The top reported proficiency rate is 71% in Social studies. The lowest is 60% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Southeast Elementary School
Southeast Elementary School serves fifth and sixth graders in Salem, a small industrial city in Columbiana County in eastern Ohio. The school sits on Merle Road and enrolls a small cohort of students, with roughly equal distribution across both grades.
The student body is predominantly white, with a smaller Hispanic population and a few students identifying as multiracial. Detailed data on free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility, special education enrollment, and English learner counts are not available in the school's public records.
Academic performance across the school shows proficiency rates in the range of roughly three-fifths to nearly two-thirds of students. In math, about three-fifths of students tested met or exceeded proficiency on Ohio's State Tests. English language arts proficiency was modestly higher, near two-thirds. Science showed the strongest result, with about two-thirds of students proficient. On social studies assessed at the sixth-grade level in an earlier year, proficiency reached about seven-tenths. All students participate in state testing. Compared to districts across Columbiana County, Southeast's overall proficiency index sits above the midpoint of the group, placing it in the stronger half regionally, though the school does not report measures like graduation rate or chronic absenteeism that would apply only to high schools.
Southeast Elementary is part of the Salem City School District, which recently undertook a major structural change. In November 2023, voters approved a property tax levy to fund a new consolidated K-8 building that will consolidate elementary students currently spread across three schools. Buckeye and Reilly elementary schools will be demolished, and Southeast Elementary will be repurposed as part of the new facility. This shift means the school's current fifth-and-sixth-grade configuration will likely change once the district moves forward with construction and consolidation.
Salem itself is a walkable city with a historic downtown along State Street, anchored by locally owned restaurants, shops, and a community theater. The local economy centers on healthcare, food processing, and manufacturing. Salem Regional Medical Center and Fresh Mark are major employers. The city supports recreation through parks, a greenway, and a modern community center with pool and fitness facilities. Housing is relatively affordable compared to state and national averages, though the mayor has identified housing supply as a challenge. An economic development plan is underway, including a major senior living complex breaking ground in 2025.
Parents considering Southeast should factor in that the school operates within a district in transition. The consolidation project represents both infrastructure investment and a reconfiguration of where elementary-age children will attend school once complete. The school's academic standing is solid regionally, sitting above the midpoint for proficiency, though a parent may want to look into current details with the district about how the consolidation will affect enrollment, staffing, and classroom operations during the transition.
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