Enrollment
371
Elementary
DISTRICT 382 · STATE 499
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·SALEM CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS·NCES 510346002048
South Salem Elementary
1600 Carolyn Rd, Salem, VA 24153 · (540) 387-2478 · Salem city
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY22-SUBURBTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL371 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
10.2:1
36 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 12.6:1 · STATE 13.8:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
40%
149 students
DISTRICT 56% · STATE 66%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade
Student demographics
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. 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
Based on grade levels within Salem City Public Schools. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
SOL 2024-25 . % PassingEnglish Language Arts
83.0%
VA avg 74.2% . -1.0pp since 2022
Math
86.0%
VA avg 72.7% . -2.0pp since 2022
What this means: On the SOL, Virginia's statewide test, about 83 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 86 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Virginia schools, those numbers are about 74 and 73. Reading and writing scores are down about 1 points since 2022, while math scores are down about 2 points.
Source: SOL. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
83.1%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
77.2%
based on VA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+6.0pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 83% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 77% typical for Virginia schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Virginia's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
7-year change
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
371
-50 (-12%) vs 2017
Student : Teacher
10.2:1
was 15.9:1
% White
76%
was 83%
% Hispanic
10%
was 4%
% Black
8%
was 6%
% Asian
2%
was 2%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
About South Salem Elementary
South Salem Elementary is a close-knit K-5 school in Salem, Virginia, run under Salem City Public Schools. The school caters to 371 students in grades pre-K through 5. Enrollment runs roughly 26% below the state mean of about 499.
South Salem Elementary is one of 7 schools operated by Salem City Public Schools, a district that serves 3,984 students overall.
In terms of who attends, South Salem Elementary reports that 76% of the student body identifies as White. Other groups include 10% Hispanic, 8% Black, 4% multiracial, 2% Asian.
Looking at school resources, The school currently runs with 36 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 10.2:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 13.8:1 average. About 40% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. That share is south of Salem city's rate of about 51%.
On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), South Salem Elementary tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 77.2% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 83.1%.
In the area at large, ACS estimates for Salem city put median household earnings sit near $66,725, roughly 33% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 7% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Salem city runs 10 public schools (combined enrollment of about 3,984 students), of which South Salem Elementary is one.
Salem High is the nearest neighboring public school, about 1.2 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around South Salem Elementary. On composite proficiency, South Salem Elementary comes 2nd of 8 in the immediate cluster, above the nearby-schools average of 78.4%.
The school occupies a residential site.
Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count edged down 12%: 421 students in 2018 compared to 371 in 2025. The White share of enrollment declined from 83% to 76% over that span. Class-load math has narrowed: from 15.9:1 in 2018 to 10.2:1 in 2025.
On the community side, recent activity here tends to focus on science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.
Salem city at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
25,618
Census ACS
Median income
$66,725
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
33%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
7%
Below federal line
Schools in county
10
3,984 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Salem City Public Schools
- Salem HighHigh · 1,202 students
- Andrew Lewis MiddleMiddle · 839 students
- Virginia Virtual Academy at SalemCombined · 415 students
- G.W. Carver ElementaryElementary · 404 students
- East Salem ElementaryElementary · 378 students
- West Salem ElementaryElementary · 375 students
Other schools in Salem
- Salem HighHigh · 1,202 students
- Andrew Lewis MiddleMiddle · 839 students
- Glenvar HighHigh · 620 students
- Glenvar MiddleMiddle · 433 students
- Virginia Virtual Academy at SalemCombined · 415 students
- G.W. Carver ElementaryElementary · 404 students
Nearby schools
- Salem High1.2 mi · 1,202
- West Salem Elementary1.4 mi · 375
- G.W. Carver Elementary1.6 mi · 404
- Fort Lewis Elementary1.7 mi · 250
- Virginia Virtual Academy at Salem1.8 mi · 415
- Andrew Lewis Middle1.8 mi · 839
Frequently asked questions
About South Salem ElementaryHow large is South Salem Elementary?
South Salem Elementary enrolls approximately 371 students in grades PK-05.
What age range does South Salem Elementary serve?
South Salem Elementary serves students from grade PK through grade 05.
How many students per teacher at South Salem Elementary?
Approximately 10.2:1 students per teacher at South Salem Elementary.
What is the student diversity at South Salem Elementary?
Student demographics at South Salem Elementary are roughly 76% White, 10% Hispanic, 8% Black, 2% Asian, 4% Two or more.
Is South Salem Elementary public or private?
South Salem Elementary is a public K-12 school, overseen by Salem City Public Schools.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.