schoolsbycounty

Salem city Schools & Education

School Score

50/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

88.0%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

88.0%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 89.0%

Per-Pupil Spending

$7,926

National avg $13,239

State avg $7,941

School Score

50/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 54/100

State Score Position

#73

of 127 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Salem city

Measured School Summary

Salem city performs at an average level with a school score of 50/100 and a solid graduation rate of 88.0%.

Funding Context

At $7,926 per pupil, Salem city operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 7% below the Virginia average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 1.0 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 0% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Salem city before comparing districts

County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.

Local context that changes the interpretation

9 public schools and 1 district are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.

Overall screen

50/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #73 of 127 Virginia counties with school score data.

Completion

88.0%

1.0 pts below the state average

Funding context

$7,926

roughly matches the state average

School coverage

9

1 district represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

This county needs a closer look at district mix, school level, and local context. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Salem city has 9 public schools across 1 district, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.

Verify local rules

Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.

Parent decision brief

What Salem city school data means before you move

County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.

Dominant-district county

Salem City Public Schools carries most of the listed public-school system, with 7 of 9 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.

State position

#73

of 127 Virginia counties with school score data. The county score is 4 points below the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 67% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.

K-12 continuity check

These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.

Salem City Public Schools

Elementary to high school visible

3,750 students

Elementary 4Middle 1High 1Other 1

7 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

Salem City Public Schools is the largest listed district slice, with 7 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.

What the data cannot tell you

NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.

Questions to ask before choosing an address

Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Salem city?

Which attendance zones, transfer rules, and transportation policies apply inside the local district?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

If we need a program not visible in the NCES flags, which district office can confirm current offerings?

Which schools are missing enrollment or ratio fields, and does the district publish a newer local profile than the NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data?

Data Story

Salem City Operates Entirely Suburban School Infrastructure

Education data brief for Salem city, Virginia.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorPublished Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor
Lead metric:District structure

In Salem City, all nine public schools are categorized under a suburban locale, a specific geographic concentration not seen in many neighboring rural counties. The system is managed by Salem City Public Schools, which serves a total enrollment of 3,750 students. The largest school in the district is Salem High, with 1,227 students, followed by Andrew Lewis Middle with 895 students. The city’s graduation rate of 88.0% is nearly identical to the national average of 87.0% but slightly lower than the Virginia state average of 89.0%. Financial investment per student is $7,926, which aligns closely with the state average of $7,941 but remains well below the national expenditure of $13,000 per pupil. The county’s composite school score of 50.3 is level with the national median of 50.0, though it sits below the state average of 54.1. The city does not host any charter schools. Compare district boundaries before drawing conclusions.

Sources

School Overview

Total Schools

9

in Salem city

Reported Enrollment

3,750

6 schools reporting

School Districts

1

district

Charter Schools

0

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary4
Middle1
High1
Other3

1 School District in Salem city

Salem City Public Schools

Guide
7 schools
3,750 students enrolled
Open district guide

9 Public Schools in Salem city

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 1 high-enrollment school; every NCES public school remains listed here.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Level

Showing 9 of 9 matching schools

SALEM HIGH

Salem City Public Schools

Salem, 24153 / Suburb: Midsize

Profile9–12High1,227 students

ANDREW LEWIS MIDDLE

Salem City Public Schools

Salem, 24153 / Suburb: Midsize

Record6–8Middle895 students

G.W. Carver Elementary

Salem City Public Schools

Salem, 24153 / Suburb: Midsize

RecordPK–5Primary432 students

East Salem Elementary

Salem City Public Schools

Salem, 24153 / Suburb: Midsize

RecordPK–5Primary409 students

West Salem Elementary

Salem City Public Schools

Salem, 24153 / Suburb: Midsize

RecordKG–5Primary399 students

South Salem Elementary

Salem City Public Schools

Salem, 24153 / Suburb: Midsize

RecordPK–5Primary388 students

Burton Center for Arts and Technology

Roanoke County Public Schools

Salem, 24153 / Suburb: Midsize

RecordVocationalEnrollment not available

Governor's STEM Academy at the Burton Center for Arts and Te

Roanoke County Public Schools

Salem, 24153 / Suburb: Midsize

RecordVocationalEnrollment not available

Salem Alternative

Salem City Public Schools

Salem, 24153 / Suburb: Midsize

RecordAlternativeEnrollment not available

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$7,926

State avg $7,941

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Salem city against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Virginia counties have the highest graduation rates?
Alleghany County (97.0%), Clarke County (97.0%), and Falls Church city (97.0%) currently lead Virginia among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.
What is per-pupil spending like in Virginia?
Across Virginia counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $7,941. The highest current county values are Surry County ($12,490), Highland County ($12,429), and Arlington County ($11,425). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.
How should I read the school score in Salem city?
Salem city has a school score of 50/100, which is a midrange measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.
What is the graduation rate in Salem city?
The high school graduation rate in Salem city is 88.0%, which is above the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.
How much does Salem city spend per student?
Salem city spends $7,926 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Counties with Similar School Profile

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Data Sources

Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.

Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.