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Salem schools present FY26 capital requests including Bates roof, Horace Mann gym floor and Bertram Field repairs
Summary
During the May 27 Administration & Finance Committee meeting, district officials reviewed school capital-improvement requests (five-year CIP) including an MSBA-selected Bates roof project (district share ~$988,000), a Horace Mann gym-floor replacement, painting and playground/field repairs; council will vote on funding sources June 11.
On May 27, 2025, Salem Public Schools presented its FY26 capital-improvement requests to the City of Salem Administration & Finance Committee as part of the five-year CIP review. The committee did not vote on the CIP at the meeting; staff said the City Council will be asked to vote on the funding sources on June 11, 2025.
District presenters outlined multiple school projects prioritized in the FY26 request. Key items discussed included:
• Bates Elementary School roof: The district said it was accepted into the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) accelerated repair program; the district’s estimated share after MSBA reimbursement is approximately $988,000.
• Horace Mann gym-floor replacement and playground work: Officials described the Horace Mann gym floor as “in disrepair” and requested replacement to improve student experience and enable rental use. The district also requested funds for playground and outdoor-space improvements on a rotating schedule across schools.
• Bertram Field and track repairs: Presenters said the field and track were in significant disrepair with holes in the track surface and failing systems in locker rooms; the project cost surprised school staff and will require substantial repair funding (specific total not provided in the presentation).
• Building painting and general maintenance: The district requested $250,000 to repaint Horace Mann and Saltonstall and to establish a rotation for repainting schools in future summers.
• HVAC, electrical and plumbing work: The district requested $750,000 to address HVAC controls (including Collins Middle School), repair chillers (noting a prior failure at Carleton) and cover ongoing plumbing work.
• Security and life-safety work: The presentation listed elevator repairs, fire/sprinkler work, access-control upgrades, vape-detector replacements and camera replacements (amount for security/life-safety not specified in the slide notes provided at the meeting).
• Technology and devices: The district requested $550,000 for technology replacement, including staff and student Chromebooks, whiteboards/smartboards and projectors, plus $50,000 specifically for special-education devices.
• Generator replacement at Bates: Presenters said the Bates generator is the oldest and will require replacement; the estimate grew because the unit is inside the building and requires reconfiguration to meet code and siting needs.
Councilors asked clarifying questions about expected timing and recurring needs. Councilor Cohen reminded staff of the city’s green-building ordinance for municipal properties (adopted January 2022) and encouraged replacing boilers with heat pumps where appropriate; presenters acknowledged the point and concurred that heat-pump conversions could offer long-term savings and health benefits. Committee members also discussed the role of building utilization in long-term capital planning; the school committee plans a retreat on June 21 to review leases and space usage.
District staff emphasized that several requests reflect deferred maintenance and that some costs were higher than anticipated (for example, the Bertram track repairs). The committee did not act on the CIP requests at the meeting; staff said the council will take up the funding votes on June 11.
