Harritt Elementary School

Harritt Elementary School is an elementary-level community of expansive scale in Salem, Oregon, part of Salem-Keizer SD 24J, enrolling 498 students in grades K through 5. Compared to the state average of about 321 students per school, that is 55% above typical.

Within Salem-Keizer SD 24J, which oversees 65 schools and 37,776 students, Harritt Elementary School is one campus in the system.

On the student-mix side, Harritt Elementary School lists that the largest single group is Hispanic at 48%, but no single group is in the majority; the rest breaks down as 38% White, 7% multiracial, 2% Asian. By comparison, Polk County as a whole is about 16% Hispanic, so the school skews considerably more Hispanic than its surroundings.

Looking at the economic backdrop, Staff filings list 27 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 18.2:1 students per teacher. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 16.5:1, putting Harritt Elementary School higher than the state norm the norm. Roughly 88% of students at Harritt Elementary School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy.

With demographic context factored in, Harritt Elementary School performs roughly as the BeatsExpectations model predicts for a school with this FRL share. The predicted value is around 28.3%, the actual is 25.9%, a residual of -2.4 points.

Around the school, the surrounding county (Polk County) shows that median household earnings sit near $85,118, about 31% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 9%. Across Polk County's 24 public schools (combined enrollment of about 11,121 students), Harritt Elementary School is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: Kalapuya Elementary School, around 0.6 miles off. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Harritt Elementary School. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Harritt Elementary School ranks 7th on composite proficiency, below the local average of 34.8%.

The campus sits in an urban setting.

Looking at the recent track record. Harritt Elementary School's enrollment has changed only slightly since 2018, when it stood at 507 (now 498). Over the same period, the White share fell from 47% to 38%. The student-to-teacher ratio narrowed from 20.5:1 in 2018 to 18.2:1 today.

On the community side, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.