Salem-Keizer recommends closing six elementary schools

SALEM, Ore. (KPTV) — Salem-Keizer Public Schools is recommending closing six elementary schools and adjusting attendance boundaries for the 2027-28 school year, citing years of declining enrollment.

This comes the same week Portland Public Schools announced the potential closure of up to 14 schools.

The district said the plan is intended to support sustainable staffing and learning conditions at the schools that remain. About 95% of district students would not be affected by proposed school reassignments, the district said.

District leaders are scheduled to present the recommendation to the school board at its Oct. 13 meeting.

The schools recommended for closure are Brush College, Candalaria, Cummings, Englewood, Liberty and Richmond. The proposed changes would take effect in fall 2027. Attendance boundary changes are expected to be finalized in February 2027.

District cites enrollment decline and facility costs

District enrollment has fallen from a peak of 42,000 students to about 36,000, according to SKPS. The district says maintaining more buildings than needed spreads financial and staffing resources across under-enrolled schools and limits available student services.

The district estimates the recommended plan would:

• Reduce underused facility space by 332,000 square feet.
• Avoid about $15 million in near-term deferred maintenance and repair costs at the proposed closure sites.
• Increase elementary facility utilization from 64% to 71%.
• Cut the number of small elementary schools in half, from 28 to 14.

“We are taking thoughtful, measured action to protect our schools, students, and future, but it is so difficult because protecting our conditions for the future means making incredibly hard choices now,” Superintendent Andrea Castañeda said. “We can’t change the fundamental facts that require this action, but we can build the best possible path toward solutions and sustainability.”

District says programs and services would continue

The district says fully enrolled schools can support more stable staffing, reduce the need for blended-grade classrooms and limit staff members splitting time between schools.

“Our staff and students have posted two straight years of academic progress,” Deputy Superintendent of Elementary Instruction Olga Cobb said. “It is our job to protect the conditions that make that progress possible. We need to begin shifting toward fewer, more fully enrolled schools that we can staff.”

Under the recommendation, all students would retain access to special education classrooms, according to the district. Students already enrolled in dual-language programs would keep access, and the district says neighborhood access to those programs would expand to more than 250 additional students. Receiving schools would use the district-adopted curriculum.

Families invited to community sessions

Families affected by boundary changes may apply for an exemption to remain at their current school through the highest grade offered there, the district said. SKPS is also developing transition plans, family guidance and welcoming activities for students moving to new school communities.

“While all of the features of this package help show that it moves our district toward sustainability and protecting conditions for teaching and learning, it is still painful,” Castañeda said. “We know that schools are more than buildings, and we invite our community to come and participate in our listening and learning sessions to guide our transition planning and support for impacted families.”

One community member upset by the proposal is Jason Munoz. He said four generations in his family went to Cummings. His grandson goes there now.

He called the school a hub of community activity.

“It saddens me,” he said. “I feel like the neighborhood might get really quiet and people might pack up and move out.”

The Salem Keizer Education Association President Tyler Scialo-Lakeberg also expressed disappointment with the school closure recommendations in a statement on Friday:

“SKEA is sadden to know that schools are being recommended for closure. We know that our schools are the heart of communities. However, we understand that with lower enrollment, some of our schools were getting very small, resulting in staffing challenges to provide optimal services for students. We understand the District’s need to maximum resources to ensure every child receives a full and robust education.

“The District did invite SKEA in to discuss next steps with staffing. As a result, we settled on an MOU that we believe will be fair and honor those staff impacted by the closures.”

Families can use the district’s website to check proposed school assignments, community feedback openings, answers to frequently asked questions and more.