Salem City School District

The first public school in Salem was a 1 & 1/2  story brick building, located on Walnut Street between Church and Wesley Street. The exact year is unknown, however, it is recorded that in 1851, the walls of the Walnut Street school house were raised, becoming a three story structure.

From 1860-1869, a public primary school operated in a building on Market Street, followed by the Griffith Street house in 1869. A building opposite the Walnut Street School was rented in 1872, and Salem High School was established in 1873 in the old Salem Academy building on the corner of Market and Griffith Streets. (A Bicentennial History of Public Education in Salem County New Jersey: 1776-1976. Mark A. Nathan)

State records verify that Salem High School was founded in 1873 as a three-year institution. In 1971 the district celebrated 100 years of public education. (The New Jersey High School: A History. Robert D. Bole & Laurence B. Johnson) Salem has been providing public education since the establishment of free public education in the year 1871.

The Salem City School District is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in kindergarten through grade twelve from Salem City, in Salem County, New Jersey, United States. The district is one of 31 Abbott Districts statewide.

The district participates in the Interdistrict Public School Choice Program, having been approved on November 2, 1999, as one of the first ten districts statewide to participate in the program. Seats in the program for non-resident students are specified by the district and are allocated by lottery, with tuition paid for participating students by the New Jersey Department of Education.