SALEM – The officers of the Salem High School Band Boosters thanked the board of education for its support of the band program Monday.

“Thank you for believing in the students and investing in this program,” said Salem Band Booster President Mindy Wilhelm.

Wilhelm thanked the board and administration for purchasing a new equipment trailer for the band program ahead of the high school band’s upcoming trip to Walt Disney World in Florida. She said that when she and Band Director Hannah Dickson met with Superintendent Sean Kirkland and Treasurer Mike Douglas to discuss the logistics of purchasing a trailer for the band, like insurance and who would be driving that trailer to events, that the band boosters had been prepared to purchase both the trailer and new equipment for the drum line in preparation for the trip.

“When we got the call from Mr. Douglas that you all were in agreement that you were going to take this over, it was a wonderful surprise,” said Wilhelm.

Wilhelm said that the money which would have been utilized for the purchase of the trailer will instead be reinvested into the program for instruments repairs and potentially to replace instruments which are more heavily damaged. She also said that Salem Alumni, and Owner of INKWORKS Robb Wilson had agreed to put a custom wrap on the new trailer which would be ready by Fall.

“He has agreed to completely wrap the trailer. He’s working with us for the design and he will do that for us at no cost because he wants to give back to his hometown and alma mater where he was in band,” said Wilhelm.

Kirkland said that after meeting with Wilhelm and Dickson that he and Douglas had both felt the district should purchase the trailer, and that the members of the board of education had all given their support immediately.

“It was one of those things where I was thinking, why don’t we just purchase this? Sometimes [Douglas] and I just get on the same wavelength, and he called me and asked, ‘why don’t we just purchase this’ and I said, ‘I was going to ask you the same thing,'” said Kirkland. “When we needed to get the board on, it literally took Mike about five minutes to call and ask if they’d support this and there was never a doubt in doing this for the kids.”

During his report Kirkland said that all the foundation work on the district’s new K-8 school building was complete, and that the exterior structures of the building were being constructed. He said that the central section — which will house a multi-purpose gymnasium — was nearly complete and that other sections of the building spiraling out from that central hub were also underway.

Other business included the approval of several personnel matters including: unpaid leave for Intervention Specialist Michele Pienazek on March 26 and 27; the retirement of Amie Cochran after 32 years as a teacher, and Jon Jensen after 36 years as a custodian and warehouse/supply clerk for the district; the transfer of 13 days of sick leave to Mary Groff; pay scale increases from BA to BA150 for Logan Chestnut and Alyssa Tohm, and from BA150 to MA for Hannah James; athletic supplementals for Junior High Head Girls Track Coach Top Step Jarrod Niederhiser, and Non-Football Strength and Conditioning Coach Christ Stone; workers for Buckeye Elementary’s Literacy Night; and authorization for Gary Leininger to be a Winter Game Worker for the 2025-2026 season.

The board of education will meet next at 7 p.m. on Feb. 23.