Taking A Long View On Salem's New High School Plans

SALEM, MA — Salem Superintendent of Schools Steve Zrike assured that the current high school will continue to be maintained as best as possible over the next few years as the district eyes a new high school building in the next five to seven years.

While Zrike celebrated the state School Building Authority's authorization of funding for a new high school as a "critically important, exciting day for the future of Salem Public Schools" prior to the holiday break, he told the School Committee on Monday night that the SBA approval is just the beginning of a long process intended to include a lot of community feedback.

"It's a five- to seven-year-minium process," Zrike said. "Lots of discussions. Lots of time. Lots of work with the city as well."

Zrike said the project will officially begin for Salem on May 1 with the start of a 270-day timeline to deliver the first round of feasibility and planning submissions, but added that work can begin immediately on an educational profile for the district that includes a career and technical learning profile and the formation of a building committee "that will take a very active and busy role in the work of the planning and design of the new building."

He said the School Building Committee will include school administration, staff and members of the community.

"We look forward to a lot of input and a lot of healthy discussions," Zrike said. "This is a huge victory for Salem. Huge news. And I really appreciate everybody who was involved in getting us to this place after a long — I think 15, 16 years — of discussion about a new high school."

Zrike has advocated for the need for a new high school since he came to the district in March 20202. He credited retired Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations Mary DeLai for writing the application that led to the SBA approval.

Zrike added that while the promise of a new building is great for future Salem High students, those who attend high school over the next half-decade or more will not be overlooked.

"I do want to quell any concerns that people have that we're not going to do anything to invest in the (current) high school (building)," he said. "We still have children and staff in that school for the next five to seven years, at minimum. We're not going to leave our students to be neglected during that time.

"We know that we've got to educate this generation of students and we're very excited about what's to come moving forward."

Monday night's School Committee was also the first with Salem Acting Mayor Robert McCarthy as the Committee Chair following his City Council election to replace Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll until a special election is held this spring.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)