On the morning of Thursday, October 21, South Salem leaders and community members gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony in front of the new Rose Auditorium to celebrate the completion of South’s $84 million construction bond project three years in the making.
The bond project was voted on after voters approved a $620 million bond for school construction projects across the Salem-Keizer school district.
Additions to South include twenty-four general education classes, two science labs, a developmental learning center and life skills classroom, as well as the new Rose Auditorium, more parking spaces, security upgrades, an auxiliary gym, expanded culinary arts, sports medicine, marketing, graphic design, robotics, and broadcast journalism facilities.
South Principal Lara Tiffin gave thanks to the members of the community who made these renovations possible, including the people of Pence Construction, Todd Construction, and Anderson-Shirley Architecture, those in the neighborhood surrounding South Salem for their patience and tolerance of the project, and the South Salem faculty and student body for their support and patience, many of who which taught and attended class in portable classrooms or close to construction.
“[South’s faculty and students] had to deal with new situations every day, like no Internet or no desks or no heat or too much heat,” she said. “All of our South High students and staff deserve recognition and thanks for their grace and their perseverance.”
She also thanked the voters in Salem-Keizer who approved the project and the Salem-Keizer officials who oversaw the project, Joel Smallwood and Michael Wolfe.
“We did have quite a few issues caused by happenings outside of our control, such as the nationwide labor shortage and subsequent supply chain issues.” Tiffin recounted. “[South’s staff] overcame the challenges by being themselves, taking challenges in stride and doing their best to hurdle any obstacles that plopped in front of them.”
South Seniors Sam Bertholf, Dara Elkanah, and Arnav Mohindra expressed their excitement about the new building.
Elkanah recounted coming to South for the first time following the construction and seeing how much more space her little brother’s special education classroom had, the new “really, really fancy,” DECA boardroom, the beautiful culinary arts facilities, and getting lost in the “stunning, breathtaking, extraordinary,” Rose Auditorium. “It feels so good to be home,” she said.
After Tiffin led South’s student quartet and cheer squad in the South Salem Fight Song, Senior Dara Elkanah cut the ceremonial ribbon.
Other speakers included City Councillor Tom Andersen, Zone 3 school board member Ashley Carson Cottingham, Superintendent Christy Perry, Nancy MacMorris-Adix of the Yes for Salem-Keizer Schools campaign and the Community Bond Oversight Committee, South Alum and PCUN Policy Manager Ira Cuello-Martinez, Lee Zumwalt from Pence Construction and Matthew Dalla Corte of Todd Construction.
South is the fourth school in the district to finish renovations. Sprague and West Salem are projected to complete renovations by the beginning of the 2022-23 school year.
