The top reported proficiency rate is 29% in English language arts. The lowest is 19% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Harritt Elementary School
Harritt Elementary School serves kindergarten through fifth grade in the West Salem area of Oregon’s capital city. It is part of the Salem-Keizer School District, a large system that has seen recent school closures due to budget shortfalls and simultaneously passed a major construction bond for safety and facility upgrades across its schools. The district approved a new three-year strategic plan in mid-2025 centered on academic excellence, belonging, and workforce readiness, which will steer priorities through the end of the decade.
The school itself is a regular public school with an enrollment that is substantial for its elementary-only grade band. Its student body is diverse in composition. Around two-fifths of students are Hispanic and a comparable share are White, with smaller numbers of students who are two or more races, Black, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, Asian, and American Indian or Alaska Native. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of the economic circumstances many families bring with them to school.
On state assessments administered in the 2024-2025 school year, Harritt’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades sat below the midpoint relative to districts in Polk County, the county where the school is located. In English language arts, the share of students meeting proficiency benchmarks varied noticeably by grade level, with the fifth-grade cohort performing at a rate substantially higher than the third- and fourth-grade cohorts. In mathematics, proficiency rates were lower across all tested grades and were fairly consistent from one grade to the next. In science, which is tested only at fifth grade, the proficiency rate was similar in magnitude to the math results for that grade.
These are the most recent state testing results available, and they represent a single year of data, so there is no prior year’s performance to compare them against for trend. A parent exploring the school may want to ask how the school is working to raise proficiency in the lower elementary grades, particularly in math, and what supports are in place for students who are not yet meeting benchmarks.
The neighborhood context for Harritt is set by its location in Salem. Salem is Oregon’s second-largest city and the state capital, with state government as its largest employer, supplemented by Salem Health, the school district itself, and a cluster of food-processing and distribution employers. The city sits in the Willamette Valley and straddles two counties, with West Salem lying in Polk County. Housing in the area carries a cost that is roughly in line with the statewide benchmark, and rents have seen modest increases. The broader Salem metropolitan area has grown steadily, and the city functions as a regional hub between Portland and Eugene.
No data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, course access, staffing ratios, or special education and English-learner enrollment was available in the provided records. These are gaps a parent would want to fill through a direct conversation with the school or by reviewing the district’s public reporting. Harritt’s standing as a regular elementary school means it does not serve grades that produce a graduation rate, so that metric is not applicable.
Harritt Elementary is a school serving a diverse and economically mixed student population in a growing state capital. Its academic results point to areas where the school is working to improve, particularly in math and in the earlier elementary grades. Families considering the school will want to understand what academic interventions and enrichment the school offers, how the recent district-level changes have affected the school’s operations, and how the school’s approach fits their child’s needs.
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