Salem High School Renovations Could Cost $75 Million

Proposed renovations to Salem High School would cost in the area of $75 million, School Superintendent Michael Delahanty told School Board members on Tuesday.

At Tuesday's board meeting, plans for the proposed renovations were unveiled for the first time. The total cost would include $20 million for a new Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center, and another $55 million to renovate the rest of the school. About 60 percent of the CTE Center would be picked up by the state.

Delahanty said a committee consisting of builders, contractors, engineers and building administrators has been working diligently on the renovation plan for more than a year.

"We think a comprehensive approach to the renovation is a much more prudent direction than to try to separate out the CTE Center alone," he said.

The high school, Delahanty said, was built in 1967, and has undergone very little renovation since.

"We're approaching 50 years that this facility has been here without significant renovations," he said. "Just routine maintenance. The fact is, it doesn't look any different than when the first students walked across the threshold in 1967."

Delahanty said if the entire renovation were presented to voters and defeated, it could always be brought back as a CTE Center only.

He said there are several new spaces that would be built, including the demolition and complete reconstruction of the existing auditorium.

"It's a significant expense, but we feel city will be well served by a new performing arts auditorium," Delahanty said. 

The band and chorus space and some athletic space would also be reconstructed, and science labs added. The existing athletic fields would not be affected by the renovations.

"We're planning for about 1,200 students to occupy this building," he said. "Enrollment would suggest fewer than 1,200 in 5 to 7 years, but I believe planning for anything less than 1,200 students would be shortsighted."

Delahanty said a public meeting to formally unveil the plans will be held at a later date, most likely on Thursday, Sept. 19 or Monday, Sept. 23.

"We're excited about this opportunity," he said. "It's a project I think by consensus people know is necessary, and we're going to do everything we can to keep the cost impact reasonable. We know it's an expensive project, but we believe we can mitigate the tax impact."