Save Our Schools
On November 3, 2025, the Salem School Committee announced its plan to close a Salem elementary school next school year. On December 15, 2025, they will vote on which school to close.
Join us and ask school leaders to stop rushing this decision and instead create a responsible plan for the City and its kids.
What We're Asking For
As parents, family members, and residents, we understand that our City has limited money and that we all need to make compromises. We want to work together with officials.
However, the School Committee has shown that it is moving too fast. It has not released information showing that officials have a clear plan. It also has not shown that it has a long-term strategy to fix the school budget.
We cannot allow leaders to “cut first and plan later” for elementary school kids, especially when these plans could lead to:
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Significant overcrowding
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Increased transportation costs
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Major traffic issues in areas with known problems
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Disruption and educational harm and for kids – especially those with special learning needs
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Long-term impacts from talented, qualified teachers leaving the district
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Mismatched learning models
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Limited immediate savings that do not solve the long-term school funding issue
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If a school building is sold, no guarantee that the money even goes back Salem schools
What We're Asking the School Committee to Do
1
Pause the vote on December 15
to allow time for parents, teachers, and the City to actually partner on a responsible plan to address the school budget.
2
Release enough data, analysis, and planning info
for officials to make an informed decision about the budget with input from the community.
3
Show that other options have been explored and exhausted
before rushing to close an elementary school without a clear plan.
What's Happening
On November 3, 2025, two consultants hired by Salem Public Schools shared a proposal to save money for the district.
If approved by the School Committee, the district will close at least one elementary school starting NEXT SCHOOL YEAR and students from multiple schools will be combined into one building.
"Scenario 1"
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Saltonstall elementary school closes.
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Saltonstall students are forced to combine with Horace Mann.
"Scenario 2"
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Saltonstall elementary school closes.
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Saltonstall students are forced to combine with Horace Mann.
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Bentley students are moved to the Saltonstall building.
"Scenario 4"
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Carlton Innovation school closes.
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Carlton students are forced to combine with Saltonstall.
"Scenario 5"
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Carlton Innovation school closes.
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Carlton students are forced to combine with Horace Mann.
These are the consultant’s recommended "scenarios" to close schools
Take Action
Show Up for Salem Kids!
We need as many people as possible to speak out and share their concerns about the School Committee's plans.
Follow the steps below and act before the School Committee votes to close a school on 12/15/25.
Action Step 1
Come to a Meeting
Attend the upcoming school committee meetings and tell officials to keep our schools open:
Monday, November 17, at 5pm: at the Saltonstall School
Tuesday, November 25, at 6:30pm: at the Horace Mann School
Action Step 2
Send a Message
Email Salem school leaders and the city council today and tell them how a child, family, or teacher you know would be affected by a school closing.
General Email:
School Committee Members:
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Dominick Pangallo: mayor@salem.com
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Manny Cruz: macruz@salemk12.org
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Mary Manning: mmanning@salemk12.org
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Veronica Miranda: vmiranda@salemk12.org
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Beth Ann Cornell: bcornell@salemk12.org
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Amanda Campbell: acampbell@salemk12.org
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AJ Hoffman: ahoffman@salemk12.org
Salem Public Schools
City Council
Why We're Saying No
Closing elementary schools is bad for kids, teachers, families, and the community. Here’s why we’re saying no to a change next school year:
1
Distrupting elementary school kids isn’t the way to save money. The city needs to reconfigure the budget, not our schools.
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The city hasn’t shown that it exhausted all other options, including increasing revenue from Salem tourism or new residential construction, or redirecting funding from other non-essential projects, before closing schools.
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Closing a school maximizes harm for kids while the district's long-term budget issues remain unsolved.
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Salem made painful cuts last year and will continue making cuts until city leaders work with caregivers to find a sustainable solution.
2
The district is moving too fast and key facts are still missing. Closing a school should be a last resort.
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The consultant’s proposals fail to address major concerns, such as traffic impacts, transportation costs, educational models, and more.
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If changes need to be made, they should not be made next school year. The district and city have more work to do, but are making a rushed decision that will harm students.
3
Affected students and teachers will be forced into the most crowded elementary school classes in the entire district.
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This is in addition to the huge transition of moving to a new school (and possibly a school with a different educational model).
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The consultants' proposals show that affected schools could face over-crowding for years.
4
Caregivers want to work with the district and city to find solutions the right way.
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The community understands that budget issues need to be meaningfully addressed, and we are committed to being a part of a solution that is centered around our kids.