SCHOOLS

In-person classes will be two days per week for most Salem-Keizer students under early outline for fall

Highland Elementary 2nd grade teacher Becky Montgomery works with a student during a computer math exercise Wednesday March 13, 2019. (Fred Joe/Special to Salem Reporter) Most of Salem-Keizer’s 41,000 students would attend school inside a building only two days per week under a plan being developed by district administrators, though[Read More…]

With smaller ceremonies and more sanitizer, graduation will go ahead for Salem-Keizer’s Class of 2020

McKay High School 2019 summer graduates wait in the West Salem High School lunchroom before the ceremony (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) Salem-Keizer’s high schools will host dozens of small in-person graduation ceremonies in August, recognizing the Class of 2020 while following health guidelines limiting the size of events. The decision, announced[Read More…]

Salem-Keizer students report little social contact or academic challenge during two months of distance learning

Judson Middle School students in a seventh grade language arts on Oct. 30, 2018. (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) Thousands of Salem-Keizer students struggled with a hasty switch to remote classes this spring, with most saying classes weren’t academically challenging and fewer than half reporting an adult could regularly help them with[Read More…]

Thousands call on school board directors to resign as Salem-Keizer leaders discuss police in schools

The 2019 Salem-Keizer School Board (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) Salem-Keizer school board members spent much of a four-hour public meeting Tuesday night explaining they want to listen to the community about the future of police in local schools, but devoted only one hour to hearing community input after more than 180[Read More…]

Superintendent Christy Perry rebukes school board over “discounting” experiences of students of color

Superintendent Christy Perry publicly rebuked her supervisors – the elected Salem-Keizer School Board – during a Tuesday meeting, saying she can no longer ask thousands of district employees to fight against racism without sharing how board members have discounted the experiences of students of color they are supposed to serve.[Read More…]

For 50 years, police have patrolled schools in Salem. Now, some say it’s time for a new approach.

A 50-year-old program of police in Salem-Keizer schools has become a flashpoint in local discussions about racial justice as activists who have long pushed for changes to school discipline say people in power can no longer ignore them.   A petition organized by youth group Latinos Unidos Siempre now has gathered nearly 1,000[Read More…]

Salem-Keizer schools grapple with transportation, clubs, childcare as they plan for fall reopening

Seen through a sliding glass door, Noah Hall, wife Jessica and children Evan, 6, and Ruby, 2, sit at the kitchen table of their Salem home on Wednesday, April 23. The Halls are both elementary school teachers who are currently teaching classes from phone via video while also caring for[Read More…]