The meeting opened with a moment of silence for Karen Cleary, a Salem Public Schools food service worker who died Nov. 28. The superintendent then presented the annual superintendent's Certificate of Academic Excellence to Jay Thompson (New Liberty Innovation School) and Alexia Coleman (Salem High School), and principals and family members joined them for photos.

During public comment, Laurie Miranda, board president of local nonprofit Mental Makeover, described the group's educational materials ("World Needs You Here" boxes) and invited committee members to the nonprofit's fourth annual Polar Plunge on Jan. 31, 2026 at Winter Island. Miranda said the group distributes kits to schools, hospitals and shelters across the North Shore and supports college scholarships in memory of two former students.

School nurse Jade Bachman urged the committee to "maintain full nursing staffing if a merge occurs," describing the time-sensitive and legally regulated medical responsibilities nurses perform and warning that merging two school populations into one building would significantly increase clinical workload in a single location.

Several parents told personal stories about why small schools mattered for their children, particularly for neurodivergent learners who had made academic and social progress in smaller settings. Melinda Baker asked the district to produce a thorough traffic analysis and enrollment modeling and to present a "business case" that would make clear how a new configuration would serve students and families before any vote. A 7'year'old spoke briefly, saying combining schools would lead to bullying and would not be worth it for children.

Ending: The public-comment period made clear a wide range of community concerns about any reconfiguration. The committee acknowledged those views and reiterated plans for more public engagement (Dec. 6 open house and Dec. 8 webinar) before deliberations continue.