School Committee & Superintendent

Superintendent

M. Kate Carbone, Interim Superintendent

M. Kate Carbone has worked across Salem Public Schools for years, most recently as Deputy Superintendent over curriculum, instruction, and assessment, and she took the interim job in March 2026 after Superintendent Stephen Zrike left to become the state’s Secretary of Education. The district is now hiring a permanent superintendent through a search run by the Collins Center at UMass Boston. Three finalists, Jorge Allen, Andrew Bott, and Thomas Welch, met the public at forums on June 15 to 17, 2026, and the School Committee expects to interview them and choose in early July, with the new leader starting in August. Until then, Carbone runs the schools.

The School Committee

The Salem School Committee is six members elected citywide plus the Mayor, who chairs it, seven seats in all. They set district policy, approve the school budget, and hire the Superintendent. To reach the committee, contact the Executive Assistant to the School Committee and Superintendent, Shirley Dorai, at sdorai@salemk12.org or 978-740-1212.

The District at a Glance

• Total enrollment: 3,889 students (2025-26)
• Schools: 11, from preschool through grade 12
• Hispanic/Latino: 47.9% of students
• White: 37.7% of students
• Black/African American: 6.5% of students
• Multi-race: 4.8% of students
• Asian: 2.6% of students
• Spanish interpretation: offered at every regular School Committee meeting
• High schools: Salem High (960), Salem Prep (22), and New Liberty Innovation (54)
• Coming in 2026-27: the Carlton and Saltonstall schools merge into the new Sarah Parker Remond School

Meetings & Participation

• Regular sessions: monthly at 29 Highland Avenue, Room 227. Check salemk12.org for dates.
• Virtual access: join by Zoom or watch the stream on Salem Access Television (SATV) YouTube.
• Public comment: residents can address the Committee on matters in its scope during public-participation periods.
• Agendas & minutes: salemk12.org/about/school-committee

What this seat decides

Your schools

School Committee. Start times, the school calendar, bus routes and stops, the phone policy, athletics and activity fees, and anything in the student handbook. It sets district policy, and the total size of the school budget is voted by Town Meeting, or by your Mayor and Council in a city.

Your principal and your superintendent. The principal for how a school rule works day to day in your building. The superintendent for how the whole district runs. The School Committee hires exactly one employee, the superintendent, so a question about any other staff member goes to the district, not to the board.