Best Public Schools in Salem, MO

Summary:

The city of Salem, Missouri is home to 9 schools serving students from elementary through high school, including 6 elementary schools, 1 middle school, 1 high school, and 1 alternative school. The data reveals a wide range in school performance, with some standout schools like Green Forest Elementary ranking among the top elementary schools in the state, while others struggle with lower test scores and higher chronic absenteeism rates.

Green Forest Elementary is a shining example, ranking 3rd out of 906 Missouri elementary schools and earning a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger. With exceptional math and science proficiency rates, as well as a low chronic absenteeism rate, this school stands out as a model of success. In contrast, some schools like North Wood Elementary and Oak Hill Elementary face challenges, with test scores below the state average and higher chronic absenteeism rates.

Across the district, there are also concerns around math and science proficiency, with many schools struggling to meet state standards in these critical subjects. Additionally, the data reveals high levels of economic disadvantage, with free and reduced lunch rates ranging from 46.15% at Dent-Phelps Elementary to 64.65% at North Wood Elementary. By learning from the practices of the top-performing schools and addressing the challenges faced by lower-performing schools, the Salem R-80, Dent-Phelps R-III, and other local districts may be able to raise overall student achievement in the area.

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				MAP Mathematics (2024)						MAP Science (2024)		MAP English Language Arts (2024)						MAP Algebra I (2024)	MAP Biology I (2024)	MAP English II (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MAP Science 5th Grade	MAP Science 8th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MAP Algebra I End of Course	MAP Biology I End of Course	MAP English II End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Ozark Hills School	Public, Alternative	K-12	100 S Warfel St	Salem	65560	Dent County	Mo Schls For The Sev Disabled	No	No	No	No	(573) 729-6488	6	1	6.0		5 (83.3%)	1 (16.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Salem Upper Elementary	Public	2-5	1601 S Doss Rd	Salem	65560	Dent County	Salem R-80	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 729-6642	342	26	13.0	100.0%	308 (90.1%)	5 (1.5%)	17 (5.0%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.6%)	48.6	466^th of 906 public elementary schools	48.6%		50.3	452^nd of 898 public elementary schools	49.7%	14	49.9	47.7	30.3				26.9		51.1	30.3	38.1							$9,255	$2,557	$6,698
Salem Middle School	Public	6-8	1400 Tiger Pride Dr	Salem	65560	Dent County	Salem R-80	No	No	No	No	(573) 729-6642	251	20	12.2	100.0%	216 (86.1%)	3 (1.2%)	14 (5.6%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	15 (6.0%)	50.9	225^th of 451 public middle schools	50.1%		47.8	239^th of 459 public middle schools	47.9%	14				49.9	37.6	41.6		28.1				24.2	28.8	42.2	92.2			$9,436	$1,986	$7,450
Salem Senior High	Public	9-12	1400 Tiger Pride Dr	Salem	65560	Dent County	Salem R-80	No	No	No	No	(573) 729-6642	630	38	16.7	50.6%	586 (93.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.2%)	3 (0.5%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (3.7%)	55.1	122^nd of 378 public high schools	67.7%		39.9	198^th of 352 public high schools	43.8%	76															32.6	34.5	58.0	$8,533	$2,118	$6,415
Wm. H. Lynch Elementary	Public	PK, KG-1	101 N Main St	Salem	65560	Dent County	Salem R-80	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 729-6642	256	17	15.0	100.0%	227 (88.7%)	2 (0.8%)	15 (5.9%)	1 (0.4%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.1%)								(n/a)																		$13,393	$5,108	$8,284
North Wood Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	3734 N. Hwy 19	Salem	65560	Dent County	North Wood R-IV	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 729-4607	174	15	11.8	63.2%	155 (89.1%)	2 (1.1%)	10 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.7%)	26.2	685^th of 906 public elementary schools	24.4%					(n/a)		14.4					35.4			33.4								$8,915	$2,595	$6,320
Dent-Phelps Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	27870 Hwy C	Salem	65560	Dent County	Dent-Phelps R-III	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 729-4680	272	23	11.6	47.1%	264 (97.1%)	1 (0.4%)	7 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	42.9	530^th of 906 public elementary schools	41.5%		26.1	698^th of 898 public elementary schools	22.3%	168		58.3	26.7				26.8											$11,038	$4,224	$6,814
Green Forest Elementary	Public	K-8	6111 Hwy F	Salem	65560	Dent County	Green Forest R-II	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 729-3902	160	15	10.6	55.6%	158 (98.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	99.2	3^rd of 906 public elementary schools	99.7%		97.2	13^th of 898 public elementary schools	98.6%	10	88.2		78.5				86.6	80.9						76.1	87.4			$10,287	$1,869	$8,418
Oak Hill Elementary	Public	K-8	6200 S Hwy 19	Salem	65560	Dent County	Oak Hill R-I	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 729-5618	140	12	11.2	62.9%	135 (96.4%)	2 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)								(n/a)		30.0																$10,547	$1,653	$8,894

Cities Near Salem

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Licking	19.93 mi	3	245^th
Bunker	20.1 mi	2
Edgar Springs	21.76 mi	1
Viburnum	22.6 mi	2	304^th
Steelville	25.12 mi	3	283^rd

See the top MO Missouri cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.