SALEM – New sections of the school district’s new K-8 school building are being raised.

During the board of education’s February meeting Treasurer Mike Douglas told the board that structural steel has been going up “relatively quickly lately” at the site of the new school. He said that steel structure of the elementary wing, which will house grades K-5 on the building’s southeast side, was nearly complete and was in place “with some decking on it.”

Douglas also said that the foundations for the middle school wing on the building’s north side were also complete, and that masonry work would continue for the middle school section once steel work was finalized on the elementary wing.

Douglas also discussed the purchase of the property at 650 Franklin Ave. for $65,000 plus closing costs not to exceed $15,000 which was approved as part of the board’s consent agenda.

Douglas said that the property is adjacent to the district’s current property where Reilly Elementary currently sits, near Sebo Stadium, and that the new property would give the district options to potentially expand parking for the stadium.

“As you know if you ever attend any sporting events at Reilly the parking is at a premium, and as we plan for the future, consolidating the schools and taking down Reilly this was an additional space that gives us a little bit more access and more frontage to Franklin Avenue which would allow to access that route a little easier and possibly add some turning lanes and another entrance to that side of the parking lot,” said Douglas.

The board also approved several personnel and administrative matters.

Personnel matters approved included: maternity leave for Lauren Harrold from March 23 through May 28; the designation of Bill Cowgill as Boys Junior High Basketball Scorebook Worker; family medical leaves of absence for Jill Becker, Kathleen Wolfe, and Howard Loudon; maternity leave for Junior High School Counselor Ashley Taafe from Dec. 8 through March 2; athletic supplementals for the Spring 2025-2026 season; maternity leave for Band Teacher Anne Zeno from Aug. 8 through Oct. 5; the retirements of Tood Stokes, William Miller Jr., Gina Powell, and Attila Samu effective May 29, 2026; the retire rehire of Jon Jensen effective March 2; Reilly Elementary Book Fair and Family Enrichment Night event workers; the retirement of Rhonda Nolan effective May 29; and Basketball Division II & III Tournament Workers.

Administrative items approved included: the purchase of the Paxton/Patterson written curriculum, interactive multimedia, and propriety Learning Management System, along with the necessary components for $81,225; open enrollment for the 2026-2027 school year; annual membership dues of $7,083 for calendar year 2026; membership in the Ohio High School Athletic Association for the 2026-2027 school year; Kent State University Rising Scholars Agreement between Kent State University and Salem City School District for September 1, 2026, to May 31, 2027; and an annual resolution accepting amounts and rates and certifying them to the Columbiana County Auditor.

The board of education will meet next at 7 p.m. on March 16.