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East Salem Elementary

Q: Is East Salem Elementary a good school?

East Salem Elementary ranks 569 th of 1111 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

569^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,111 Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 49% of Virginia elementary schools

Summary

East Salem Elementary is a PK-5 school in Salem, VA, serving 378 students in the Salem City Public Schools district. The school serves a high-poverty population, with 88.1% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, and spends more per student ($12,726) than any other elementary school in the district.

Academically, East Salem is a mixed picture. It shows genuine strength in math—4th-grade math proficiency reached 83.9% and 5th-grade math hit 80.6% in 2025-2026, both above district and state averages. That's notable for a school with this level of poverty. The school also ranks well statewide for its effectiveness with low-income students (62nd percentile), English language learners (66th percentile), and White students (78th percentile). Attendance has improved sharply since the pandemic, with chronic absenteeism falling from 20.6% in 2020-2021 to 11.7% in 2024-2025—now below the state average, though still the highest among Salem's elementary schools.

The bigger concerns show up in 5th grade reading and science, where proficiency fell to 62.7% and 59.7% respectively in 2025-2026, well below district and state averages. That drop-off helps explain why East Salem's statewide rank has slipped from the 65th percentile three years ago to the 49th percentile today. The most striking comparison is with G.W. Carver Elementary, which has nearly identical poverty rates (88.4%) but outperforms East Salem in almost every subject, including 5th-grade reading (87.7% vs. 62.7%). Meanwhile, West Salem Elementary and South Salem Elementary serve far fewer low-income students and post stronger results. For parents, the takeaway is that East Salem has solid math instruction and improving attendance, but the school clearly needs targeted support in upper-grade reading and science to close the gap with its district peers.

378

Students ?

12.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,726

Per pupil spending ?

88.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1765 Boulevard
Salem, VA 24153-6489

(540) 375-7001

District: Salem City Public Schools

Students who attend East Salem Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Andrew Lewis Middle
High:	Salem High

Racial breakdown:

White:

43.1%

Hispanic:

24.9%

African American:

20.1%

See top rated Virginia elementary schools

Compare East Salem Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 66th percentile in 2016 → 49th in 2026

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 17 percentile points since 2016

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Near the bottom of Salem City Public Schools's ranking

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school73%

District avg75%

Virginia avg72%

569^th of 1,111

Virginia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 49%▼ down 17 pts since 2016

From top 34% (2016) to bottom 49% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 4Elementary Schools in the Salem City Public Schools

30^th of 131Salem City Public Schools among Virginia districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	54.2	569 of 1111	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	54.4	545 of 1110	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.5	530 of 1114	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	66.3	395 of 1114	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	62.2	448 of 1109	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	57.5	501 of 1103	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	47.0	671 of 1105	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	59.6	477 of 1097	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2017	62.4	424 of 1099	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2016	66.1	371 of 1096	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2015	64.6	394 of 1100	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2014	63.6	385 of 1110	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2013	66.5	355 of 1120	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2012	71.2	260 of 1117	76.7%	★★★★☆
2011	71.7	244 of 1117	78.2%	★★★★☆
2010	83.8	41 of 1113	96.3%	★★★★★
2009	76.2	166 of 1082	84.7%	★★★★☆
2008	85.3	32 of 1081	97.0%	★★★★★
2007	69.1	294 of 1083	72.9%	★★★★☆
2006	77.7	155 of 1071	85.5%	★★★★☆
2005	62.1	404 of 1062	62.0%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	45.7	357 of 591	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	48.0	330 of 579	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	53.2	298 of 588	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	75.1	108 of 579	81.3%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2023	45.6	218 of 324	32.7%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	65.4	106 of 315	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.8	102 of 306	66.7%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	42.6	695 of 1100	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	46.2	649 of 1096	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	53.2	565 of 1098	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	57.9	490 of 1100	55.5%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	63.8	209 of 619	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	46.9	337 of 606	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.9	346 of 580	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	72.3	142 of 564	74.8%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	60.7	393 of 1040	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	60.4	396 of 1046	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.9	464 of 1036	55.2%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	68.3	349 of 1099	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	61.9	435 of 1093	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.0	492 of 1101	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	71.4	298 of 1093	72.7%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	15.4	250 of 271	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	74.0	214 of 974	78.0%	★★★★☆
2025	70.1	276 of 973	71.6%	★★★★☆
2024	57.6	454 of 979	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.9	387 of 984	60.7%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

White (2026)78th percentile+29 vs school

Male (2026)68th percentile+19 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)66th percentile+18 vs school

Hispanic (2026)66th percentile+17 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)62nd percentile+13 vs school

African American (2026)40th percentile-9 vs school

Female (2026)37th percentile-12 vs school

Disabled (2023)33rd percentile-32 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)8th percentile-43 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics78%+5 vs state

VA Studies76%+5 vs state

English Reading72%~ state avg

Science60%-9 vs state

★

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Schools Near East Salem Elementary

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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
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
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
Fairview Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	648 Westwood Blvd NW	Roanoke	24017	Roanoke city	Roanoke City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 853-2978	479	40	12.0	99.4%	67 (14.0%)	258 (53.9%)	74 (15.4%)	50 (10.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (6.1%)	8.1	1042^nd of 1111 public elementary schools	6.2%		17	961^st of 1110 public elementary schools	13.4%	81	35.1	50.0	52.2	49.3	28.1	56.6	50.8	48.6	$12,110	$2,316	$9,794
Oak Grove Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5005 Grandin Rd Extension	Roanoke	24018	Roanoke County	Roanoke County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 772-7580	400	32	12.6	46.3%	277 (69.3%)	45 (11.3%)	36 (9.0%)	18 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (6.0%)	76.2	267^th of 1111 public elementary schools	76.0%		80.5	207^th of 1110 public elementary schools	81.4%	60	80.3	78.9	80.6	83.6	77.3	84.5	88.1	88.4	$11,876	$466	$11,410
Westside Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1441 Westside Blvd NW	Roanoke	24017	Roanoke city	Roanoke City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 853-2967	624	54	11.5	98.9%	69 (11.1%)	342 (54.8%)	149 (23.9%)	9 (1.4%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (8.5%)	2.8	1091^st of 1111 public elementary schools	1.8%		4.5	1076^th of 1110 public elementary schools	3.1%	15	51.1	30.4	41.0	23.1	45.2	38.0	41.0	34.8	$14,177	$2,212	$11,965
Virginia Heights Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1210 Amherst Ave SW	Roanoke	24015	Roanoke city	Roanoke City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 853-2937	245	24	10.3	102.4%	120 (49.0%)	47 (19.2%)	52 (21.2%)	8 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (7.3%)	34.9	791^st of 1111 public elementary schools	28.8%		33.1	799^th of 1110 public elementary schools	28.0%	8	85.0	53.6	63.2	52.6	72.5	64.3	60.5	50.0	$17,055	$1,670	$15,385
Grandin Court Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2815 Spessard Ave SW	Roanoke	24015	Roanoke city	Roanoke City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 853-2867	331	27	12.3	99.4%	229 (69.2%)	47 (14.2%)	29 (8.8%)	5 (1.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (6.0%)	77.1	250^th of 1111 public elementary schools	77.5%		83	161^st of 1110 public elementary schools	85.5%	89	87.9	83.3	90.0	82.0	74.2	80.0	87.8	81.5	$12,221	$2,570	$9,651
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
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
Glen Cove Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5901 Cove Rd	Roanoke	24019	Roanoke County	Roanoke County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 561-8135	425	30	14.4	67.5%	263 (61.9%)	63 (14.8%)	47 (11.1%)	19 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (7.8%)	82	174^th of 1111 public elementary schools	84.3%		81.1	194^th of 1110 public elementary schools	82.5%	20	86.8	79.7	88.7	87.1	83.8	83.1	90.5	87.3	$10,189	$481	$9,708

Frequently Asked Questions about East Salem Elementary

Is East Salem Elementary a good school?

East Salem Elementary ranks 569^th of 1111 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of East Salem Elementary?

Students at East Salem Elementary are 43% White, 25% Hispanic, 20% African American, 9% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

How many students attend East Salem Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 378 students attended East Salem Elementary.

What schools do graduates of East Salem Elementary attend?

Students who attend East Salem Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Andrew Lewis Middle
High : Salem High

What district is East Salem Elementary in?

Salem City Public Schools

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Latest Virginia data All new data »

2025–26 SOL test scoresAug 25, 2026

2021–22 school spending dataFeb 16, 2026

2022–23 through 2023–24 school spending dataFeb 10, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJan 6, 2026

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.