Salem Academy Charter Expansion Bid Denied Amid City Official Opposition

SALEM, MA — The state Board of Elementary of Secondary Education denied a Salem Academy expansion plan after Salem city and school officials campaigned DESE to reject the 70-seat capacity increase because they said it would take away critical funding from the public school district.

Salem Academy had proposed the increased enrollment in a vote of its Board of Trustees this fall. But that push ran into stiff opposition from Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo, Salem Superintendent Steve Zrike and Salem Teachers Union President Anne Berman, who told DESE during a January public comment that the extra charter school seats would rob needed funds from the public schools and were unwarranted given the relative performance trends of students at Salem Academy compared to those in Salem Public Schools.

• Salem School Officials Slam Charter School Expansion Bid

Zrike charged that allowing the expansion would drain $1.4 million in tuition payments from the SPS budget, and Pangallo said that the expansion was planned without transparency and consultation with the city about its effects on the greater school district and its students.

The Salem Academy Board of Trustees told Patch in a statement in January that increasing the capacity would allow the school to "better fulfill our commitment to support the unique needs of a wide array of Salem students" and that it would "enable us to accommodate the clear community demand for seats at our school and ensure more students have the opportunity to benefit for our exceptional educational offerings."

Salem Academy had sought an increase from 480 seats to 550.

"We are disappointed that Acting Commissioner (Russell) Johnston has declined to recommend Salem Academy's charter amendment request to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education for approval," the Salem Academy Board said in a statement to Patch on Wednesday. "While this is not the outcome we had hoped for, we remain committed to our mission of serving Salem's diverse student population by partnering with families and the community to provide an inclusive, supportive environment that fosters academic and social growth.

"Despite this outcome, Salem Academy continues to expand opportunities for our current students in other ways. We are proud to be recognized on the 2024 AP School Honor Roll with Platinum distinction, ensuring equitable access to rigorous coursework. Additionally, our high graduation and college acceptance rates, as well as our Service-Learning program and award-winning athletics, reflect our dedication to student success both in and beyond the classroom."

Zrike told the school community during his Facebook Live session on Wednesday that the district was happy with the decision and the community support it received in making its case to the state board.

"We look forward to working with the Academy," Zrike said on Wednesday. "We're grateful that decision did not move forward because it would have had a significant impact on our budget, our resources, and our ability to serve our community in the Salem Public Schools.

"I want to thank everyone who advocated on behalf of the Salem Public Schools in support of the decision that ultimately was made."

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