Best Public Schools in Salem, WI

The city of Salem, Wisconsin is home to two schools - Central High and Salem Elementary. Central High is a public high school serving grades 9-12 with an enrollment of 1,278 students, while Salem Elementary is a public school serving grades PK-8 with an enrollment of 957 students.

Central High has seen fluctuations in its statewide ranking, ranking 75th out of 415 Wisconsin high schools in 2022-2023 but dropping to 207th out of 431 in 2023-2024. However, the school has a strong 91.0% four-year graduation rate and a low 1.3% dropout rate. Central High also performs above the state average in several academic areas, including 10th-grade proficiency in ACT English Language Arts and ACT Mathematics. In contrast, Salem Elementary has seen its statewide ranking range from 392nd out of 1,061 Wisconsin elementary schools in 2023-2024 to 533rd out of 1,044 in 2024-2025, with a relatively high 17.7% chronic absenteeism rate.

While Central High spends $13,122 per student and has a student-teacher ratio of 18.6, Salem Elementary spends $13,665 per student and has a lower ratio of 13.9. Additionally, Central High has a relatively low 11.35% free and reduced-price lunch rate, while Salem Elementary has a higher 36.57% rate, suggesting potential socioeconomic differences between the student populations.