To the editor:

I have been blessed with working in the Salem City School System for the past 30 years. I started as a third grade teacher at Reilly Elementary School for seven years and also was an Odyssey of the Mind coach for three years while at Reilly. I then moved to the Junior High School and taught 8th Grade Science until the building was moved to the now Junior High/High School where I moved to teaching 7th Grade Science. I also coached the Varsity Girls’ Track and Field Team for 17 years and continue to advise the Salem High School Key Club. I feel that I am one of the best representatives for the district to speak on behalf of the levy and the importance of voting YES for Salem City Schools.

Thirty years have flown by so fast but I still so enjoy teaching in Salem and am incredibly happy I decided to come back to my alma mater and give back to the community. Investing in our students and our schools is of utmost importance to me as an educator, parent and community member. Our schools need to be updated to meet the demands of today and continue to meet the challenges faced in the future. The success of our community is a direct reflection of the strong support of our community members to the school system. I feel that it is so important for voters to think of their own families — children and grandchildren. This is a safe and rewarding place to raise a family. More families need to choose Salem as their hometown and thrive in our school district. The building of new schools will attract more families to choose Salem as the place to live.

Lastly, I feel the need to speak from my heart. I know that the opposition would like to point out all the negatives that fuel the no vote to new schools. All school districts have problems and not every person will have a positive experience in school. I can speak from personal experience that how you handle adversity defines you as a person. You can choose to focus on the negative or use your struggles to become a better person and contributing member to society. I look at the extra money per month that my household will pay as a worthwhile investment to our community, schools, and our world. Our students deserve the safest, most updated schools to be successful in an ever changing world to help them be a productive adult and prepared for the future. Please consider voting YES for Salem City Schools — keeping our students on track for their future success and happiness.

Sincerely,

Amie Cochran,

SHS Class of 1990

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To the editor:

My name is Becky Nicholas. I am a nurse at Buckeye Elementary School and also a Salem graduate. I am writing to provide my endorsement for the school levy. As an employee who works in the district’s second oldest building, I can attest to the dire need for a new school that is safe, attractive and conducive to learning.

One of the most important things to me personally with a new school would be ventilation. With dated structures comes building decay from water damage which causes mold growth. This affects chronic health conditions of students and staff such as asthma which leads to an increase in absences. An up to date ventilation system will reduce the number of infectious particles in the air to stop the rapid spread of airborne viruses like influenza, COVID-19, and RSV.

If you’ve ever seen the clinic at Buckeye, you know how small of a room it is. I do not have the space to separate students who are ill from the students who may only be coming in for their daily medication. There is only one window which I was unable to open to air the office out because it held an air conditioner. I requested to have the air conditioner removed last school year so the window could be opened throughout the year for ventilation. Trust me when I say my office is extremely hot and uncomfortable at the beginning and end of the school year. The clinic at Southeast Elementary is even smaller and does not have a window to allow for proper ventilation.

The size of the clinics also do not make it easy to provide students with privacy when needed. Many times at Buckeye, I’ve had to have a sick student sit in the hallway so I could provide private, physician ordered medical care to another. A new school would allow for a much needed larger clinic. One benefit would be the separation of ill students from others which will allow them to rest comfortably as they wait for pick up.

Thank you for taking the time to read from a nurse’s perspective. I hope to have opened the minds of those who are still unsure if a new school is necessary. If you never gave a thought to anything I mentioned, can you imagine what else is unthought of?

Regards,

Becky Nicholas,

LPN (SHS 08)

Salem City Schools

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To the editor:

Schools are a keystone to a community’s growth and development. This is why I fully endorse the proposed school levy that will give Salem City Schools a building opportunity that provides our school system with the needed infrastructure to successfully supply students with an excellent, quality education.

As an active and dedicated citizen, I recognize the critical, fundamental role our schools play in creating opportunities for our area’s children who will be shaping Salem’s future. Our schools provide students with the knowledge, skills, and values necessary for them to become responsible, informed, and engaged citizens. A well-funded school district is essential to providing the best possible educational opportunities.

The proposed levy is not only an investment in our children’s education; it is an investment in the future prosperity of our community. Adequate funding will enable us to attract and retain the best qualified educators, and maintain modern, safe, and secure facilities. It will also offer curriculum and technological advantages that will prepare our students for the future. It is an investment in the long- term growth of our town.

I am aware of the challenges of additional taxes and the strain that they may cause to a family budget. These additional taxes, however, are an investment in our community. A sound and vibrant educational system will attract people who will invest their time, talent, and treasure in Salem ensuring our future prosperity as a vibrant community that everyone will want to call home.

Please join me in voting “Yes” on November 7, 2023.

Daniel T. Moore,

CPA (SHS 96),

Salem

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To the editor:

In high school, I started working 25-30 hours per week so I could attend college. It showed in my school performance. In spite of that, my teachers stayed with me.

My foundation was formed at Salem City Schools. That led me to extensive domestic and foreign travel representing our local companies. It also led to a life of financial stability. It allowed me to give back to my community. It gave me a great life.

Salem City Schools served me well, perhaps it’s time to pay my good fortune forward….or just pay it back.

Ken Peters,

(SHS class of ’68)

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To the editor:

As a Salem student in the 1960s, I came to believe that Salem was a “special” place. School spirit and community support were abundantly evident and often expressed in the simple phrase “Love those Quakers.” Following graduation in 1969 I moved to Williamsburg, VA for college, then to New Orleans, then to Columbus. In 1981 I happily returned to this special town and began a teaching and coaching career that continues (albeit part-time) to this day. Thousands of Salem students have enriched my life.

I submit that Salem continues to be special. What other small towns can match the generosity of a community foundation that has distributed more than $70 million in grants and an alumni association that has awarded over $9 million in scholarships? Which ones also provide the services of a first-class hospital and community center? Which ones offer a desirable quality of life at reasonable living costs?

My concern, and the reason for this letter, is the future of our special community. Most school districts are judged — fairly or unfairly — on the quality of their facilities. In my coaching duties I have visited most of the schools in Columbiana and Mahoning counties. I observed that the school buildings of our neighbors are much newer and vastly superior to Buckeye, Reilly, and Southeast. I believe a new K-8 school is absolutely necessary if Salem is to remain a special place. A new building will markedly improve student safety and create a much more favorable learning environment. A new building will make Salem more attractive to new families and businesses. A new K-8 building will enhance not only our school system, but the entire Salem community for years to come. I urge you to vote “YES” in support of the Salem school levy. Help keep Salem special.

George Spack,

(SHS 69),

Salem

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To the editor:

When speaking with members of the community about the upcoming levy to build a new K-8 campus, I have often heard a variety of these words: “There’s nothing wrong with these buildings. It was fine when my kid went there.” On behalf of the staff of our schools, I can genuinely say our teachers, support staff, custodians, cafeteria workers, and maintenance crew do our best to “get things done.” It dawned on me that maybe some of the steps we take daily to provide the best environment for our students go unnoticed by people not physically in the buildings.

One of the biggest issues each building faces is not enough space. Our staff, though, is getting it done. We have had to use storage closets to provide areas for clinical counselors to work with the students each week, as we have addressed mental health as a priority. We don’t have a designated area to allow for volunteers to tutor students that are in need of extra help. Daily, we try to individualize instruction to meet the overwhelming needs of students at risk and below grade level. There is no extra room to accommodate these students and staff to put interventions in place. Teachers have to be inventive on how to store student supplies to function in their basic daily tasks. We are making things work under limitations out of our control.

Our buildings may be beautiful but they are old and outdated. There have been several issues regarding plumbing, regulating room temperature, insect/animal removal, correcting mold issues and musty smells, sewage backup from build up in old pipes which force us to close restrooms, as well as leaking roofs. Our maintenance crew continue to do their best to fix each of these problems, but these things all cost money. We are pouring money into these buildings to make them work.

Another major issue, especially in this day and age, is safety. Although buildings are equipped with many cameras, which are nice, the layouts of the schools in relation to their front offices are not ideal. It’s too easy for people to come into the buildings and move freely once they enter (even with the buzzer system). There has to be a better way. There are windows and doors that don’t open/lock properly. Some cannot be used as an escape route if an emergency arises.

Without a doubt, I’m certain these buildings were just what we needed at one point in time. It is not the case currently. What you see is the collective, rigorous effort of our staff working with what we have to make it the best possible environment for our kids. Our kids deserve better. They are our future. I believe it is our duty to provide them with ample opportunities to be enriched and challenged and nurtured each and every day.

As a Salem alumnus and current teacher, I have a soft spot for the children in our community. Personally, I do not have biological children, but I do have about 140 kids from our community that become a part of my heart each and every year. I’m voting YES for them. I implore you to do that for them as well. We can make their future better, together. Let’s not allow this once in a lifetime opportunity to build an updated, efficient K-8 campus, at a minimal cost to the community, to slip through our fingertips.

Jen Brammer,

(SHS 94)

Salem Junior High

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To the editor:

As a 2000 graduate and resident of Salem, the pride that I feel for our community is everlasting. My grandparents, parents and siblings have all proudly graduated from Salem High School. Three of my nephews attend Salem City Schools, and this year, my son entered kindergarten at Buckeye. Through academics and athletics, I received not only a great education, but made great relationships with members of our community that I will always cherish.

The current buildings possess so many warm feelings and memories for me. They are where I found my love for teaching and my admiration for the teachers and coaches that worked so hard to help shape the person that I have become. When thinking about the buildings, I have come to realize that the current buildings no longer fit the needs of our community and it’s the people within those walls that are important and really make a difference.

This levy and a new K-8 building will give generations to come the best and safest opportunities to learn. Our children deserve that. A safe campus with better traffic flow which will make pick-up and drop-off smoother. Our parents and children deserve that. A kitchen housed in the school, which would allow our children to receive fresh, hot lunches. Our children deserve that. Bigger classrooms with new and better technology. Our children deserve that. Two new full-sized gymnasiums that are much needed not only for physical education classes, but also for after school activities. Our children deserve that.

I have researched the facts of this levy and I urge you to do the same. With the amount of state support and the generous donation from the Salem Community Foundation, we could not ask for a better deal. I know that if we let this opportunity pass us by, we won’t get another one.

I will go to the polls on election day to show my support for the students of Salem City Schools and for the community that has meant so much to myself and my family. In the words of my late father, Dick Paxson…… GO QUAKERS!!!

Kelly Paxson,

(SHS 2000)

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To the editor:

I grew up 25 miles northwest of Salem. After graduating high school, I attended Kent State University with the hopes of becoming a teacher. Their educational program was thought to be advanced and promising with their main focus being centered around “experience in real classrooms.” I observed and participated in many classrooms in Portage, Mahoning, Stark, and Columbiana counties. My final year in college I was placed in a beautiful town called Salem.

I spent an entire year learning from the BEST educators I have ever known (and still continue to learn from the best)! I had never been in a building with such warm, enthusiastic, and supportive adults. Buckeye’s staff goes above and beyond “just” teaching. I am proud to be a member of this family, and anyone who comes into that building will be cared for. As my student teaching year went on, I knew I did not want to teach anywhere else. Salem is the best, and I needed to be a part of this community. As the years go by, I find that our values still stand true. I also believe that our resources are not what they could be. While Buckeye has been useful for many years, it is clear that our youngest learners would benefit immensely from a new facility. Unfortunately, our building’s limitations have imposed limitations on our students.I liken it to a pair of clothes, once useful and wonderful, but now worn and tattered.

We are out growing Buckeye. Our students deserve an art room with supplies to foster creativity. Children deserve a music room with instruments to express themselves in song. They need a gym that’s roof doesn’t leak so that they can run and learn about physical movement without slipping on rain water, no matter how many times our wonderful maintenance crew fix it. Our children should have a library to explore books and build a love of reading that will serve them as they grow.

Research has shown that new school facilities have a positive impact on learning and on reducing absenteeism. While our schools are strong now because of the students,families, and faculty we all deserve the best. Salem is worthy of the best. Please vote yes on election day.

Susan Slopek,

Second Grade Teacher