Salem officials outline $447 million plan to replace Salem High School ahead of May 5 debt-exclusion vote

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, co-chair of the building committee, said many of the older CTE spaces currently "are not set up with the type of design and the type of equipment" students need and flagged accessibility and life-safety gaps that would be costly and disruptive to fix in-place.

Project leaders described the preferred site and program: a new building sited adjacent to the existing high school, integrated CTE and academic spaces across levels, a large flexible commons/cafeteria, auditorium and gym, and modernized athletic facilities (MIAA-compliant softball/baseball/turf fields). The design team said the new building aims for net-zero energy using a geothermal wellfield and rooftop and canopy photovoltaics, which presenters estimated could avoid roughly $1 million per year in current energy costs.

Officials laid out the schedule and financing framework: the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) reviewed the district’s schematic design and the next local step is a debt-exclusion vote on May 5 to pay the city’s share. Presenters gave headline cost figures for study options: a code-renovation estimate of $354 million, renovation-only $461 million, renovation-plus-addition $483 million and new construction $447 million. The presentation stated the MSBA reimbursement for Salem as $28 million and described a local share of about $239 million that would be covered through a 30-year debt exclusion if voters approve it.

City leaders detailed tax impacts and offsets the presentation said could reduce the net tax burden: the median residential tax bill was estimated to increase by about $682 per year over a 30-year bond schedule to cover the local share; the commercial tax impact was presented as roughly $1,200. Officials proposed targeted revenue measures to help lower the local payment, including modest fees on tourist activities, short-term rentals and nonresident parking, and said private fundraising and grants could help lower the city's obligation.

Presenters warned of costs to delaying action: they argued that repeated, piecemeal investments to keep the current building code-compliant over decades would likely cost substantially more when adjusted for inflation and would not secure MSBA reimbursement. The presentation also noted possible accreditation concerns tied to persistent facility deficiencies and urged voters to consider long-term fiscal and programmatic trade-offs.

The building committee said that if voters approve the debt-exclusion vote, design development would proceed, followed by roughly 30 months of construction with an estimated occupancy target in fall 2030 and athletic fields completed the following spring. Representatives from the construction manager and design team were available in the lobby for questions and to lead tours after the presentation.

Next steps: the city is scheduled to hold the debt-exclusion vote on May 5; the building committee and city staff will continue public outreach and post materials to the project website and SATV for residents seeking more detail.