Graduation, Attendance Rates Up, Dropouts Down at Salem Public Schools

SALEM (May 6, 2024) – Salem Public Schools saw its four-year graduation rate increase to 80.6 percent, its highest rate since 2017-18, while its drop-out rate and chronic absenteeism rate each have decreased significantly, Superintendent Dr. Stephen Zrike announced recently.

While its graduation rate continues to rise, Salem’s drop-out rate dipped to 2.8 percent – its lowest since the 2017-18 academic year.

While Dr. Zrike hailed the progress, he noted there was still work to be done.

“While we are still not at our strategic goals of a graduation rate of 88 percent and a dropout rate of 2 percent, we are making important progress towards our north star,” he said. “Special thanks go to our staff, students and their families for the hard work to ensure that all of our students graduate with their diploma and so many other credentials, certificates and credits.”

The district has also seen its chronic absenteeism rate – defined as missing 10 percent or more of the school year – drop 3.8 percentage points year-to-date. The rate is its lowest figure since 2018-19: down from 26.7 percent year-to-date in 2022-23 to 22.9 percent in 2023-24 according to the Salem Public Schools Department of Student Support Services.  

Triggering the improvement is increased engagement with families. SPS staff – Family Engagement Facilitators, City Connects coordinators, counselors, teachers, paraprofessionals, administrators and clerks – have contacted and worked with more than 400 families throughout the school year to gather data to understand the root causes of absenteeism.

According to the 2023-26 District Strategic Plan, the District plans to bring the chronic absenteeism rate down to 18 percent by 2026.

“All the home visits, academic interventions, counseling sessions, phone calls and afterschool supports have gone a long way towards ensuring our students’ success,” Dr. Zrike said. “I’m looking forward to continued and sustained improvement.”

About Salem Public Schools

Salem Public Schools is an urban public school district in Salem, Massachusetts. Salem is a small, diverse city with a proud maritime and immigrant history. Our leaders and our teachers are all passionate about education and understand the urgency of improving student achievement with equity and social-emotional needs as the lens we view all of our work through. 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 serve all of our students, regardless of ability or language. Salem Public Schools enrolls approximately 4,000 students across its eleven schools.