Salem Elementary

Located at 4501 Jackson Rd, in Fredericksburg, Virginia, Salem Elementary is a mid-sized K-5 school that instructs 573 students (grades pre-K through 5), run under Spotsylvania County Public Schools.

Salem Elementary is one of 29 schools operated by Spotsylvania County Public Schools, a district that educates 24,036 students overall.

On the student-mix side, Salem Elementary lists that 38% of students identify as Hispanic, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. Beyond that, the school records 25% Black, 24% White, 9% multiracial, 3% Asian. By comparison, Spotsylvania County as a whole is about 13% Hispanic, so the school skews considerably more Hispanic than its surroundings.

Looking at school resources, On paper, Salem Elementary has 42 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 13.6:1. That tracks the state average closely. Around 65% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment.

With demographic context factored in, Salem Elementary sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 70.4%; this one delivers 60.3%.

In the surrounding community, ACS estimates for Spotsylvania County put median household earnings sit near $112,738, roughly 35% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate sits near 5%. Across Spotsylvania County's 34 public schools (combined enrollment of about 24,036 students), Salem Elementary is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Harrison Road Elementary, roughly 1.2 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Salem Elementary ranks 4th on composite proficiency, above the local average of 59.4%.

The school occupies an outer-ring site.

Trend over the last 7 years. Over the past 7-year window, the student count contracted 14%: 669 students in 2018 compared to 573 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share shrank from 38% to 24%. The student-to-teacher ratio narrowed from 18.3:1 in 2018 to 13.6:1 today.

On the community side, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. Members of the school community can share what they know.