Salem High School

Q: Is Salem High School a good school?

Salem High School ranks 266 th of 431 Indiana high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Salem High School is a public high school serving 519 students in grades 9-12 in Salem, Indiana, which is part of the Scott County School District 1. The school has a significantly higher percentage of white students compared to surrounding schools, and its performance metrics, including graduation rates, chronic absenteeism, and test scores, have been mixed in recent years.

While Salem High School's four-year graduation rate has fluctuated between 85% and 97% over the past few years, its chronic absenteeism rate has been consistently high, ranging from 32% to 40%, which is significantly above the state average. Additionally, the school's test scores, particularly in mathematics, have been consistently lower than the state average and the surrounding schools, such as Henryville Junior & Senior High School and Brownstown Central High School, which have higher proficiency rates.

The school's demographics and socioeconomic factors may play a role in these challenges, as Salem High School has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 42% to 47%. Additionally, the school's spending per student, while increasing over the years, is still lower than some of the nearby schools, such as Medora Junior & Senior High School. Addressing these areas of concern could be crucial for improving the overall academic performance and outcomes for the students at Salem High School.

Detail:

Public 9-12

700 N Harrison St
Salem, IN 47167

(812) 883-3904

District: Salem Community Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
266^th of 431 Indiana High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,852

Feeder schools for Salem High School:

Elementary:	Bradie Shrum Elementary
Middle:	Salem Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.7

Number of students: 497

Racial breakdown:

White:

94.0%

Hispanic:

2.2%

Two or more races:

2.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 49.7%

See top rated Indiana high schools

Compare Salem High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Salem High School ranks worse than 61.7% of high schools in Indiana. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 39.8. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Salem High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (94%), Hispanic (2.2%), two or more races (2.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 49.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Salem High School is 12.7. (See more...)

Compare Salem High School employs 39 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Salem High School is $10,852.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Salem High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Salem High School 266^th of 431 Indiana public high schools. (See Salem High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Salem Community Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Salem Community Schools 232^nd of 381 Indiana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Salem High School

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Rank History for all students at Salem High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IN State Percentile
2005	45.23	230^th	349	34.1%
2006	40.68	263^rd	349	24.6%
2007	51.30	207^th	354	41.5%
2008	54.90	197^th	360	45.3%
2009	59.61	175^th	364	51.9%
2010	29.05	271^st	362	25.1%
2011	27.72	290^th	364	20.3%
2012	49.23	163^rd	373	56.3%
2013	27.60	266^th	353	24.6%
2014	17.64	330^th	379	12.9%
2015	26.45	320^th	400	20.0%
2016	45.59	237^th	394	39.8%
2017	45.13	222^nd	380	41.6%
2018	33.44	281^st	385	27.0%
2019	43.59	229^th	389	41.1%
2021	41.19	237^th	388	38.9%
2022	45.25	234^th	409	42.8%
2023	41.21	235^th	398	41.0%
2024	39.80	266^th	431	38.3%

See the entire list of Indiana High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Salem High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	30.92	210^th	285	26.3%
2024	31.03	199^th	289	31.1%

See the entire list of Best Indiana High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Salem High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	45.81	201^st	379	47.0%
2024	43.12	210^th	377	44.3%

See the entire list of Best Indiana High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Salem High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	45.83	193^rd	388	50.3%
2024	44.11	213^th	392	45.7%

See the entire list of Best Indiana High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Salem High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	34.11	261^st	383	31.9%
2024	31.15	275^th	392	29.8%

See the entire list of Best Indiana High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Salem High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IN State Percentile
2022	35.15	258^th	378	31.7%
2023	30.12	274^th	375	26.9%
2024	28.09	294^th	381	22.8%

See the entire list of Best Indiana High Schools for White Students!

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

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 2)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Salem High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	670	0	4	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	674
1989	672	0	2	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	675
1990	632	0	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	634
1991	631	0	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	633
1992	646	0	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	647
1993	664	0	2	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	668
1994	633	0	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	634
1995	674	0	1	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	677
1996	674	0	1	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	677
1997	654	0	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	657
1998	638	0	3	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	641
1999	604	0	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	605
2000	589	0	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	590
2001	541	0	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	543
2002	599	0	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	601
2003	599	0	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	601
2004	601	0	2	3	2	n/a	n/a	0	608
2005	639	2	3	5	2	n/a	n/a	0	651
2006	613	0	3	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	622
2007	621	0	4	5	1	n/a	n/a	7	638
2008	636	0	0	7	1	n/a	n/a	7	651
2009	646	0	1	6	1	n/a	n/a	9	663
2010	647	0	2	5	0	n/a	n/a	7	661
2011	611	0	2	6	0	0	8	0	627
2012	597	2	3	6	0	0	6	0	614
2013	579	1	2	3	0	0	3	0	588
2014	592	3	2	5	0	0	5	0	607
2015	547	2	3	4	0	0	4	0	560
2016	573	2	2	6	0	0	2	0	585
2017	557	2	2	8	0	0	4	0	573
2018	552	3	4	6	2	0	3	0	570
2019	544	5	7	6	0	0	5	0	567
2020	518	3	5	3	0	0	7	0	536
2021	521	1	5	8	0	0	7	0	542
2022	514	1	3	6	2	1	6	0	533
2023	499	2	3	7	0	1	7	0	519
2024	467	3	3	11	1	1	11	0	497

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 Salem High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	674	33.5	20.1	6.7
1989	675	35.6	18.9	9.6
1990	634	33.2	19.0	13.6
1991	633	32.8	19.2	13.4
1992	647	31.5	20.5	18.4
1993	668	31.6	21.1	17.7
1994	634	31.5	20.1	17.5
1995	677	30.5	22.2	10.6
1996	677	30.5	22.2	10.6
1997	657	30.2	21.8	11.7
1998	641	29.8	21.5	11.1
1999	605	31.3	19.3	12.7
2000	590	31.1	19.0	13.2
2001	543	30.7	17.7	13.8
2002	601	31.0	19.4	19.5
2003	601	31.0	19.4	19.5
2004	608	30.3	20.1	19.9
2005	651	31.1	20.9	24.1
2006	622	31.4	19.8	30.9
2007	638	n/a	n/a	34.4
2008	651	31.0	21.0	37.3
2009	663	31.0	21.4	41.4
2010	661	31.5	20.9	45.1
2011	627	31.2	20.0	42.6
2012	614	40.0	15.3	47.7
2013	588	37.0	15.8	44.7
2014	607	37.0	16.4	47
2015	560	33.0	16.9	45.9
2016	585	32.0	18.2	47.7
2017	573	32.0	17.9	45.2
2018	570	36.2	15.7	50.5
2019	567	38.2	14.8	45.7
2020	536	37.0	14.4	43.7
2021	542	35.2	15.3	42.3
2022	533	36.5	14.6	42.6
2023	519	33.0	15.7	46.6
2024	497	39.0	12.7	49.7

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 Salem High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	674	33.5	20.1	6.7
1989	675	35.6	18.9	9.6
1990	634	33.2	19.0	13.6
1991	633	32.8	19.2	13.4
1992	647	31.5	20.5	18.4
1993	668	31.6	21.1	17.7
1994	634	31.5	20.1	17.5
1995	677	30.5	22.2	10.6
1996	677	30.5	22.2	10.6
1997	657	30.2	21.8	11.7
1998	641	29.8	21.5	11.1
1999	605	31.3	19.3	12.7
2000	590	31.1	19.0	13.2
2001	543	30.7	17.7	13.8
2002	601	31.0	19.4	19.5
2003	601	31.0	19.4	19.5
2004	608	30.3	20.1	19.9
2005	651	31.1	20.9	24.1
2006	622	31.4	19.8	30.9
2007	638	n/a	n/a	34.4
2008	651	31.0	21.0	37.3
2009	663	31.0	21.4	41.4
2010	661	31.5	20.9	45.1
2011	627	31.2	20.0	42.6
2012	614	40.0	15.3	47.7
2013	588	37.0	15.8	44.7
2014	607	37.0	16.4	47
2015	560	33.0	16.9	45.9
2016	585	32.0	18.2	47.7
2017	573	32.0	17.9	45.2
2018	570	36.2	15.7	50.5
2019	567	38.2	14.8	45.7
2020	536	37.0	14.4	43.7
2021	542	35.2	15.3	42.3
2022	533	36.5	14.6	42.6
2023	519	33.0	15.7	46.6
2024	497	39.0	12.7	49.7

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 Salem High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$207 (2.3%)	$8,606 (97.7%)	$8,812
2020	$344 (3.6%)	$9,192 (96.4%)	$9,536
2021	$382 (4.0%)	$9,162 (96.0%)	$9,543
2022	$1,202 (11.1%)	$9,650 (88.9%)	$10,852

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Salem High 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 229^th of 389 High schools	Ranks 235^th of 398 High schools	0.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
End of Course Biology (Salem High School)	26.8	16.3	10.5%
End of Course Biology (Salem Community Schools)	26.8	16.3	10.5%
End of Course Biology (Indiana)	38.6	29	9.6%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	567	519	8.5%
African American	5	2	60%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	7	3	57.1%
Hispanic	6	7	16.7%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	544	499	8.3%
Two or More Races	5	7	40%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	45.7%	46.6%	0.9%

Schools Near Salem High School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				SAT Evidence-based Reading and Writing (2024)	SAT Mathematics (2024)	ILEARN English Language Arts (2024)			ILEARN Math (2024)			ILEARN Biology (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	SAT Evidence-based Reading and Writing 11th Grade	SAT Mathematics 11th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 7th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 8th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts All Grades	ILEARN Math 7th Grade	ILEARN Math 8th Grade	ILEARN Math All Grades	ILEARN Biology End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Salem High School	Public	9-12	700 N Harrison St	Salem	47167	Washington County	Salem Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(812) 883-3904	497	39	12.7	49.7%	467 (94.0%)	3 (0.6%)	11 (2.2%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	11 (2.2%)	39.8	266^th of 431 public high schools	38.3%		41.2	235^th of 398 public high schools	41.0%	31	36.6	10.9							48.0	$10,852	$1,202	$9,650
West Washington Junior-Senior High School	Public	7-12	8028 W Batt Rd	Campbellsburg	47108	Washington County	West Washington School Corp	No	No	No	No	(812) 755-4996	409	40	10.2	47.2%	391 (95.6%)	1 (0.2%)	8 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.7%)	54.4	167^th of 431 public high schools	61.3%		61.8	116^th of 398 public high schools	70.9%	51	50.7	23.9	52.2	37.7	45.4	44.9	32.8	39.2	35.7	$11,676	$924	$10,751
Eastern High School	Public	9-12	1100 N Eastern School RD E-3	Pekin	47165	Washington County	East Washington School Corp	No	No	No	No	(812) 967-3931	389	26	14.9	36.2%	366 (94.1%)	3 (0.8%)	12 (3.1%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	5 (1.3%)	40.6	260^th of 431 public high schools	39.7%		44.4	215^th of 398 public high schools	46.0%	45	46.0	11.7							39.1	$11,701	$1,524	$10,177
William W Borden High School	Public	7-12	301 West St	Borden	47106	Clark County	Borden-Henryville School Corporation	No	No	No	No	(812) 967-2087	317	27	11.9	26.5%	301 (95.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.8%)	68.1	86^th of 431 public high schools	80.0%		55.5	151^st of 398 public high schools	62.1%	65	72.7	31.8	56.7	53.9	54.9	63.3	17.3	34.2	37.0	$13,811	$854	$12,957
Medora Junior & Senior High School	Public	6-12	82 S George	Medora	47260	Jackson County	Medora Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(812) 966-2201	96	12	8.3	66.7%	89 (92.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.2%)	6.4	411^th of 431 public high schools	4.6%		15.9	347^th of 398 public high schools	12.8%	64	9.1	0.0		0.0	25.9		18.2	25.9	11.1	$14,772	$2,387	$12,385
Scottsburg Senior High School	Public	9-12	500 S Gardner	Scottsburg	47170	Scott County	Scott County School District 2	No	No	No	No	(812) 752-8927	730	46	15.8	54.4%	670 (91.8%)	8 (1.1%)	32 (4.4%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (2.2%)	50.4	197^th of 431 public high schools	54.3%		53.7	158^th of 398 public high schools	60.3%	39	57.4	24.1							13.8	$11,704	$993	$10,711
Austin High School	Public	9-12	401 S Hwy 31	Austin	47102	Scott County	Scott County School District 1	No	No	No	No	(812) 794-8730	407	22	18.9	45.7%	391 (96.1%)	3 (0.7%)	9 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.0%)	30	306^th of 431 public high schools	29.0%		26	305^th of 398 public high schools	23.4%	1	35.9	10.7							34.6	$11,957	$2,145	$9,812
Henryville Junior & Senior High School	Public	7-12	213 N Ferguson St	Henryville	47126	Clark County	Borden-Henryville School Corporation	No	No	No	No	(812) 294-1455	459	35	13.1	31.2%	430 (93.7%)	7 (1.5%)	8 (1.7%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.2%)	50.4	196^th of 431 public high schools	54.5%		45.9	204^th of 398 public high schools	48.7%	8	56.1	15.2	29.8	45.5	37.3	21.4	11.8	16.9	40.7	$11,077	$654	$10,424
Orleans Junior-Senior High School	Public	7-12	200 W Wilson	Orleans	47452	Orange County	Orleans Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(812) 865-2688	398	32	12.4	46.5%	386 (97.0%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.8%)	29.1	308^th of 431 public high schools	28.5%		48.5	184^th of 398 public high schools	53.8%	124	38.6	8.8	28.4	38.9	32.6	18.5	9.3	14.8	31.7	$10,990	$1,642	$9,349
Brownstown Central High School	Public	9-12	500 N Elm St	Brownstown	47220	Jackson County	Brownstown County Com School Corp	No	No	No	No	(812) 358-3453	469	32	14.5	36.2%	441 (94.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.6%)	3 (0.6%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.1%)	47.1	219^th of 431 public high schools	49.2%		63.7	107^th of 398 public high schools	73.1%	112	42.5	23.0							37.0	$10,450	$415	$10,035

Frequently Asked Questions about Salem High School

What schools feed into Salem High School?

Salem High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Bradie Shrum Elementary
Middle : Salem Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Salem High School?

Students at Salem High School are 94% White, 2% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

Is Salem High School a good school?

Salem High School ranks 266^th of 431 Indiana high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Salem High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 497 students attended Salem High School.

What district is Salem High School in?

Salem Community Schools

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