SRO at the Salem Community Center

Seats were at a premium last night in a large Salem meeting room.  Five representatives of a charter school pitched the advantages of opening a new school in Salem, once the doors are closed at the public middle and high school.  And for those Salem area residents who filled their community center, they were there to learn and to react to the idea of what’s called “The Next High School” coming to town.  Immediate reaction appeared favorable to the idea of trying a new way of educating students minus some of the restraints embedded in public schools.  Among those who look on favorably is the town’s mayor.  In closing comments, Diane Head said, “If you want it to happen, and you want your child to go to school in Salem, if this partnership works out, then we figure out a way to make it work.”  The mayor referred to a vote that must be taken by the board of directors of the Greenville-based Next High School—a vote that Nathan Robinson, the school’s chief program officer, says will be taken next week.  In a one-hour presentation, Robinson stressed the mission of the state-funded charter school of “Preparing Young People for Life”