Salem High students, teacher plead to keep darkroom in new school design

Students and a teacher from Salem High School asked the school project committee to preserve a darkroom in the new high school schematic during the meeting’s public-comment period. The students described film photography exercises — cyanotypes, pinhole cameras and negative-to-positive printing — and said the space supports tactile STEAM learning that cannot be duplicated by digital-only instruction.

"The darkroom… it's cut," said student Deborah Murphy, describing a draft plan that removes the space. The students told the committee the room requires only a light-tight space and a sink and that it supports multi-level coursework (Photo 1 through Photo 2 and independent study) that helps students understand exposure, aperture and hands-on processes. Teacher Kirsten McCarthy told the committee, "It's a part of modern STEAM education," and said the darkroom is among the most requested art classes and draws students to Salem High.

Committee members acknowledged the request and asked staff to consider adding the darkroom topic to a future agenda for a fuller review of space, cost and curriculum integration. Presenters and students emphasized the room’s modest physical needs — no new, expensive equipment and a small footprint — while arguing for its curricular benefits across K–12 art pathways.

The public-comment speakers framed the issue as both curricular and equity-related: students and the teacher said in-person, hands-on processes teach skills not offered by digital-only workflows and that the darkroom supports college- and career-ready competencies for art and imaging pathways. The committee did not make a binding decision during the meeting but agreed to include the darkroom in follow-up discussions and future agenda planning.