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Salem Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

873^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,111 Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 21% of Virginia elementary schools

Summary

Salem Elementary is a PK–5 school in Fredericksburg, VA, serving 573 students within Spotsylvania County Public Schools. The school serves a predominantly low-income population, with roughly 65% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, and it maintains a favorable student–teacher ratio of 13.6:1. Chronic absenteeism has improved significantly to 15.7%, now below the district average and close to the state average, which is a notable strength for a school with this level of poverty.

Academically, Salem presents a striking grade-level split. Early-grade scores trail district and state averages, with 3rd-grade reading at 44.1% and math at 57.1% — roughly 24–30 points behind the state. However, 5th-grade performance is a clear bright spot: math proficiency (79.8%) exceeds the state average, while reading (70.8%) and science (66.3%) both beat the district average and approach state levels. This suggests that instructional strengths in upper grades could potentially be applied to earlier grades. Year-to-year scores are somewhat volatile, especially in 3rd grade, but the overall pattern of weak early grades and strong 5th-grade results is consistent.

Compared to nearby schools, outcomes are mixed. Salem outperforms the higher-spending Fredericksburg City Public Schools – Hugh Mercer Elementary and Lafayette Elementary – in most subjects despite having lower per-student funding. However, it trails same-district schools with comparable or higher poverty, such as Battlefield Elementary, and the nearby Chancellor Elementary – which has much lower poverty – outperforms it in every early-grade subject. Salem’s 5th-grade math score, though, is close to Chancellor’s, illustrating that the school has a clear opportunity to build on its upper-grade strength schoolwide.

573

Students ?

13.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,880

Per pupil spending ?

64.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4501 Jackson Rd
Fredericksburg, VA 22407

(540) 786-8218

District: Spotsylvania County Public Schools

Students who attend Salem Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Chancellor Middle
High:	Chancellor High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

37.7%

African American:

25.5%

White:

24.3%

See top rated Virginia elementary schools

Compare Salem Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 30th percentile in 2016 → 21st in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Virginia average (60% vs 72% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (21st percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 9 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school60%

District avg65%

Virginia avg72%

873^rd of 1,111

Virginia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 21%▼ down 9 pts since 2016

From bottom 30% (2016) to bottom 21% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

11^th of 17Elementary Schools in the Spotsylvania County Public Schools

95^th of 131Spotsylvania County 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	27.4	873 of 1111	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	28.6	842 of 1110	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	39.7	732 of 1114	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.0	826 of 1114	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	39.7	724 of 1109	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	32.9	786 of 1103	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	44.7	694 of 1105	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	40.5	762 of 1097	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2017	39.2	778 of 1099	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	39.9	763 of 1096	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2015	34.4	832 of 1100	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	46.6	652 of 1110	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2013	42.2	734 of 1120	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2012	46.2	683 of 1117	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2011	44.2	729 of 1117	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2010	63.4	388 of 1113	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2009	57.7	469 of 1082	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2008	57.6	485 of 1081	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2007	32.6	873 of 1083	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	28.8	911 of 1071	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	36.6	788 of 1062	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	33.7	442 of 591	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	27.8	467 of 579	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	36.1	426 of 588	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	15.2	523 of 579	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	25.8	259 of 315	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	24.3	268 of 326	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	50.2	149 of 306	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	40.6	181 of 300	39.7%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	38.3	747 of 1100	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	32.1	798 of 1096	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	45.7	654 of 1098	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.3	767 of 1100	30.3%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	26.0	489 of 619	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	31.9	453 of 606	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	43.1	367 of 580	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.3	399 of 564	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	33.2	757 of 1040	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	28.9	800 of 1046	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	42.9	642 of 1036	38.0%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	19.3	950 of 1099	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	25.1	875 of 1093	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.5	799 of 1101	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.6	862 of 1093	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	16.9	281 of 306	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	3.7	269 of 271	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	48.3	567 of 974	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	43.7	617 of 973	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	61.2	402 of 979	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.3	394 of 984	60.0%	★★★☆☆

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)42nd percentile+20 vs school

Female (2026)32nd percentile+11 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)27th percentile+6 vs school

African American (2026)25th percentile+4 vs school

Hispanic (2026)21st percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2026)18th percentile-4 vs school

Male (2026)14th percentile-8 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)8th percentile-13 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

Science66%~ state avg

Mathematics65%-8 vs state

English Reading58%-13 vs state

VA Studies46%-24 vs state

★

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Schools Near 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
Salem Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4501 Jackson Rd	Fredericksburg	22407	Spotsylvania County	Spotsylvania County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 786-8218	573	42	13.6	64.9%	139 (24.3%)	146 (25.5%)	216 (37.7%)	20 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	49 (8.6%)	27.4	873^rd of 1111 public elementary schools	21.4%		28.6	842^nd of 1110 public elementary schools	24.1%	31	57.1	58.6	79.8	66.3	44.1	58.6	70.8	46.3	$9,880	$1,114	$8,765
Harrison Road Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6230 Harrison Road	Fredericksburg	22407	Spotsylvania County	Spotsylvania County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 548-4864	732	53	13.8	72.8%	217 (29.6%)	120 (16.4%)	315 (43.0%)	23 (3.1%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	55 (7.5%)	14.3	994^th of 1111 public elementary schools	10.5%		17.5	955^th of 1110 public elementary schools	14.0%	39	58.0	68.1	44.4	46.3	45.5	61.6	49.1	49.4	$9,593	$1,277	$8,316
Battlefield Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	11108 Leavells Road	Fredericksburg	22407	Spotsylvania County	Spotsylvania County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 786-4532	665	40	16.6	73.4%	218 (32.8%)	106 (15.9%)	255 (38.3%)	31 (4.7%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (8.0%)	57.2	519^th of 1111 public elementary schools	53.3%		40.1	721^st of 1110 public elementary schools	35.0%	202	79.0	86.0	84.2	73.7	60.7	66.7	75.8	71.6	$8,445	$628	$7,817
Lafayette Elementary	Public	K-5	3 Learning Lane	Fredericksburg	22401	Fredericksburg city	Fredericksburg City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 372-1135	812	54	15.0	90.8%	206 (25.4%)	232 (28.6%)	193 (23.8%)	102 (12.6%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	76 (9.4%)	6.5	1056^th of 1111 public elementary schools	5.0%		15.2	980^th of 1110 public elementary schools	11.7%	76	42.7	32.9	47.6	46.3	37.8	56.1	51.9	50.9	$13,267	$2,236	$11,031
Gladys West Elementary	Public	K-5	1 Learning Lane	Fredericksburg	22401	Fredericksburg city	Fredericksburg City Public Schools	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(540) 372-1140	0																		(n/a)	52.0	55.4	72.2	56.7	53.2	64.4	71.1	59.1
Chancellor Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5995 Plank Rd	Fredericksburg	22407	Spotsylvania County	Spotsylvania County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 786-6123	440	25	17.6	22.5%	265 (60.2%)	47 (10.7%)	77 (17.5%)	13 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.9%)	34 (7.7%)	76.5	264^th of 1111 public elementary schools	76.2%		75	289^th of 1110 public elementary schools	74.0%	25	87.3	86.4	83.6	74.6	79.8	83.8	82.1	81.8	$9,446	$243	$9,203
Hugh Mercer Elementary	Public	K-5	2100 Cowan Blvd	Fredericksburg	22401	Fredericksburg city	Fredericksburg City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 372-1115	859	54	15.8	90.3%	180 (21.0%)	260 (30.3%)	223 (26.0%)	129 (15.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.5%)	63 (7.3%)	11.6	1016^th of 1111 public elementary schools	8.6%		5.5	1070^th of 1110 public elementary schools	3.6%	54	44.6	52.5	58.8	55.0	39.1	52.5	55.7	53.9	$12,445	$2,223	$10,222
Spotswood Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	400 Lorraine Avenue	Fredericksburg	22408	Spotsylvania County	Spotsylvania County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 898-1514	526	35	15.0	65.4%	140 (26.6%)	120 (22.8%)	164 (31.2%)	40 (7.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	62 (11.8%)	26.8	878^th of 1111 public elementary schools	21.0%		41.8	700^th of 1110 public elementary schools	36.9%	178	61.5	59.3	69.4	62.2	44.2	55.0	62.9	73.5	$9,002	$743	$8,259
Courthouse Road Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	9911 Courthouse Rd	Spotsylvania	22553	Spotsylvania County	Spotsylvania County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 891-0400	762	52	14.6	73.2%	293 (38.5%)	165 (21.7%)	197 (25.9%)	24 (3.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	82 (10.8%)	45.7	667^th of 1111 public elementary schools	40.0%		38.6	731^st of 1110 public elementary schools	34.1%	64	59.8	76.5	75.6	64.6	55.6	74.2	70.1	76.6	$8,850	$427	$8,423
Smith Station Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7320 Smith Station Road	Fredericksburg	22407	Spotsylvania County	Spotsylvania County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 786-5443	715	43	16.6	72.6%	241 (33.7%)	186 (26.0%)	183 (25.6%)	37 (5.2%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	67 (9.4%)	48.9	621^st of 1111 public elementary schools	44.1%		42.5	691^st of 1110 public elementary schools	37.7%	70	68.1	70.8	74.5	65.1	66.3	75.2	66.4	81.3	$9,191	$294	$8,898

Frequently Asked Questions about Salem Elementary

Is Salem Elementary a good school?

Salem Elementary ranks in the bottom 21.4% of Virginia elementary schools.

How many students attend Salem Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 573 students attended Salem Elementary.

What district is Salem Elementary in?

Spotsylvania County Public Schools

What schools do graduates of Salem Elementary attend?

Students who attend Salem Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Chancellor Middle
High : Chancellor High

What is the racial makeup of Salem Elementary?

Students at Salem Elementary are 38% Hispanic, 25% African American, 24% White, 9% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

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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.