The Salem-Keizer School Board will vote Tuesday on a $1.825 million building purchase at the Salem Municipal Airport to allow an expansion of the district’s drone and aviation program.
The purchase would be used to expand the district’s current drone career technical education program into an aviation program with a wider scope. If the board approves the purchase, the drone program would be relocated to the new site at 3080 25th St. S.E. from its current home at the Career Technical Education Center on Northeast Portland Road, freeing up space for a new career-focused program, according to board documents.
If approved, the district would buy the 16,590 square foot building currently owned by Entek Technology Holdings LLC, which sits on city of Salem land at the airport. The total lot size is 35,375 square feet.
The district would enter into a long-term lease with the city of Salem. The current lease expires in 2038 and is about $13,000 per year, according to board documents. District employees are working with the city to extend the lease to 2048 and reduce the amount, according to board documents.
The purchase would be paid for with district high school success funds, a pot of state money that can be used for career technical education, college-level educational offerings and dropout prevention. The building would need about $1.2 to $1.5 million in renovations to house the program, board documents say, about half of which could be paid with high school success funds. The district will seek funds and donations from private industry to cover remaining costs.
The board will discuss changing its existing policy governing academic achievement results for the district. The agenda packet does not specify what changes are being considered. Board directors will also hold a first reading of proposed changes to other governance policies, which outline how the board operates and how they monitor and oversee the actions of the superintendent.
The board will hear an update from Chair Ashley Carson Cottingham on the search for a new district superintendent, including a recommendation from the district’s search firm about the composition of panels for community interviews of finalist candidates.
Board members on Tuesday will also consider voting for Bill Graupp to represent portions of Marion County on the Oregon School Boards Association’s Board of Directors. Graupp serves on the North Marion School Board and was the sole applicant for the seat, according to the agenda.
To participate: The meeting starts at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 13.
The board will meet in person, but members of the public may only attend and comment virtually.
Members of the public can sign up for in-person or virtual public comment before the meeting starts until 3 p.m. Monday using the link here.
The meeting will be streamed on CC:Media, channel 21, and on YouTube at the links below.
English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51FQTfOlxFY
Spanish: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ri-v3vZYpSQ
Contact reporter Rachel Alexander: [email protected] or 503-575-1241.
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Rachel Alexander is Salem Reporter’s managing editor. She joined Salem Reporter when it was founded in 2018 and covers city news, education, nonprofits and a little bit of everything else. She’s been a journalist in Oregon and Washington for a decade. Outside of work, she’s a skater and board member with Salem’s Cherry City Roller Derby and can often be found with her nose buried in a book.
