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Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 24153

At a glance

Schools

2,354

Students

Districts

5-star school

Top rankedFort Lewis Elementary97^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

Mason's Cove Elementary 9.4 students per teacher

SchoolDigger ratings

5★

4★

3★

2★

See the top-ranked Virginia schools →

Summary:

Zip code 24153 covers the Salem, Virginia area and contains 7 elementary schools serving grades PK-5, with 2,354 students split between Salem City Public Schools and Roanoke County Public Schools. The schools range dramatically in quality, from Fort Lewis Elementary ranked 97th in the state to East Salem Elementary ranked 569th, so a family's attendance zone can significantly shape a child's educational experience.

Fort Lewis Elementary is the clear academic leader, ranking in the top 10% statewide with a 5-star rating and 89.6% average SOL proficiency, the highest in the zip code. The most impressive story, however, may be G.W. Carver Elementary, which achieves an 85.1% average proficiency and an 83rd-percentile ranking despite 88.4% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch — nearly 12 points higher than East Salem Elementary, which serves a similarly high-poverty population but ranks near the bottom half statewide. South Salem Elementary also stands out as an efficient, consistent performer, ranking in the 78th percentile while spending the least per student. Glenvar Elementary sits mid-pack with a 60th-percentile ranking, while East Salem Elementary is the weakest school, with notably low 5th-grade reading (62.7%) and science (59.7%) scores.

Across the zip code, math is the strongest subject with all three grade-level averages above 83%, while 5th-grade science (74.2%) and 3rd-grade reading (75.6%) are the weakest areas. Notably, more spending and smaller classes don't guarantee better results: Mason's Cove Elementary spends the most per student ($15,752) and has the lowest student-teacher ratio (9.4), yet its performance is mid-pack. All 7 schools keep chronic absenteeism below the state average of 14.8%, with West Salem Elementary posting the best rate at just 6.1%. While Roanoke County Public Schools ranks higher as a district, two of the top three schools in the zip code belong to Salem City Public Schools.

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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
Glenvar Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4507 Malus Dr	Salem	24153	Salem city	Roanoke County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 387-6540	372	26	14.5	42.7%	322 (86.6%)	13 (3.5%)	18 (4.8%)	3 (0.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.0%)	62.6	446^th of 1111 public elementary schools	59.9%		64.4	431^st of 1110 public elementary schools	61.2%	15	71.9	77.4	86.4	81.4	51.6	87.0	79.7	82.0	$10,676	$503	$10,172
Mason's Cove Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3370 Bradshaw Rd	Salem	24153	Salem city	Roanoke County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 387-6530	204	22	9.4	69.6%	179 (87.7%)	6 (2.9%)	6 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (5.9%)	66.8	392^nd of 1111 public elementary schools	64.7%		75.5	280^th of 1110 public elementary schools	74.8%	112	90.3	78.8	80.0	68.6	74.2	84.9	77.1	72.7	$15,752	$1,299	$14,453
Fort Lewis Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3115 West Main St	Salem	24153	Salem city	Roanoke County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 387-6594	250	18	14.2	21.6%	198 (79.2%)	5 (2.0%)	18 (7.2%)	10 (4.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (7.2%)	86.5	97^th of 1111 public elementary schools	91.3%		87	88^th of 1110 public elementary schools	92.1%	9	94.4	94.2	94.3	85.7	94.4	86.5	82.9	84.3	$11,452	$1,716	$9,736
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

Cities Near Zip Code 24153

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Salem	0.51 mi	15	106^th
Roanoke	3.64 mi	48	214^th
Pound	7 mi	2	9^th
Elliston	10.04 mi	2	318^th
Vinton	10.92 mi	4	99^th

See the top VA Virginia cities

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.