By HERB SWETT For the Keizertimes A 2012-13 budget reflecting a $200,000 drop in revenue was officially recommended by the Salem-Keizer School District budget committee Tuesday. The budget, which totals $578,990,853, was recommended with only one negative vote. It will go before the School Board for a public hearing and final vote at a 6 [...]

Hands out Lifesaver honors

By HERB SWETT For the Keizertimes The Salem-Keizer School District is assessing the conditions of district buildings in the hope of giving the School Board a draft for review in October, Michael Wolfe, assistant superintendent, said at Tuesday’s board meeting. There will be annual updates of facility projects for the next five years, Wolfe told [...]

By HERB SWETT For the Keizertimes Another painful budget message came from Superintendent Sandy Husk to the Salem-Keizer Budget Committee on Tuesday. Everyone knew that the school district, which has been struggling financially in recent years, would have to adjust to a shortfall of $20.5 million. Husk, knowing that she had to present unwelcome news [...]

By HERB SWETT For the Keizertimes The names are official now: Battle Creek Elementary School for the school that will open in South Salem in September and Cesar E. Chavez Elementary School for the one that will open in East Salem. Those names received Salem-Keizer School Board approval Tuesday night as the board accepted the [...]

By HERB SWETT For the Keizertimes A local option levy as an alternative source of revenue was mentioned by Mike Wolfe, assistant superintendent of the Salem-Kaiser School District, at Tuesday’s meeting of the Salem-Keizer Budget Committee. Wolfe urged that the committee consider such a property tax, which at $1.50 per $1,000 assessed valuation would raise [...]

By HERB SWETT For the Keizertimes Audience comments on naming the two new elementary schools in the Salem-Keizer School District took up much of the time of Tuesday night’s School Board meeting. Neither school under construction is in or near Keizer, but a few Keizer residents spoke. A district oversight subcommittee has recommended Cesar E. [...]

By HERB SWETT Of the Keizertimes A reimbursement agreement between the Salem-Keizer School District and the city of Keizer was approved Tuesday at a special School Board meeting. The agreement, already approved by Marion County and several other taxing districts that include Keizer, is aimed at making up for defaults by owners of five parcels [...]

By HERB SWETT For the Keizertimes A charter school proposal for the Salem-Keizer School District won approval at Tuesday’s board of directors meeting. Action came several months after a similar proposal was tabled because the Salem-Keizer Charter Review Committee found it incomplete. The developers of the proposed Proficiency Academy of Salem-Keizer (PASK) provided additional information [...]

By HERB SWETT For the Keizertimes McNary’s boys varsity basketball team, in a home game between teams fighting to enter the win column, prevailed 48-47 Friday. The Celtics’ Johnathan Doutt, who easily led all scorers with 20 points, started the scoring with a three-point shot. McNary led almost all the time during the first three [...]