This year was my seventh covering local news in Salem, and a busy one for our local schools — the primary topic I cover.  State and district efforts to get more students on track in reading took center stage as Oregon posted among the worst student test scores in the U.S. Local middle and high schools saw the rollout of weapon detection systems followed by strict cellphone bans. Rapidly shifting federal policies, uncertainty over funding and more aggressive immigration enforcement all left their mark on students and educators. Many of the stories that stuck with me in 2025 are ones where I got into classrooms, talked to students and educators and gave people a more human and nuanced look at what’s happening in our schools. Dismal reading scores prompt new effort in Salem schools Dismal reading scores prompt new effort in Salem schools “Why aren’t schools teaching kids to read?” is perhaps the most common question I’m asked as an education reporter. I wrote this story in an effort to answer that question and show what schools are doing in response. The changes underway are the first significant district-wide shift I’ve seen in my time in Salem to direct resources and training to reading during early elementary school. Whether they’ll produce the ongoing and significant improvements Salem kids need remains to be seen. Salem Public Library to add back Sunday, evening hours Salem Public Library to add back Sunday, evening hours Brief stories like this rarely make my year-end roundup, but few things brought me as much joy in 2025 as getting to announce the return of library hours that had been cut. My daughter and I were among the visitors on the first Sunday back open. She celebrated by opting for a googly-eyed monster at the free face painting station. Inside Salem’s shuttered Macy’s Peek inside Salem’s shuttered Macy’s as local owners prepare for next chapter Getting to walk around the former Meier Frank department store building downtown with owner Kelly McDonald was a treat, particularly our visit to the boiler room that kept the store running. Though the store changed branding several times in its history, the bowels of the place showed how much had remained the same, including the labyrinthine system of pipes and handwritten maintenance logs dating back to at least the 1960s. Photographer Alan Cohen captured some of the highlights from our tour. Oregon white oak planted to honor teen killed in Bush Park shooting Oregon white oak planted to honor teen killed in Bush Park shooting The 2024 Bush Park fatal shooting of José Vázquez Valenzuela was a defining moment for Salem, ushering in changes in high school security and bringing discussions about violence intervention to the forefront of city life. The Vázquez Valenzuela family was incredibly gracious in speaking to us about their son’s life for a look back, and welcoming me to attend the planting of a memorial tree and witness their grief and memories up close.  Experiment shows promise to help struggling Highland students catch up SPECIAL REPORT: Experiment shows promise to help struggling Highland students catch up Highland Elementary was one of the first Salem schools I got to know. In 2019, I worked on a series looking at several struggling elementary schools that exemplified many of the school district’s challenges. Highland at the time stood out as a school performing relatively well among those with a high number of students in poverty. That story shifted during the Covid pandemic and the years immediately following. I loved getting a chance to see the school with fresh eyes, meet a new principal and learn about a model that could help the school and others like it make real, sustained changes to benefit students and families. A new Salem high school helps teens stay sober A new Salem high school helps teens stay sober I love seeing the ways education has evolved since I was in high school, adding options like this for teens in recovery from addiction. At Discovery Academy, I got to sit in the school’s morning circle, introduce myself and hear what students were going through as they worked to maintain sobriety while graduating. Part of the daily ritual at the school is setting an intention for the day. I joined in, vowing that I was going to finish a draft of my long-delayed reading story (see above) that day. Even though I wouldn’t see those students again, I held to my goal – it felt like a small way to honor the much harder work they were doing. West Salem High School hosts live fire training for high school students West Salem High School hosts live fire training for high school students This is another story in the “kids couldn’t do this when I was in high school” folder. West Salem High School has long had an emergency services program, but this year was the first time they’ve been able to actually hold a live fire training for students. I’ve never spoken to a firefighter who has just emerged from flames before, and the clear adrenaline spike each student came out with gave me a much better idea of just how difficult the work is. For Salem SNAP recipients, loss of benefits means stress, worse health For Salem SNAP recipients, loss of benefits means stress, worse health As thousands of Salem families faced food benefit delays and uncertainty at the end of October, our team put substantial effort into documenting the crisis and pointing people toward resources and ways to help. This article, one of many we produced, relied on people who received food benefits and were willing to answer questions about their grocery shopping and finances — sensitive topics on any day, even without the added stress. I’m so grateful several were willing to let us get a more human look at the stakes, and in one case, welcome us inside her home. Teachers report better focus, engagement with stricter high school phone bans Teachers report better focus, engagement with stricter high school phone bans This story was inspired by a neighbor who’s also a high school teacher. Early in the school year, I saw her posting about how much she loved teaching again now that students were actually engaged and listening in class — a change she attributed to phone bans.  When I went to McNary to report, I heard similar things from administrators and teachers. Students, however, were more vocal in their frustrations than other high schoolers I’d interviewed previously. Several told me it was cathartic to be asked for their opinion since nobody had before. I was glad to be able to include their voices and concerns. Contact reporter Rachel Alexander: [email protected] or 503-575-1241. LOCAL NEWS DELIVERED TO YOU: Subscribe to Salem Reporter and get all the fact-based Salem news that matters to you. Fair, accurate, trusted – SUBSCRIBE The post TOP STORIES: Teaching kids to read, Macy’s history, high school firefighters appeared first on Salem Reporter. ...read more read less