Leslie Middle School

Leslie Middle School is named after the Reverend David Leslie. He was born in New Hampshire in 1797. He was a missionary in Oregon in 1837 and moved to Salem in 1843. Reverend Leslie was one of the founders of Willamette University and he was a minister to the first church in Salem.

1972, Leslie Junior High School, WHC Collections x2012.016.0428

Leslie Middle School opened its doors on September 19, 1927. At its original location on Howard Street it served 401 students that first year.  Over the years it added a swimming pool, gymnasium, and cafeteria and became a center of middle school education in Salem. At its peak enrollment, Leslie Middle School had an enrollment of 1,530 students in 1956.  

In 1993, as the enrollment of the adjoining South Salem High School continued to grow, the school district decided to use bond money to build a new Leslie School at its current site on Pringle Road. After a prolonged legal challenge to this siting, the land was acquired and the new Leslie School was built at 3850 Pringle Road South. Because of the siting issues, the building opened in the fall of 1997 with 725 students, which put it under capacity as many of Leslie’s 8th grade students were finishing their middle school years elsewhere.

In 1998 Leslie’s full complement of students returned and enrollment grew to 845 students. As of October 1999 there are 887 students at Leslie. Leslie’s elementary feeder system consists of Bush, Richmond, McKinley, Morningside, and Candalaria schools. In addition, students from private and parochial schools may feed into Leslie after their elementary years. All of Leslie’s students move into South Salem High School upon graduation.

Leslie Middle School has a staff of 79, with grades 6 through 8 in attendance. The principal is Mr. Mike Miller and the assistant principal is Ms. Ruth Gilge. Leslie’s nickname is the “Lions.”

Because of changing demographics, Leslie is a very different school than it was  in 1996. The result of this change has been to create a dynamic, exciting environment where students from many different ethnic and socio-economic groups work and learn together. Working with students and the community to make all students feel a part of Leslie and celebrate the diversity that is Leslie School is a primary goal for Leslie staff and its supportive parents.

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Bibliography:

Miller, Mike.” Leslie History 1927-1999,” Leslie Middle August, 2000.

 “Neighborhood Schools”  Statesman Journal, August, 2000. 

“The Salem Story,” Salem – Keizer Public Schools.

This article originally appeared on the original Salem Online History site and has not been updated since 2006.