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What do you wish you knew before starting at Bates?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
410
Elementary
DISTRICT 316 · STATE 381
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·SALEM·NCES 251038001653
Bates
53 Liberty Hill Avenue, Salem, MA 01970 · (978) 740-1250 · Essex County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY21-SUBURBREGULAR SCHOOL410 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
12.5:1
33 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 12.2:1 · STATE 12.2:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
,
Title I proxy
Community
4
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 36 | 9% |
| Kindergarten | 61 | 15% |
| Grade 1 | 69 | 17% |
| Grade 2 | 62 | 15% |
| Grade 3 | 64 | 16% |
| Grade 4 | 52 | 13% |
| Grade 5 | 66 | 16% |
This year's kindergarten class (61) is 8% smaller than its 5th grade class (66).
Student demographics
63%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 62% · STATE 65% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
School pathway
Students here typically continue to
Bates→Collins Middle
Based on grade levels within Salem. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
MCAS 2024-25 . % Meeting or Exceeding ExpectationsEnglish Language Arts
34.0%
MA avg 43.8% . -3.0pp since 2016
Math
40.0%
MA avg 42.2% . -10.0pp since 2016
What this means: On the MCAS, Massachusetts's statewide test, about 34 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 40 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Massachusetts schools, those numbers are about 44 and 42. Reading and writing scores are down about 3 points since 2016, while math scores are down about 10 points.
MCAS results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 34.0% | 40.0% |
| 2023-24 | 28.0% | 41.0% |
| 2022-23 | 35.0% | 34.0% |
| 2021-22 | 32.0% | 26.0% |
| 2020-21 | 34.0% | 20.0% |
| 2018-19 | 38.0% | 42.0% |
| 2017-18 | 32.0% | 37.0% |
| 2016-17 | 37.0% | 50.0% |
% Meeting or Exceeding Expectations, all students and all tested grades.
Source: MCAS. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
Where Bates ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Massachusetts | In Essex County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 40.0% | #508 of 920 ▲ 12 | #56 of 111 no change |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 34.0% | #596 of 920 ▲ 60 | #65 of 111 ▲ 6 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +8.0pp | #130 of 901 | #21 of 107 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 410 | #419 of 1,086 | #56 of 129 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 12.5:1 | #524 of 938 | #76 of 115 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 62.5% | #227 of 938 | #8 of 115 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +19.9% | #54 of 317 | #6 of 40 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
410
+48 (+13%) vs 2020
+8% since 1990-91, when it was 378
Student : Teacher
12.5:1
was 12.1:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 410 | 32.7 | 12.5:1 | N/A |
| 2023-24 | 397 | 31.4 | 12.7:1 | N/A |
| 2022-23 | 374 | 31 | 12.1:1 | N/A |
| 2020-21 | 362 | 30 | 12.1:1 | N/A |
| 2017-18 | 342 | 26.9 | 12.7:1 | N/A |
| 2015-16 | 308 | 26 | 11.8:1 | N/A |
| 2010-11 | 335 | 31 | 10.8:1 | 60% (200) |
| 2000-01 | 305 | N/A | N/A | 38% (115) |
| 1990-91 | 378 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Bates.
Since 2017-18: students up 20% (342 to 410); teachers up 22% (26.9 to 32.7).
About Bates
Federal records list Bates as an elementary school in Salem, Massachusetts. The student body numbers 410 students, from pre-K through 5.
Salem has 3,831 students spread across 11 schools.
White students are the largest group at Bates, with 49% of enrollment. Beyond that, enrollment is 36% Hispanic, 7% Black, and 5% multiracial. The White share of the county population is higher, at 68%. By the diversity index, Bates comes in at 63%.
Federal data list 32.7 full-time-equivalent teachers at Bates in 2024-25, for a ratio of 12.5:1. Across elementary schools in Massachusetts, the average ratio is about 12.2:1.
Federal survey data for Essex County show that median household income is about $101,883, about 43% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree, and the poverty rate is about 7%. A total of 221 public schools operate in Essex County, serving about 113,427 students.
Nearby, Thomas Carroll is about 0.6 miles away. Other public schools within five miles number at least 8.
On the NCES locale scale, the school is Suburb: Large.
A comparison of 2020-21 and 2024-25 shows enrollment up 13%, from 362 to 410.
Discussions about Bates may include school safety, transportation, and start times. Alumni can share how the school prepared them.
Essex County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
813,054
Census ACS
Median income
$101,883
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
43%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
7%
Below federal line
Schools in county
221
113,427 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Salem
- Salem HighHigh · 952 students
- Collins MiddleMiddle · 611 students
- Witchcraft HeightsElementary · 455 students
- Saltonstall SchoolElementary · 412 students
- Horace Mann LaboratoryElementary · 293 students
- Bentley Academy Innovation SchoolElementary · 286 students
Other schools in Salem
- Salem HighHigh · 952 students
- Collins MiddleMiddle · 611 students
- Salem Academy Charter SchoolHigh · 480 students
- Witchcraft HeightsElementary · 455 students
- Saltonstall SchoolElementary · 412 students
- Horace Mann LaboratoryElementary · 293 students
Other Bates schools
One other US public school is named Bates. Bates is the 2nd largest of the 2.
- Bates SchoolOGDEN, UT · 690 students
Nearby schools
- Thomas Carroll0.6 mi · 645
- Carlton0.8 mi · 247
- Salem Prep High School1.1 mi · 23
- New Liberty Innovation School1.1 mi · 36
- Bentley Academy Innovation School1.3 mi · 286
- Salem Early Childhood1.3 mi · 106
Frequently asked questions
About BatesHow large is Bates?
Bates enrolls approximately 410 students in grades PK-05.
What grades does Bates serve?
Bates serves grades PK-05.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bates?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Bates is approximately 12.5:1 (33 FTE teachers).
What is the student diversity at Bates?
Student demographics at Bates are roughly 49% White, 36% Hispanic, 7% Black, 1% Asian, 5% Two or more.
Who oversees Bates?
Bates is overseen by Salem in Essex County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.