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Salem officials outline $447 million plan to replace Salem High School ahead of May 5 debt-exclusion vote
Summary
City and school leaders presented a new-construction plan for Salem High School, citing code, accessibility and CTE space deficiencies and a May 5 debt-exclusion vote to fund a roughly $239 million local share; proponents say new construction shortens schedule and lowers long-term risk compared with phased renovation.
Salem officials and school leaders on the high school campus presented a proposal to build a new Salem High School and urged residents to weigh in ahead of a May 5 debt-exclusion vote on the local share of the project.
Dr. Reich, who led the academic portion of the presentation, framed the facility proposal with the district’s recent performance gains. "There's a lot to be proud of and excited about in the Salem Public Schools," he said, noting improved graduation and AP scores and expanded career-and-technical-education (CTE) enrollment. He told attendees the district’s programs have strengthened even while many instructional and vocational spaces remain below current standards.
The building committee and its consultants described four MSBA-required options — a code-only upgrade, renovation-only, renovation with addition, and new construction — and said they advanced a new-construction scheme primarily to reduce schedule and cost risk and to deliver industry-standard CTE spaces. Rick Jones,…
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