SCHOOLS

School board to vote on final $35 million spending plan for Salem-Keizer

Educators and parents packed a school board meeting Feb. 18, 2020 to speak about a $35 million Salem-Keizer schools spending plan. (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter)

The Salem-Keizer School Board is expected to vote Tuesday night on a sweeping $35 million plan to hire 240 more employees, create new after school programs, add mental health services to schools and improve dual language and English instruction programs.

The plan covers the district’s portion of new state money expected next fall from the Student Success Act, which significantly increased public education funding in Oregon through a new business activity tax.

Salem-Keizer must submit a plan to the state in March detailing how the district’s spending will help groups of students who have historically struggled in school, using data points like third-grade reading test scores.

At a meeting last week, the plan drew significant support from Latino parents for its focus on improving translation services, dual language programs and curriculum for teaching non-native speakers English.

Many educators were strongly opposed because of the amount being spent on new curriculum, training and employees to mentor and coach teachers rather than on hiring more classroom teachers to lower class size.

Administrators have changed the plan slightly since presenting it last week. They now plan to hire an LGBTQ advocate to help students from that community and their families navigate the school system.

Other changes add more detail to plans for after school programs, specifying those programs will include cultural celebrations.

But those tweaks aren’t likely to flip teachers and other educators, who are once again planning to pack the board room.

Board members will first hear about updates to the plan and then take public comment until 7:30 p.m.

The plan isn’t the only item on the board’s agenda. Board members will also hear about a plan to replace Salem-Keizer buses and build a new transportation facility at a cost of about $60 million. The board won’t vote on the plan until a later meeting.

The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 25 at Salem-Keizer’s Support Services Center, 2575 Commercial St. S.E.

Board members: Marty Heyen, Jesse Lippold, Kathy Goss, Sheronne Blasi, Paul Kyllo, Satya Chandragiri and Danielle Bethell.

Reporter Rachel Alexander: [email protected] or 503-575-1241.

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.