SALEM — City voters approved a debt exclusion tax override Tuesday night in a special election that will allow the city to move ahead with its plans to pay for construction of a new Salem High School.
A total of 2,378 votes, 57.3% of total votes cast Tuesday, were in favor of the debt exclusion that will allow the city to raise the remaining $239 million necessary to fund the the project, which has a total cost of about $447 million. The debt exclusion will legally allow the city to raise property taxes beyond the 2.5% annual limit over the next 30 years, after which point the 2.5% limit will return.
A total of 1,775 votes, or 42.7%, were opposed to the debt exclusion. Turnout was 4,153 of the city’s 36,594 registered voters, or 11%, for the special election. In comparison, 19% of registered voters cast ballots in last November’s municipal election.
“Today, Salem said ‘yes’ for our students, our city, and our future,” said Mayor Dominick Pangallo. “I want to thank everyone who volunteered their time, both on the campaign and on the School Building Committee, to get us to this point. And thank you to all of the voters — no matter how they voted — who cared enough about our community to show up and cast a ballot in this important matter.”
Pangallo said the city will continue the final design phases of the project over the coming months, and continue to seek outside funding and grants to further reduce the project cost and prepare for construction in the summer of 2027.
In February, the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) approved a $208 million state grant to help pay for the new high school project. The school will be a four-story, 365,000-square-foot building located between the current high school’s footprint and Highland Avenue, with an estimated construction period of 30 months.
With the debt exclusion now passed, the median residential tax bill over the next 30 years of debt payments is projected to be $682 per year, or 10.6% over the current bill, officials say. After 30 years, the median residential taxpayer will have paid $20,460 toward the school. The median increase for commercial property will be $1,233 per year, which is 11.2% of the current median commercial tax bill.
Costs related to the new high school will appear on tax bills once permanent financing is in place and long-term bonds are issued, which the city has tentatively scheduled for the spring of 2028.
Voters like Salem resident Mike Plecinoga opposed the debt exclusion, saying that building an entirely new high school instead of addressing specific issues with the current building was an unreasonable use of taxpayer funds.
“When they built that school they said it would last 100 years, it’s only 50 years old,” Plecinoga said. “If it needs a new roof, put a new roof on it. If it needs a new heating system, put a new system in. But there is no reason to build a new high school on millions of dollars of the taxpayer’s dime. It’s a blatant money-grab.”
Salem resident Mira Riggin, who supported the measure, argued that residents would see increased taxes even if the vote were to fail and the city had to scale back by strictly addressing code issues with a basic renovation of the existing school. She preferred the option that would better improve the space for students.
“Our taxes are going to go up regardless, because the school is in horrendous condition,” Riggin said. “I think our kids deserve a new state-of-the-art school, especially with all the CTE classrooms. There’s a waiting list at Essex Tech — it’s an emerging field of all our trades. I think our kids deserve it.”
The High School Building Committee website will provide further updates on the project as it moves forward at salemma.gov/salemhighschool.
Michael McHugh can be contacted at mmchugh@northofboston.com or at 781-799-5202