The top reported proficiency rate is 37% in English language arts. The lowest is 23% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Leslie Middle School
Leslie Middle School sits in a residential corridor of Salem, Oregon’s state capital, and serves students in sixth through eighth grade as part of the Salem-Keizer School District 24J. The school is a regular, non-charter public school. Salem itself is a city of state government, food processing, and a public university presence, spread across the Willamette Valley with a historic downtown and suburban-style neighborhoods. The Salem-Keizer district has seen recent changes: voters approved a construction bond in 2022 for safety improvements and classroom upgrades across all schools, and the board has closed several elementary schools in response to budget shortfalls. A new three-year strategic plan approved in 2025 focuses on academic excellence, belonging, and workforce readiness. These district-level developments shape the context families are entering.
Leslie Middle School’s student body is diverse. The school enrolls a student population that is predominantly white, with more than a third of students identifying as Hispanic. Smaller shares of students identify as two or more races, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, Black or African American, Asian, or American Indian or Alaska Native. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that many families in the school community are navigating economic constraints. Data on students with disabilities and English learners were not available in the material reviewed; a parent may want to check with the school directly about the availability and design of special education and English language development services.
On state assessments for the most recent testing year, Leslie Middle School’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades placed below the midpoint when compared with other schools within Marion County. In English language arts, the share of students scoring proficient was higher in eighth grade than in sixth or seventh grade. In math, proficiency rates were lower across all three grade levels, with the highest share in eighth grade still representing a modest portion of students. Science, assessed only in eighth grade, showed a proficiency rate similar to the math figure for that grade. These numbers give a picture of a school where many students are working to meet state learning benchmarks, particularly in math. Because the material reviewed includes only a single year of state assessment data, no trend is available to show whether performance is improving or declining.
The school serves grades six through eight, so there is no graduation rate to report. The attendance and chronic absenteeism data were not available in the material reviewed. The school environment data, discipline figures, and course access information were also not present. Without that information, it is not possible to describe the school’s climate, staffing, or program breadth from the provided sources. A parent visiting the school would want to learn more about elective offerings, support services, and how the school approaches attendance and behavior.
Housing in the area around the school reflects a market where typical home values are near the state benchmark, and rents have risen slightly compared to a year prior. The economic context of the broader Salem area, with state government and food processing as major employment anchors, gives the school a mix of families in public-sector and industrial work.
Leslie Middle School offers a setting in a mid-sized city with state government and agricultural industry shaping the local economy. The school serves a diverse student body with many families eligible for income-based support. The state test results show a school where proficiency rates in English language arts and math are areas a parent may want to discuss with the school, particularly given the limited number of academic years available for comparison. The school does not have a graduation rate because it serves only middle grades, and several other metrics of school environment were not available in the data provided.
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