The Salem News Editorial | The future of Salem High School

By Mayor Dominick Pangallo, Superintendent Dr. Stephen Zrike, and Salem Building Committee Co-Chairs Nate Bryant and Rick Jones

On May 8 — after months of public meetings, workshops with educators and students, and expert analysis by architects and engineers — the Salem High School Building Committee voted to select among four options for the new Salem High School.

The choices before the committee were to do a limited project to just make the existing building code compliant, to renovate the existing building, to renovate with an addition to the building, or to build an entirely new building.

To achieve the best possible future for Salem High School — one that balances cost considerations with the educational needs of our students — the committee voted unanimously to move forward with an entirely new building.

Of the four options, the new building scheme is the shortest construction duration and the least disruptive to students in the current building, taking just 30 months to construct instead of up to 48 months. Further, the new building is less expensive than the other options except for the code compliance option, but that scheme does not meet the educational program needs for the school, nor does it enhance the career and technical education (CTE) spaces or the arts and athletic spaces.

The future Salem High School will be a more efficient, net zero or even net positive energy building. That means it will be healthier for those who study and work in it, and it will substantially reduce the city’s annual energy bills. Right now, the current building is an energy hog, accounting for almost 25% of the city’s annual electricity costs.

It will include a state-of-the-art auditorium with adjacent music and performance spaces, a new media center, appropriately sized CTE and academic classrooms arranged to strengthen collaboration between these programs, thoughtful adjacencies between programs, and better spaces for teacher collaboration and planning. Special education, nursing and health, and other critical student support spaces are also included.

A field house comparable in size to the existing will be included, along with an indoor walking track. Outside, the new campus will include two new soccer/ lacrosse fields, overlapping baseball and softball fields, and new tennis/pickleball courts. The project team is studying the possibility of relocating the iconic Salem Diner from Loring Avenue to a location adjacent to the new athletic fields, to serve as a concession facility where culinary arts CTE students and boosters alike can serve those attending games.

Right now, Salem Public Schools are thriving, and enrollment is growing. Graduation rates are up, and educator turnover is down. Academic achievement is up, and drop-out rates are down. Our kids are committed to their academic success, and they deserve a school building that is as excellent as they are — one that meets our shared goal of being a community where every student is empowered to succeed.

The process of creating this new school is far from over. Selecting the preferred scheme was just one of the earliest steps.

Over the coming months, the project team will now move forward with detailed designs and planning, and there will be plenty more opportunities for public input and feedback. The committee will continue to meet in order to guide and shape the project’s trajectory. In 2026, likely in the spring, the people of Salem will need to vote to approve the funding for the project.

Once all that has happened, and only after it has happened, can we get shovels in the ground. The current timeframe estimates that construction would commence in 2028 and be completed in 2030.

We invite and encourage you to be part of this process — whether you are part of the Salem Public School community or not. Discover more about the project at www.salemma.gov/salemhighschool and get engaged in this transformative moment for our city.

The future of Salem High School is being created now. And we couldn’t be more excited about it.