A West Salem High School career pathway that prepares students for firefighting and emergency-services work could be eliminated next school year, raising concerns from families who say students have already committed time, schedules and future plans to the two-year program.
The program, formally listed by Salem-Keizer Public Schools as part of its CTE: Emergency Services pathway, gives students hands-on experience connected to fire and emergency services. Families involved with the program say they have been told the course is tentatively not being offered in the fall.
Aaron Harada, Salem-Keizer Public Schools director of communications, said the decision is tied to low enrollment and broader budget constraints. Harada said fewer than 10 students are enrolled in the class, and the district has had to prioritize classes with stronger attendance as students pursue career certifications.
“It may come back in the future,” Harada said. “We are looking for opportunities to help those students keep working toward the certification. But it’s unfortunate, right? We don’t have the resources that we need to offer everything we want to.”
The Salem-Keizer School District is cutting roughly $23 million from its 2026-27 spending plan, bringing the total proposed budget to $1.12 billion with a $675.5 million general fund.
For students partway through the pathway, the timing is the central concern. The program requires a major schedule commitment, and parents say some students chose it over other academic, arts or career options because they expected to complete the two-year track.
“My daughter’s in the fire program, and otherwise I don’t think it would even be on my radar,” said Sarah Mutinelli, a West Salem High School parent. “West Salem High School has a fire ops and tech program that these kids can do in two years. They graduate high school fully certified and hireable as firefighters.”
Mutinelli said the possible cut is not just about losing an elective. Students in the program have built their schedules around a career path, including externships and hands-on training with fire agencies.
“It’s a two-year commitment, and it’s a double block out of their schedule,” Mutinelli said. “The juniors and the sophomores who have already participated in the program, they’ve chosen this certification program over other ones, possibly, and over other tracks.”
The concern is especially sharp for students who are already one year into the program. If the course is not offered next year, parents say those students may not have a realistic way to finish what they started. Harada said the district is looking for ways to help current students continue working toward certification, but the transcript did not include a specific plan for how those students would complete the pathway.
“I don’t think the district should be cutting a program that is a career certification program when there are still kids actively enrolled,” Mutinelli said.
Mutinelli said families are also concerned that students cannot currently forecast for the program, making it difficult to know how many students would sign up if given the chance.
“They’re not even getting accurate numbers of how many people are interested, because they’re not even letting kids sign up as an interest,” Mutinelli said.
Supporters say the program also plays a broader role in student engagement. Mutinelli said the fire bay has become a home base for some students, similar to the role band, theater or other specialized programs can play in keeping students connected to school.
“I think it’s important for the people involved in the fire program that people know that it’s more than just a class at school,” she said. “It’s their futures. These kids have made sacrifices.”
Salem Fire Chief David Gerboth said the program matters beyond the students currently enrolled because it helps introduce young people to public service at a time when fire agencies and other public-safety employers are working to build future workforce pipelines.
“We understand the reality of tight budgets and difficult choices that come with them,” Gerboth said. “At a time when it is increasingly difficult to recruit young people into public service and public safety, this program builds interest and highlights the benefits of serving their own community. I hope that these are the types of programs we can invest in for high-performing and sustainable service.”
Gerboth’s comments broaden the issue from one school program to a larger workforce question. For Salem Fire, the concern is not only whether current students can finish a pathway they started, but whether the community is preserving programs that help young people see public safety as a realistic local career. That argument could become central as parents, students and fire-service leaders ask the district to reconsider the program’s future.
Parents are now organizing ahead of an upcoming Salem-Keizer School Board meeting, and a Change.org petition opposing the cut has drawn community attention. Mutinelli said she understands local fire leaders are also preparing a statement for the board and exploring whether there is any way to help preserve the program.
The possible cut comes as Salem-Keizer Public Schools faces broader budget pressure for the 2026-27 school year. For families in the fire program, the question is whether a career pathway with direct workforce value can be preserved before students lose the chance to finish what they started.
