Salem-Keizer families heard for the first time Tuesday, Oct. 13, why the district wants to close six elementary schools.
Chief Operating Officer Paul Odenthal presented a building-by-building analysis at the board meeting, telling directors his team reviewed all 42 elementary schools using 11 criteria the board approved in September, KATU reported. The criteria included building conditions, enrollment, available space, transportation, school programs and potential effects on students. He said the district did not use a formula that assigned each factor a fixed weight. Instead, staff weighed the combined concerns at each school and whether individual problems were severe.
"While the buildings have shortcomings, these are great schools," Odenthal said.
The meeting started two hours early, at 4 p.m., to allow extra time for public comment. More than 30 people addressed the board, according to Salem Reporter. All opposed the closures.
What the district found at each school
The six schools are Brush College, Candalaria, Cummings, Englewood, Liberty and Richmond. Four are more than a century old. Liberty, built in 1908, is the district's oldest building.
Brush College carries roughly $3.8 million in deferred maintenance. Odenthal described an undersized cafeteria, playground accessibility limits and an older section reachable only by stairs.
Candalaria triggered all seven indicators in the district's site viability framework. The hillside campus has stairs and exterior walkways that limit accessibility, a difficult-to-secure entry, street congestion blocking bus access and a radon mitigation system the district considers a long-term challenge.
Cummings operates at about 69% capacity. Odenthal called it the best-conditioned of the six but cited noise through thin walls, drainage problems and a bus drop-off area that conflicts with parent traffic.
Englewood received the lowest educational adequacy score in the district. Its three-story layout lacks an elevator, and fire code bars students in kindergarten through second grade from upper-floor classrooms.
Liberty has a split campus that forces fifth graders to walk outside to reach restrooms in the main building. Students also leave the school to reach a separate gym and music building.
Richmond shares Englewood's three-story problem. Odenthal noted a library without a restroom, no accessible parking and standing water. He acknowledged Richmond serves higher percentages of students with disabilities and students in poverty than the district average.
Why the district says closures are necessary
Superintendent Andrea Castañeda told the board enrollment has fallen by 2,600 students since she began leading the district, costing an estimated $26 million a year in state funding. District-wide enrollment has dropped from about 42,000 to roughly 36,000 since 2019, and the district faces a projected $46 million budget shortfall for the next school year, OPB reported.
Castañeda warned that keeping every school open would force the district to blend grade levels and split staff across sites. The district estimates the closures would avoid about $15 million in near-term maintenance costs and reduce underutilized space by 332,000 square feet. About 250 staff members would be affected. The district says roughly 95% of students would not be reassigned.
Families push back
Cummings parent Mandy Hansen told the board the school is central to her neighborhood. Kevin Jackson argued closing Cummings would shift costs to legal and transportation budgets rather than save money. Daniel Sims, a parent and PTA president, asked for clearer comparisons between schools selected for closure and those left off the list.
Board member Krissy Hudson is the only director who has publicly expressed hesitancy. Hudson voted against the closure policy in September, arguing the district should exhaust alternatives before closing neighborhood schools.
Tyler Scialo-Lakeberg, president of the Salem-Keizer Education Association, called the closure plan "fair" and said it honored impacted staff.
What comes next
Community listening sessions began Wednesday, Oct. 14, at Leslie Middle School from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Additional sessions run Thursday, Oct. 15, at Claggett Creek Middle School; Friday, Oct. 16, at Crossler Middle School; and Saturday, Oct. 17, at Straub Middle School from 10 to 11:30 a.m. and Waldo Middle School from 2 to 3:30 p.m.
The board meets again Tuesday, Oct. 20, for a fuller discussion. A final vote on the closures is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 8. If approved, the schools would close in June and changes would take effect for the 2027-28 school year.
