stable, affluent environment with strong 4th grade scores, and East Salem, despite its struggles, still approaches state averages in many areas — but with clear room for improvement.

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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 Mathematics (2026)			SOL Science (2026)	SOL English Reading (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 Mathematics 3rd Grade	SOL Mathematics 4th Grade	SOL Mathematics 5th Grade	SOL Science 5th Grade	SOL English Reading 3rd Grade	SOL English Reading 4th Grade	SOL English Reading 5th Grade	SOL VA Studies 4th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
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
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

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.