Salem Public Schools Making Significant Gains in Chronic Absenteeism, per DESE Report
Salem ascends to third-lowest rate of chronic absenteeism among 26 Gateway Cities
SALEM (Sept. 11, 2026) – Salem Public Schools has made significant gains with chronic absenteeism – ascending from 18th to third among the 26 Massachusetts Gateway cities from 2022-26 – as the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) released data for all schools and districts showing attendance and chronic absenteeism rates.
Chronic absenteeism is defined as students missing 10 percent or more of school days in an academic year.
As a school district, Salem’s rate of chronic absenteeism decreased 14.8 percent over four years, from 34.0 percent of students in 2022-23 to 19.2 in 2025-26. All but two schools displayed significant progress (pre-K and kindergarten attendance rates do not count toward schools’ chronic absenteeism rates).
SPS sits just 0.4 percentage points below the State’s rate (18.8 percent), and has the third lowest chronic absenteeism rate of all 26 gateway cities, behind only Quincy (15.6 percent) and Attleboro (17.8). Compared to four years ago, it is a remarkable improvement from 2022 when it ranked 18th among gateway cities.
“The latest chronic absenteeism data for Salem Public Schools reflects the hard work of our educators and the deep commitment of our students,” said Mayor and School Committee Chair Dominick Pangallo. “Together, we’re making Salem schools more engaging, and children are thriving as a result. While these numbers are encouraging, though, we also know that we have more work to do. We want every student in our city to feel joy, enthusiasm, and belonging when they step into a Salem classroom.”
Salem is also performing well in several chronic absenteeism subset categories the last four years, including:
- Multilingual learning students: down 23.6 percent (43.3 percent in 2022-23 to 19.7 percent in 2025-26), second behind Quincy (14.2) among Gateway cities.
- Students with disabilities: down 16.6 percent (from 43.4 in 2022-23 to 26.8 percent in 2025-26).
- Economically disadvantaged students: down 18.1 percent (from 43.1 percent in 2022-23 to 25.0 percent in 2025-26), fourth among Gateway cities.
“When families feel supported, students show up,” said Ellen Wingard, Executive Director of Student Supports. “By deepening our connection with our community and reaching out the moment a family needs help, we’ve built a network of care that ensures every child has the opportunity to attend school every day.
“Our educators have worked hard to build authentic relationships with students and families which has allowed us to address barriers families face that hinder regular attendance,” Ms. Wingard added. “We have put strong systems in place to ensure we reach out early when there are signs families need support, and developed strong partnerships with community organizations that provide critical services to address family challenges.”
While all Salem elementary schools have made progress over time on reducing chronic absenteeism, five of the six elementary schools – as well as Salem High School and Collins Middle School – are below the District (19.2 percent) and state (18.8) averages.
Among the highest performing schools, the dual language Bentley Academy Innovation School improved its rate 19.0 percent – from a 34.4 percent chronic absenteeism rate in 2022-23 down to 15.4 in 2025-26; while the Collins Middle School improved 18.1 percent over four years, from 35.5 percent in 2022-23 to 17.4 percent in 2025-26.
Salem High School also saw remarkable gains – a 17 percent decrease – from 34.4 percent in 2022-23 to 17.4 percent in 2025-26; while New Liberty Innovation School (65 students) saw a 26.5 percent improvement, from 91.80 to 65.3 percent.
Other notable improvements included Witchcraft Heights Elementary School (13.7 percent), from 29.1 percent to 15.4; Carlton Innovation School (11.6 percent) from 23.2 percent to 11.6; and the Saltonstall School (9.4 percent), from 23.6 percent to 14.2.
“The improvement in chronic absenteeism over the last four years here at Salem was one of the key factors that attracted me to the Superintendent’s role,” said Superintendent Dr. Tommy Welch, who began his role in August. “These figures make it clear that our District is moving in the right direction and are emblematic of the effort and commitment from our staff and educators to our students. Strong attendance lays the foundation for strong academic achievement.
“In the spirit of continuous improvement, our attendance rates can always be better,” Dr. Welch added. “Our goal is to make every student feel known, valued, challenged, and we will strive to continue this amazing trend in our data.”
| School | Student Population | SY 2022-23 | SY 2025-26 | Percentage |
| Bates Elementary School | 451 | 28.9% | 17.4% | 11.5% |
| Bentley Academy Innovation School | 298 | 34.4% | 15.4% | 19.0% |
| Carlton Innovation School | 264 | 23.2% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| Collins Middle School | 822 | 35.5% | 17.4% | 18.1% |
| Horace Mann Laboratory School | 342 | 36.8% | 23.6% | 13.2% |
| New Liberty Innovation School | 65 | 91.8% | 65.3% | 26.5% |
| Salem Early Childhood Center | 129 | 53.9% | 39.1% | 14.8% |
| Salem High School | 1,025 | 34.4% | 17.4% | 17.0% |
| Salem Prep High School | 27 | 72.2% | 87.5% | -15.3% |
| Saltonstall School | 240 | 23.6% | 14.2% | 9.4% |
| Witchcraft Heights Elementary School | 507 | 29.1% | 15.4% | 13.7% |
| District | 4,170 | 34.0% | 19.2% | 14.8% |
About Salem Public Schools
Salem Public Schools is an urban public school district in Salem, Massachusetts, a small, diverse city with a proud maritime and immigrant history. Our leaders and our teachers are passionate about education and understand the urgency of improving student achievement with equity and social-emotional needs as the lens through which we view our work. We respect and value the racial, cultural, and linguistic diversity of our students and their families, and have a strong commitment to the Salem community. Salem Public Schools staff unconditionally serves each of our 4,000 students across 11 schools regardless of ability or language.
