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Salem-Keizer School District leaders are moving to sell a former northeast Salem elementary school to the charter school that’s occupied it for more than a decade.
Under the plan, the school district would negotiate a sale of the former Hazel Green Elementary School, 5774 Hazelgreen Rd. N.E., to Valley Inquiry Charter School, a K-5 charter school with about 170 students.
The plan was presented briefly at a school board meeting Tuesday, though the board did not discuss it during the public meeting. The board is expected to vote in January on a declaration that Hazel Green is no longer needed for educational purposes, the first step toward negotiating a sale.
No purchase price has been publicly discussed.
The proposal comes after a review of district property initiated in late 2023 as leaders contemplated deep budget cuts, the board packet said. That review sought to identify district-owned properties that were no longer needed.
The district purchased the first of two pieces of land that would eventually become Hazel Green in 1953 for $10.
The school closed in 2011 during a round of budget cuts as district administrators tried to centralize operations in larger elementary schools that could be operated more efficiently. At that time, Hazel Green had 104 enrolled students and space for 154, making it one of the smallest elementary schools in the district.
Valley Inquiry opened as Baker Charter School in 2005 and changed its name around 2010. It moved into the Hazel Green school during the 2012-13 school year, school district spokesman Aaron Harada said.
The charter school doesn’t pay rent to the district under its charter agreement, which was last renewed in March 2021. The school does contract with the district for building costs including utilities and maintenance. The contract lists those costs for 2021 at $47,000 per year.
The board packet said Valley Inquiry officials approached the school district about buying the property.
“This is a better long-term approach than continuing to provide maintenance and utilities for the property through the existing charter agreement with Valley Inquiry,” the packet said. If a sale is approved, the money would be deposited in a district fund to pay for capital projects.
Immigration resolution
The board briefly discussed a resolution reiterating a longstanding district policy that bars schools from collecting or sharing immigration information with federal authorities. The board is expected to vote on it in January.
School district leaders on Friday released a pledge to protect students from immigration enforcement action which included answers to questions school principals have been receiving about how schools will handle requests from immigration authorities.
“Outside of any policy debates, our students must feel safe in our schools,” said Superintendent Andrea Castañeda introducing the resolution. “There can never be a doubt in a parent’s mind, any parent’s mind about whether or not immigration action can happen in or through our school system. That is not a domestic policy position, that is an educational decision about what must be true in our school system.”
Satya Chandragiri, one of the board’s more conservative members, thanked district leaders for clearly communicating to families about what they can expect and ensuring students feel safe in school. He said it was important to protect students’ civil rights, noting he was speaking as an immigrant himself.
“Our communities are worried and they’re rightfully worried,” he said.
Other items
- The board voted 6-1 to approve bylaw changes for the Oregon School Boards Association which would add a member of the association’s LGBTQ+ advisory committee to the OSBA board as a voting member. Director Krissy Hudson voted against the change.
- The board voted 5-2 to nominate board Director Ashley Carson Cottingham to represent the region on the OSBA Legislative Policy Committee, with Chandragiri and Krissy Hudson voting against supporting her.
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.
