South Salem Elementary School

Summary:

South Salem Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Covington, Georgia, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 852 students. The school is part of the Newton County School District, which is ranked 157 out of 203 districts in Georgia and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. South Salem Elementary has consistently been ranked in the bottom half of Georgia elementary schools, with a ranking of 1113 out of 1248 schools for the 2023-2024 school year and a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Academically, South Salem Elementary consistently underperforms compared to the Newton County and Georgia averages on the Milestones Assessments. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 12.8% of 3rd graders, 21.5% of 4th graders, and 27.5% of 5th graders were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the Newton County averages of 23.6%, 26.4%, and 36.3%, respectively. The school's performance in Mathematics and Science is also significantly below the county and state averages. Additionally, South Salem Elementary has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 73.95% in 2020-2021 to 84.98% in 2022-2023, suggesting a high concentration of economically disadvantaged students.

When comparing South Salem Elementary to the nearby schools in the Newton County district, it becomes clear that the school is underperforming academically. For example, Oak Hill Elementary and Porterdale Elementary both have significantly higher proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science compared to South Salem Elementary. Additionally, South Salem Elementary's performance has remained consistently low over the past several years, with little to no improvement in its statewide ranking or SchoolDigger rating, suggesting that the school may be facing systemic challenges that are not being adequately addressed.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 5335 Salem Rd
       Covington, GA  30016


(770) 787-1330

District: Newton County

SchoolDigger Rank:
1113th of 1,248 Georgia Elementary Schools


Students who attend South Salem Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Liberty Middle School
High:    Alcovy High School

Student/teacher ratio:  14.6 Help
Number of students:  852

Racial breakdown:

African American:
68.8%
Hispanic:
12.9%
White:
12.3%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  85% Help


 See top rated Georgia elementary schools

 Compare South Salem Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details South Salem Elementary School ranks worse than 89.2% of elementary schools in Georgia. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 14.17. (See more...)
Finance
Schooldigger Rankings:

South Salem Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Newton County:

SchoolDigger ranks Newton County 157th of 203 Georgia school districts. (See district ranking list.)


What do you think?

Your rating for South Salem Elementary School?

Rank History for South Salem Elementary School

Help
Compare
Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools GA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2010 36.18 873rd 1183 26.2%
2011 34.36 913th 1212 24.7%
2012 26.90 978th 1201 18.6%
2013 41.72 858th 1225 30.0%
2014 50.32 738th 1231 40.0%
2015 29.77 868th 1240 30.0%
2016 37.09 778th 1233 36.9%
2017 24.11 924th 1205 23.3%
2018 26.81 881st 1209 27.1%
2019 20.46 991st 1234 19.7%
2021 14.49 1057th 1214 12.9%
2022 10.51 1161st 1244 6.7%
2023 13.59 1108th 1242 10.8%
2024 14.17 1113th 1248 10.8%
See the entire list of Georgia Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Georgia Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

South Salem Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    





Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 2.5)
0%

50%

0%

0%

50%

  

by a parent
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Open Quote I like the teacher Mrs. McCartney she was the best teacher my child ever had!!!!! Close Quote



Enrollment information for South Salem Elementary School

Help
Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2009 300 458 8 29 0 n/a n/a 29 824
2010 278 448 7 64 0 0 46 0 843
2011 286 420 6 81 0 2 44 0 839
2012 321 482 6 51 0 2 45 0 907
2013 315 466 4 58 0 2 47 0 892
2014 288 505 1 87 3 1 37 0 922
2015 273 472 3 84 2 1 55 0 890
2016 231 492 6 93 2 0 52 0 876
2017 240 497 5 101 3 3 55 0 904
2018 211 505 4 100 3 5 66 0 894
2019 190 514 3 116 4 4 71 0 902
2020 173 516 3 116 2 0 50 0 860
2021 136 513 3 112 1 0 45 0 810
2022 134 565 5 117 1 1 39 0 862
2023 105 586 7 110 0 3 41 0 852

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at South Salem Elementary School

Help
Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2009 824 55.0 15.0 60.1
2010 843 55.5 15.1 68.7
2011 839 53.9 15.5 71
2012 907 58.9 15.3 77.9
2013 892 57.3 15.5 77.1
2014 922 57.5 16.0 79.2
2015 890 58.0 15.3 80
2016 876 59.0 14.8 81.7
2017 904 59.8 15.1 81.4
2018 894 57.8 15.4 81.3
2019 902 59.7 15.1 80.5
2020 860 58.0 14.8 81
2021 810 56.0 14.4 74
2022 862 55.3 15.5 n/a
2023 852 58.1 14.6 85

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio South Salem Elementary School

Help
Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2009 824 55.0 15.0 60.1
2010 843 55.5 15.1 68.7
2011 839 53.9 15.5 71
2012 907 58.9 15.3 77.9
2013 892 57.3 15.5 77.1
2014 922 57.5 16.0 79.2
2015 890 58.0 15.3 80
2016 876 59.0 14.8 81.7
2017 904 59.8 15.1 81.4
2018 894 57.8 15.4 81.3
2019 902 59.7 15.1 80.5
2020 860 58.0 14.8 81
2021 810 56.0 14.4 74
2022 862 55.3 15.5 n/a
2023 852 58.1 14.6 85

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for South Salem Elementary School

Help

YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017 $580 (7.1%) $7,567 (92.9%) $8,146
2018 $693 (8.1%) $7,856 (91.9%) $8,550
2019 $699 (7.6%) $8,557 (92.4%) $9,256

Data source: Georgia Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on South Salem Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 991st of 1234 Elementary schoolsRanks 1108th of 1242 Elementary schools
 8.9%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (South Salem Elementary School)29.817.5
 12.3%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Newton County)33.126
 7.1%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)4238.6
 3.4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (South Salem Elementary School)36.115.7
 20.4%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Newton County)39.328
 11.3%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Georgia)5245.6
 6.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (South Salem Elementary School)14.120.2
 6.1%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Newton County)32.623.5
 9.1%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)4236.1
 5.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (South Salem Elementary School)17.918.6
 0.7%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Newton County)38.123.1
 15%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)4945.7
 3.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (South Salem Elementary School)32.619.2
 13.4%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Newton County)36.527.3
 9.2%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)4541.6
 3.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (South Salem Elementary School)254.1
 20.9%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Newton County)31.917.1
 14.8%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)4137.4
 3.6%
5th Grade Science (South Salem Elementary School)22.914.5
 8.4%
   5th Grade Science (Newton County)28.723.6
 5.1%
   5th Grade Science (Georgia)4340
 3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students902852
 5.5%
African American514586
 14%
American Indian40
 100%
Asian37
 133.3%
Hispanic116110
 5.2%
Pacific Islander43
 25%
White190105
 44.7%
Two or More Races7141
 42.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients80.5%85%
 4.5%


Schools Near South Salem Elementary School









Frequently Asked Questions about South Salem Elementary School

Students who attend South Salem Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Liberty Middle School
High : Alcovy High School

In the 2022-23 school year, 852 students attended South Salem Elementary School.

Students at South Salem Elementary School are 69% African American, 13% Hispanic, 12% White, 5% Two or more races.

South Salem Elementary School ranks in the bottom 10.8% of Georgia elementary schools.


Rate South Salem Elementary School!



Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for South Salem Elementary School!




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





Diagnostics

None retrieved from Database in 46 milliseconds.