[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6484048,"mediaKeyId","5490147-eea7e69e594bed30a58a6b83ec50f01c","parentId",5490147,"title","Votes at a glance: Salem School Committee approves agenda, consent items and meeting-date change; resolution deferred","audioSeconds",4173,"startMs",47000,"endMs",4220000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5490147-eea7e69e594bed30a58a6b83ec50f01c&start=47&end=4220","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5490147-eea7e69e594bed30a58a6b83ec50f01c/thumbnail_47000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6484048/Massachusetts/Votes-at-a-glance-Salem-School-Committee-approves-agenda-consent-items-and-meeting-date-change-resolution-deferred","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6484048-001d7cdda428ff24f141ba2dad3b976c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770971850&Signature=bFSc7wI0Z1bG2z2GcuuPw9LixuSZHLUgdlcC6W3W18FJpcoxgVh7aL2G1OoJWLSLsk1cdM7L7brmIjYpUJ9zkZ8CHOt51ZN-E7l9yjc4dZ7pi0CY2u5m4FJH5EPepLnzcEAmbefsbLns2Hc2iQ4acHZdGVZpwh143EsJFaO0xB5bF26XI6-vZmj3eiKwRO2MSLkYIH02ltDfnXgScG0y7d9TEyhG7btHVMQ9H4Wlaml3vndkvBuHDZfdO-pujdGs3rURe~sTW0A-MtTNaZyLmJzAGNXUmY0ZJRXqPBp-YjvZvcGcjBrDIfSfz41PV2RXMphbnqJcpAcarcgovcECyg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Salem Public Schools, MA","date","2025-07-29T02:48:04Z","article","The Salem School Committee conducted several formal actions on July 28. All votes were roll-call votes because the committee had one member participating remotely.

Agenda approval
Motion: \"Motion to approve the agenda as presented.\" (mover: Member Miranda; seconder: Member Campbell)
Vote: Roll call. Member Campbell — Yes; Member Cruz — Yes; Member Hoffman — Yes; Member Miranda — Yes; Chair (self) — Yes. Outcome: approved unanimously.

Consent agenda
Motion: \"Motion to approve the consent agenda.\" (consent items included minutes of June 17 and June 21 retreat, field trip approval for Carlton fifth graders, and warrants dated June 19, June 26, July 9, July 16, July 17, July 23) (mover: Member Miranda; seconder: Member Campbell)
Vote: Roll call. Member Campbell — Yes; Member Cruz — Yes; Member Hoffman — Yes; Member Miranda — Yes; Chair (self) — Yes. Outcome: approved unanimously.

Change of September meeting date
Motion: Move to change the September meeting date from Sept. 22 to Wednesday, Sept. 24 (mover: Member Cruz; seconder: Member Miranda)
Vote: Voice/roll call recorded as unanimous. Outcome: approved unanimously.

Resolution re July 4, 2025 (no action)
Discussion: A resolution request submitted by Councilor Davis regarding a July 4 letter was presented to the committee. Member Cruz explained the timing and open-meeting-law constraints and recommended bringing the item forward on a future agenda when germane.
Outcome: no action taken (item deferred for future consideration). Note: committee members cited open-meeting-law timing constraints and recommended resubmission at a later, appropriate meeting.

Adjournment
Motion: \"I'll make a motion to adjourn.\" (mover: Member Miranda; seconder: Member Campbell)
Vote: All in favor; none opposed. Outcome: meeting adjourned.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Salem School Committee Meeting - July 28th, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The July 28 School Committee approved the agenda and consent agenda by roll call, unanimously approved a September meeting-date change and adjourned. A July 4 resolution request was discussed but not acted on.","taxTitle","Salem Public Schools, School Boards, Massachusetts","taxId",71121,"location","Massachusetts","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6484053,"Salem High schematic advances with MSBA review; city to consider debt-exclusion schedule",193,3555000,3748000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5490147-eea7e69e594bed30a58a6b83ec50f01c&start=3555&end=3748","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5490147-eea7e69e594bed30a58a6b83ec50f01c/thumbnail_3555000.jpg","/articles/6484053/Massachusetts/Salem-High-schematic-advances-with-MSBA-review-city-to-consider-debt-exclusion-schedule","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6484053-30cbbb19f85bc6b1809b5d65d71c2f89/orig.mp4?Expires=1770971850&Signature=mp2ZuW51Q-KWLSE5y82uFl0A~ZZOgY40QIkDUDb6kXfTZ1yFA-9-42OMzNsGshZZ0K04wJoQ1IRSex6wNpgV3xk~O56Su5J~FkqVmI6nhKxU64TnbQQqjiaZZ7vDen1x90hbQ6CHUr6lVYkj5NQI9VjTVHW3LLHd~P8BWW3-BatEo45dsGxfGq4PVSDvWJvgOqAC7l11-41~C7VMtohxq2d41Cst7zwn0tSpvPJJvY3GYaerRXAUng6PGjYybkc5ATxtUNCMnQ6yFgVUJfnL1gQh0JCe9P7tQYm8HgJZpQqoIjJIyJ6cx~z2U9xUWXK2XDdLEAiEi-54AxGpIpWcag__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Superintendent Steve Zrike updated the School Committee on July 28 that Salem’s new high school schematic is moving through the Massachusetts School Building Authority review, and outlined a tentative timeline for final approvals and local financing.

Zrike said the MSBA’s facilities assessment subcommittee questioned and discussed the district’s preliminary design, and that the district expects the MSBA board to vote on and approve the preferred schematic “on Wednesday, August 27.” He said the MSBA review will continue through a back-and-forth period on schematic details and basis-of-cost work, with the final design submittal expected in December and a staff/board vote anticipated in February 2026.

On project timing, Zrike said the MSBA has indicated a projected opening for the new school in 2030, with construction anticipated to begin in 2028 if the timetable holds. He described continued community engagement and tabling at public events in the coming months to share design information and gather feedback.

Separately, a speaker identified as mayoral leadership said the city plans to approach the City Council in January to schedule a May vote on the debt-exclusion bond order required for the local share of the project. “Our current plan is that we anticipate probably approaching the city council in January to schedule that vote for May,” the mayoral speaker said.

Zrike and his team also reported that the MSBA will review special-education spaces, career-and-technical-education areas and other programmatic elements as part of the ongoing schematic process. Committee members were told to expect additional design updates between now and December and an MSBA action timeline through early 2026.","Superintendent Steve Zrike reported that the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) will review and likely advance the preferred schematic for the new Salem High School, with a projected building opening in 2030 and city-level debt-exclusion steps planned for 2026.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6484058,"District intern presents educator-diversity inventory; committee hears pipeline and partnership progress",676,2544000,3220000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5490147-eea7e69e594bed30a58a6b83ec50f01c&start=2544&end=3220","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5490147-eea7e69e594bed30a58a6b83ec50f01c/thumbnail_2544000.jpg","/articles/6484058/Massachusetts/District-intern-presents-educator-diversity-inventory-committee-hears-pipeline-and-partnership-progress","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6484058-dfa425880724c149a377ce61cac22919/orig.mp4?Expires=1770971850&Signature=KHm2JjOcUOrRhhxUZ90Pgp5~SjIvI00qKOV~gvJOBMNz3FLmXS1CLzlJ~pxexl~kxOV27nUDtOvDWTWhv2zEmLWmQ5YRCxt9wxWmqhTRMzU6R4qPlEY6ojokQ1etvBM97~VQLXU0HsqzJnSWanW06ZSRz78bnosCHs64wv~~Jklfgga~CEWwBFYYw8U0-Qz7Y~msa~Z3d~9fryGPoj1Qi1Rs5X6uF~AQnVMGogqXD1cldiFcxQsito6EuImuEWU1YZQtYyPoe5jAC5X4gZWyjjOj9mzh074yL0O82Gquf634gYsq52qQ4Lp9RY~ha3vf-7x6mGnOER4uT5ym5FUvyg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Veronica Salas, a practicum intern from the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s EDLD program, presented the results of a yearlong inventory of Salem Public Schools’ educator-diversity initiatives at the July 28 meeting.

Salas said Salem has been a three-time recipient of DESE’s teacher-diversity grant and was one of seven districts selected for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Registered Teacher Apprenticeship program, which will allow some employees to earn credit for special-education field experience. She also described partnerships with Middlesex Community College and La Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo, and cited community supports from Leap for Education, Latinos for Education and the Smith Family Foundation.

On district figures, Salas said the percentage of staff of color had risen from about 10 percent to over 20 percent in the past five years, and that paraprofessional and teacher-of-color percentages grew over that period even though teacher percentages dipped from 17 to 15 in the most recent year. Salas emphasized that the state’s broader pattern shows similar plateauing.

Salas described several pipeline strategies: an early-college education pathway at Salem High that will reach three grades and approximately 70 students next year, a CTE early-childhood program that enrolled 49 students last year, and paraprofessional-to-teacher programs tied to community-college partners. She also presented school-level teacher-distribution charts and asked whether the district should target gains at a few key schools rather than across the entire district.

Committee members praised the inventory and suggested steps forward. Member Cruz recommended expanding para-to-teacher supports and creating summer or early-career paid experiences to keep students engaged in educator pathways. Member Kimball urged robust longitudinal data collection so the district can measure long-term returns on student-to-educator pipelines.

Salas closed by listing open questions for the district, including the efficacy of individual initiatives in producing diverse hires, retention and transfer rates for educators of color, and the need for improved data infrastructure to track program outcomes and candidate pipelines.","Veronica Salas, an EDLD practicum intern, presented a district inventory of teacher-diversity initiatives, highlighting grants, partnerships with higher education and early-college growth while committee members urged stronger pipeline supports and data tracking.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6484062,"Superintendent Steve Zrike reviews district progress, flags student belonging and early-childhood alignment",2275,204000,2479000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5490147-eea7e69e594bed30a58a6b83ec50f01c&start=204&end=2479","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5490147-eea7e69e594bed30a58a6b83ec50f01c/thumbnail_204000.jpg","/articles/6484062/Massachusetts/Superintendent-Steve-Zrike-reviews-district-progress-flags-student-belonging-and-early-childhood-alignment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6484062-176f68e4c5fcbefd06934bf04f72fe29/orig.mp4?Expires=1770971850&Signature=fZ6X3jxNd3woIs920okV8ozRvXxZ6yJpJ-eNZbBuFEc~TrYkt47ExojUHZr~FbT1GPmbylH~j~N~uS56YYJIVtpn6kqIHdRP4x6s67G-sDxfoQCZKfYlKdFfxALrDjGPzZj2x-P6wqMhQP-MrwK-2KEhL16rBsGnWbFlA~zEguqdnBCD2PrJqEIQdupVGgzJP8dThC45He-mJcQUtVCJseGIiQMAGxfQB-jRZQ2f3f6PLpgx11eHGVeNltC2MsvnIuDK9WTVBXtIiWruXIWRyX7h3AE5u02MnyIgnLolL0e0K9mcTehMYtrHfI~3cuGEjjGnJGNQx4RI65rhrra~Bg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Superintendent Steve Zrike told the Salem School Committee on July 28 that the district has made measurable gains on multiple indicators while facing gaps in student belonging and early-grade alignment.

Zrike opened the presentation by noting that some state data remain embargoed and unfinalized, including spring MCAS results, but said internal measures and preliminary counts give a picture of the district’s status as it enters the final year of its three-year strategic plan. “We don’t have all the data in from this school year,” Zrike said, noting that some MCAS information was still under embargo.

The presentation summarized progress under four priorities: elevating learning, empowering educators, centering belonging and strengthening foundations. Zrike cited strong growth at the high school level and called out advanced-coursework participation among 11th and 12th graders as “in the low seventies,” a figure he said exceeds the strategic-plan goal. He also reported a 4-year graduation rate of 81.6 percent for the 2024 cohort (students who finished within four years), with some students still completing requirements after the cohort year.

But Zrike said the district faces important challenges. He singled out student responses to the Panorama survey point that only about 49 percent of students reported that they feel valued in school. “Not enough students are telling us that they feel valued in school, and I think that’s a place we have to double down,” he said. Committee members asked for more disaggregated data. Member Cruz requested breakdowns by trusted-adult indicators and by grade and school; Zrike said the data are available by grade level and school, and that staff would share additional cross-tabulations in the fall.

Zrike also raised an early-childhood concern: while the district has developed an expanded, higher-quality pre-K experience in partnership with community providers, he said some kindergarten-through-second-grade instruction has not been vertically aligned to build on that pre-K readiness. “We need to build from that,” he said, describing planned joint professional development and data-sharing work this fall to improve transitions.

Other details provided during the presentation included:
- Portrait of a Graduate: the district is elevating a multi-language (English, Spanish, Portuguese) “portrait of a graduate” that emphasizes critical thinking, creative problem solving, collaboration, communication, self-awareness and cultural competence.
- Attendance and chronic absenteeism: Zrike said chronic-absence and dropout metrics have improved and met 3-year targets in several schools, citing Collins as an example of progress.
- Special education and multilingual learners: he said these groups continue to lag in proficiency and remain a focus.
- Staff retention and diversity: Zrike said overall retention had improved as the district settled a new contract, but that teacher diversity had plateaued after gains earlier in his tenure. A follow-up presentation on diversification followed the state-of-schools report.

Zrike closed by listing concerns about students’ postsecondary planning: although more students participate in rigorous coursework, many leave high school without a clearly defined college- or career-planning outcome. He said the district will continue to focus on college-and-career planning at middle and high school levels.

The presentation prompted several follow-up items the committee said it expects to receive this fall, including more detailed Panorama disaggregations, regular “pulse checks” on belonging and a report on vertical alignment work between pre-K and K–2 classrooms.","At the July 28 Salem School Committee meeting, Superintendent Steve Zrike delivered the annual state-of-the-schools presentation, highlighting gains in graduation and advanced coursework while flagging student sense of belonging and the need for vertical alignment from pre-K to grade 2.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Salem School Committee approves agenda, consent items and meeting-date change; resolution deferred

Salem High schematic advances with MSBA review; city to consider debt-exclusion schedule

District intern presents educator-diversity inventory; committee hears pipeline and partnership progress

Superintendent Steve Zrike reviews district progress, flags student belonging and early-childhood alignment