[{"_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",5974027,"mediaKeyId","5829781-79a01dc7cf3cb866261f5e0ee56cbc5b","parentId",5829781,"title","Parents tell Salem School Committee early‑childhood playgrounds are unsafe, inaccessible; urge on‑site upgrades and grant strategy","audioSeconds",773,"startMs",2878000,"endMs",3651000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5829781-79a01dc7cf3cb866261f5e0ee56cbc5b&start=2878&end=3651","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5829781-79a01dc7cf3cb866261f5e0ee56cbc5b/thumbnail_2878000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/5974027/Massachusetts/Parents-tell-Salem-School-Committee-earlychildhood-playgrounds-are-unsafe-inaccessible-urge-onsite-upgrades-and-grant-strategy","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5974027-9747ab2128698fe5ba1bd3ed8b7c495a/orig.mp4?Expires=1773557945&Signature=Jg9OigG0n9aG8ZdGgppzHDR28x2AimNwTiqHCx0RKmyHXLopZObR61knreitUli1CktDGqloeV788~PYRw-klbVINZaZBTsYpQ1yo-sQW40kDfYHiDM-pbN24hI5FpJUYLpdDlqq4PUdGeZGX4LJQJtMhFjPad9lWGFkcA6mJ3jAcr8UTIxnlQRJuPhkQ5tERseLUxbsp6xJYZ6gfXkjW2pXKjE9VelEcoAm5LAINsHbu1hriqKSeSk3oyEnvSKGWep-sjqCEt1RfbeGyXGFS4gWYrl7YpulCsG6qyL-lF0TCpam2acy3shJGHgZhLrjosXz6X-Ixwun0Oz71cTWIA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Salem Public Schools, MA","date","2025-09-25T19:50:28.433Z","article","A parent advisory and school representatives told the Salem School Committee on Sept. 24 that several early‑childhood play areas in the district are inadequate for young learners and for students with disabilities, and urged the district to prioritize on‑site, accessible playgrounds rather than relying on public parks.

Kate Mattern, who convened the district’s superintendent advisory playground committee, told the committee that the early‑childhood playgrounds at the Carlton school, the Salem Early Childhood Center (ECC) and Horace Mann “range from mostly empty to potentially dangerous to inaccessible for kids with physical disabilities.” Mattern urged the committee to include playgrounds in reconfiguration planning and to consider dedicated district management rather than relying on Parks and Recreation equipment.

Melinda Baker, Carleton PTO co‑president, said Carleton’s kindergarten play area is an asphalt lot with little shade and limited equipment, and that older students use a nearby Parks and Recreation playground that is not managed by the school. She said a planned March Street renovation will take that community playground offline for a school year and that the school is arranging temporary loose‑play materials and alternate activity space while construction proceeds.

Erica Clifford, parent and Horace Mann PTC president, said Horace Mann’s front and rear playgrounds are in disrepair, that wood‑chip surfacing is inaccessible for children with mobility restrictions, and that the Pathways playground lacks commercial play equipment appropriate for preschoolers. “We have really no play spaces that will work for all of our students and are accessible for all of them,” Clifford said.

Presenters stressed inclusion: the ECC serves a substantial special‑needs population, they said, and small climbing structures currently available do not provide sufficient fall zones or accessible surfaces. Committee members were told the ECC and some neighborhood playgrounds are managed by Parks and Recreation rather than the school district, which limits the district’s ability to schedule or retrofit equipment for the youngest learners.

Parents proposed several steps: incorporate playground needs into the district’s upcoming reconfiguration discussions; prioritize on‑site, district‑managed playgrounds when feasible; install ADA‑compliant surfacing and age‑appropriate commercial equipment at early‑childhood sites; and hire a part‑time development professional to identify grants and external funding sources. Kate Mattern noted the advisory had identified a Community Preservation Act (CPA) grant awarded for a shade structure at the ECC; presenters said $60,000 had been allocated but the structure had not yet been installed.

Committee members acknowledged the scale of need and the cost of compliant playground projects. Member Cornell noted the district has invested in playgrounds in recent years but that surfacing and accessibility requirements have increased costs, and she asked the advisory to work with facilities and capital‑planning staff to refine short‑term and long‑term priorities. Member Cruz and facilities staff said Horace Mann is under active consideration for capital funding during the budget cycle and that some interim accessibility measures (for example, mats) could be evaluated for lower‑cost, temporary mitigation.

The discussion was advisory; the committee did not vote on funding Sept. 24. Parents said they will continue to meet with district staff and urged the committee to treat playgrounds as basic early‑childhood infrastructure rather than a discretionary improvement.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Salem School Committee Meeting - September 24th, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Parents and the district playground advisory told the School Committee Sept. 24 that early‑childhood play areas at Carlton, the Early Childhood Center and Horace Mann are often inaccessible, lack age‑appropriate equipment and need ADA‑compliant surfacing and shade.","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},5974031,"Salem High staff report expanded college-and-career counseling, set measurable goals for 2026",1096,822000,1918000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5829781-79a01dc7cf3cb866261f5e0ee56cbc5b&start=822&end=1918","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5829781-79a01dc7cf3cb866261f5e0ee56cbc5b/thumbnail_822000.jpg","/articles/5974031/Massachusetts/Salem-High-staff-report-expanded-college-and-career-counseling-set-measurable-goals-for-2026","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5974031-81faef2927e65ece8281310f7c14e9ae/orig.mp4?Expires=1773557945&Signature=cbenaIqI6kR6NhNiq-beFYqI1kKMvLuz0843WSuO3dJxH3DOk-ZIk4KdKvL8Ii11fqnslMu2gqRfDbzOEP06FYSNYbkya3OotZBx72yKmJacdZaGJyiaRZm-JvchU7gne1DzkAzYDKfCZmKb66yJXADrW9xBCh1o11HTdQt0SVZ29hov8q9kwNfXA2zdhgVpiesnkAKG5QPrHxMcsN86XxBHila1qGSYkmc34xzCsnebXcGjsiLGm6y1hgmqo1-ExDif8ZzlnOvAt8zhQR2V9dG3M~u032zUt6zfzS0hOa3uwFgppJaXRuKScDgOAUh0B5LwVx~FObP~cx1jNMCM1A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Salem School Committee members on Sept. 24 heard a report from Salem High School staff detailing changes to the district’s college-and-career advising system and measurable targets for the 2025–26 school year.

The update, presented by Salem High staff member Mister Burns and College and Career Director Ms. Souza, described a shift toward individualized, earlier planning for students, expanded use of the state MyCAP framework and Naviance software, and a new professional-development partnership with OneGoal. “We have 459 applications to colleges already to 25 different states and to international,” Burns said, summarizing early application activity.

School leaders said the work responds to a consultant review done earlier and to gaps that previously left many seniors making postsecondary choices late in their final year. The district has reorganized counseling delivery so that every student now has access to a one-to-one postsecondary planning meeting tied directly to course selection; counselors deliver a structured, research‑based curriculum in workshops and through advisory time; and data previously held in separate systems is now monitored across staff using Naviance and Aspen.

Ms. Souza said the school has shifted to tracking inputs (meetings), outputs (applications, FAFSA completion) and outcomes (enrollment), and has established interim checkpoints to trigger interventions during the school year. She reported that in the 2025 school year 74 percent of students demonstrated mastery of the district’s Tier‑1 postsecondary skills and that “over 90 percent of students receive direct instruction from counselors in these workshops.”

Officials listed four district targets for the year: ensure 95 percent of ninth‑ and twelfth‑graders receive a one‑to‑one counseling meeting aligned with postsecondary planning and course selection; raise the share of seniors applying to at least three schools from 39 percent to 75 percent; ensure 90 percent of students spend at least five hours exploring postsecondary pathways; and increase FAFSA completion to 75 percent.

To support those goals, the high school reported new staff allocations — a dedicated ninth‑grade counselor and a multilingual counselor — expanded family workshops (including multilingual and FAFSA events) and weekly common planning time for counselors to monitor data and adjust interventions. The school also identified partnerships with Salem State and North Shore and outside groups including LEAP and OneGoal as key supports.

Committee members praised progress and pressed for continued attention to persistence—how students fare after enrollment. Member Cruz asked how the district is coordinating MyCAP work with middle schools; staff described pilot work in Grade 8 and said counselors and middle‑school counterparts are aligning scope and sequence so students arrive at ninth grade with common vocabulary and tools.

Superintendent Dr. Zarek told the committee that MCAS results are under embargo until Oct. 6 and that district staff will present MCAS trends to the committee on Oct. 6. School leaders said they will provide ongoing updates on MyCAP implementation and the OneGoal partnership.

Discussion only: the committee did not take a formal vote on policy changes during the Sept. 24 meeting.

","Salem School Committee heard a detailed update from Salem High School officials on expanded postsecondary advising: 1-to-1 counseling tied to course selection, use of MyCAP and Naviance, a OneGoal partnership, new staff roles and measurable targets for counselor contacts, applications and FAFSA completion.",{"_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},5974015,"School Committee approves disposal of broken science and technology equipment",74,5567000,5641000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5829781-79a01dc7cf3cb866261f5e0ee56cbc5b&start=5567&end=5641","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5829781-79a01dc7cf3cb866261f5e0ee56cbc5b/thumbnail_5567000.jpg","/articles/5974015/Massachusetts/School-Committee-approves-disposal-of-broken-science-and-technology-equipment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5974015-ea260aa2958c676d6641fdf42ba02961/orig.mp4?Expires=1773557945&Signature=KBox-6SjP-1gjbJtA2beF1HhZb3KEo9wafunsu4QnJGQVmP4-OZ85TJ2V5Ds9YSt2A20TjjjQsJOmPKCI3lSdcuRPgX7h73S9Pn7sZriLElDpDcRFxkRS5KFIbn0nyYGhI10pzc5vaFTFUlIFeKG7xMEHtwkg8r~h65Phx50qc9Ck4Ac5Wf2chjYcqPg4razB-niaMp-iDyfxbd4un-yqvMuBSrU77j04l64PU44y5I1ACutOFbys69MLy79HqjyYn~vc~xXzQ4lQ1iISgll4rVQ4I3HNw8bqctx-uFVd9a8obHlCjNIv3DjZCMhbQOxDv0A-XnlWITS5hNkl7abSw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Salem School Committee voted unanimously Sept. 24 to dispose of listed surplus materials, mainly broken science equipment and outdated technology.

Member Cruz moved to approve the disposal of surplus materials and Member Cornell seconded the motion. The committee voted by roll call (required because Member Manning participated remotely): Member Cruz — yes; Member Manning — yes; Member Campbell — yes; Member Cornell — yes; Chair — yes.

District staff told the committee that most items were beyond repair and that some technology devices no longer receive security updates and therefore present a network risk. Staff said replacements were already in classrooms (for example, modern science kits) and that clearing the items would free storage and classroom space.

This was a formal action; the committee approved the disposal as presented and no amendments were made.

","The committee approved disposal of broken science equipment and obsolete technology; members noted many items were replaced with newer kits and some technology items no longer receive security updates.",{"_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},5974021,"School building committee selects construction manager; design and community outreach continue for new Salem High",281,5134000,5415000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5829781-79a01dc7cf3cb866261f5e0ee56cbc5b&start=5134&end=5415","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5829781-79a01dc7cf3cb866261f5e0ee56cbc5b/thumbnail_5134000.jpg","/articles/5974021/Massachusetts/School-building-committee-selects-construction-manager-design-and-community-outreach-continue-for-new-Salem-High","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5974021-379e71b647a5e73c27a59cbe12a37cf5/orig.mp4?Expires=1773557945&Signature=PQJw1Fxhvsf2AfWOI0JnxrKZclu7DcDd2BjHf2m-hmM7nHZ1m6v~rCTkViZEXS60PmvARwW4lfLhACwVOlkRhQ7GV75PSyXwNd9gk3G4ROEusrpuDbbes4TFD6LUrCp-pIz9Xw3N3Fatw8gowSdWbjQ5ee9s2oHN5gIo8Nh8Ww4HtDlG29Ttfg5cJHapT~nFk3jsoSLWFcB4EINlBpgvixYXlSRUVkS1O1jeLgJSwn3G85EC5OJiPxdyZZ32oN7PcSokl1HekVK3BZssdnzoigCxOJhNu2Pxgs2~NUg0QBIkHwSQamT4LLPl-cugbTYGpz-I-g2NbKqI7DtRGUJI4g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Salem School Committee received an update Sept. 24 on the new high school project: a construction manager team has been selected and staff are continuing design work and community outreach ahead of an MSBA deadline in December.

Superintendent Dr. Zarek and building‑committee members told the committee that Shawmut and Rich have been selected as the construction manager team and that designers and school staff are refining plans daily. Staff said final design recommendations must be submitted to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) in December.

Committee members described a rolling public outreach effort: project boards have been displayed at community events, and building committee members have staffed tables at the farmers market, football games and neighborhood association meetings. A building committee meeting open to the public was scheduled the next evening in the same chamber where the Sept. 24 meeting was held.

No formal design vote by the school committee occurred on Sept. 24; building‑committee members encouraged parents and residents to attend upcoming tabling events and community meetings to review boards and ask questions.

","The School Committee heard an update that Shawmut and Rich (a construction manager team) were selected for the new high school project, community outreach tabling is underway and a final design recommendation to the MSBA is due in December.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Parents tell Salem School Committee early‑childhood playgrounds are unsafe, inaccessible; urge on‑site upgrades and grant strategy

Salem High staff report expanded college-and-career counseling, set measurable goals for 2026

School Committee approves disposal of broken science and technology equipment

School building committee selects construction manager; design and community outreach continue for new Salem High