The top reported proficiency rate is 23% in English language arts. The lowest is 6% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Scott Elementary School
Scott Elementary School is a regular public elementary school in northeast Salem, serving kindergarten through fifth grade as part of the Salem-Keizer School District. The school enrolls a large student body for its grade band, and the student population is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial share of students who identify as Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and a smaller group of White students. A substantial share of students at Scott qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that a high proportion of families experience low income.
State testing data from the most recent school year shows that student proficiency rates in both English language arts and math fell below the midpoint for schools across Marion County. Proficiency levels in reading and math were modest across third, fourth, and fifth grades, with rates that were relatively consistent from grade to grade. Performance in science, which is tested in fifth grade, was low. The school's overall proficiency index, which averages performance across tested subjects and grades, places Scott in the bottom quartile among its comparison set within the county. A multi-year trend could not be established because only one year of comparable assessment data was available. Parents considering the school should be aware of these academic outcomes and may want to discuss with the school what supports and interventions are in place for students who are not yet meeting state benchmarks.
Information on staffing, class sizes, discipline rates, and chronic absenteeism was not available in the data provided. The share of students receiving special education services or classified as English learners was also not reported, so a family cannot assess the school's programming for those groups from this data alone. As a regular elementary school, Scott offers no high school programs, so there is no graduation rate to report.
The school is located in Salem, Oregon's state capital and second-largest city. Salem blends state government functions, agricultural food-processing industries, a public university campus, and residential neighborhoods. The city is situated in the center of the Willamette Valley along the Willamette River and serves as the hub for surrounding farming communities. State government is Salem's largest employer, with Salem Health the largest private employer, and the area is home to food processors such as Kettle Foods, NORPAC Foods, and Oregon Fruit Products, as well as an Amazon fulfillment center. Downtown contains the Oregon State Capitol, the main public library, and Willamette University. The city has grown steadily along the I-5 corridor, sitting roughly midway between Portland and Eugene.
The Salem-Keizer School District, which operates Scott, has recently navigated significant financial challenges. The district closed one elementary school in 2023 and three more in 2024 to address budget shortfalls. For families moving into the district, voters approved a substantial construction bond in 2022 that funds safety upgrades and construction projects across all schools, with an associated increase in property taxes that is a lasting cost consideration. In 2025, the district approved a new three-year strategic plan focused on academic excellence, belonging, and workforce readiness, which will guide priorities through 2028.
For a parent or resident, Scott Elementary sits in a mid-sized city with a stable government-and-industry economy, within a district that has made recent budget-driven school closures and is implementing a new strategic direction. The school's academic proficiency levels are low relative to other elementary schools in Marion County, and the student body includes many families from low-income backgrounds. Families would want to talk directly with Scott about the specific academic interventions and enrichment available, given the test results, and about how the school serves students who are not yet meeting grade-level standards.
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