Salem High School Named National Banner School by Special Olympics North America
Presented every four years, SHS repeats from 2022 for inclusion, advocacy and respect
SALEM (Sept. 17, 2026) – Salem High School was named a National Banner School by the Special Olympics North America Monday for its efforts to provide inclusive sports, activities and opportunities for students with and without intellectual disabilities.
SHS received the distinction as a result of meeting 10 national standards of excellence in the areas of inclusion, advocacy, and respect, developed by a national panel of leaders from the Special Olympics and the education community, as well as demonstrating self sustainability.
National Banner Recognition is the highest level of recognition in the Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools® program and reflects the commitment of all stakeholders who work together every day to create a school community where everyone belongs, is valued, and has the opportunity to thrive.
Presented quadrennially, the honor is the latest in recent years for SHS, which also garnered National Banner School recognition in 2022. Last year, SHS was named a Special Olympics Unified Champion School® District, which is also part of the criteria for National Banner honors.
SHS is one of just 17 schools in Massachusetts and 288 schools nationwide to earn National Banner recognition for the 2025–26 school year.
VIEW: Special Olympics Massachusetts National Banner Schools
SHS has had 158 unique students participate in Unified Sports since 2022, including 47 unique athletes and 111 unique partners across all three sports (basketball, strength and conditioning, and track and field). In addition, 43 unique students have participated in all three since 2022 (13 partners and 30 athletes) while the remainder have participated in at least one season of Unified Sports.
Perhaps most impressive, SHS has crowned eight unique state champions at the MIAA Unified Track and Field Championships since 2022, including four last spring.
In the 2025-26 school year, SHS had 23 unique students participate across our Unified Sports programs for the first time ever.
“While this is just a snapshot of our growth, it demonstrates that we continue to onboard new students into our inclusive sports opportunities each season and each year,” Ms. Giancola noted.
SHS students have embraced Unified physical education since its launch in the fall of 2023: Ninety-one unique students participate in Unified PE, which runs on a semester basis and is offered in the SHS Curriculum of Studies alongside all other PE opportunities. While the class fulfills PE requirements for graduation, several students have chosen to take it for multiple semesters.
“As with all Unified opportunities, the goal is to have a one-to-one ratio of students with intellectual disabilities and students without intellectual disabilities,” Ms. Giancola noted. “We have worked with our College and Career counselors to ensure we maintain this appropriate ratio each semester.”
Other Unified-related programs at SHS include Witch Mix, an after-school club that centers on peer-to-peer relationships of students with and without disabilities who take part in a variety of activities each week.
For the last three years, SHS has celebrated Inclusive Schools Week each March, which provides learning opportunities for students and staff about disabilities and includes a pledge to choose inclusive practices in classrooms and communities.
Additionally, SHS hosted the fifth annual Autism Acceptance Spirit Week in April to celebrate neurodiversity and educate students about Autism.
The honor, as well as SHS’s commitment to Unified athletics, curriculum and activities, is emblematic of the District’s Strategic Plan, underscoring its core value of centering belonging.
About Salem Public Schools
Salem Public Schools is an urban public school district in Salem, Massachusetts, a small, diverse city with a proud maritime and immigrant history. Our leaders and our teachers are passionate about education and understand the urgency of improving student achievement with equity and social-emotional needs as the lens through which we view our work. We respect and value the racial, cultural, and linguistic diversity of our students and their families, and have a strong commitment to the Salem community. Salem Public Schools staff unconditionally serves each of our 4,000 students across 11 schools regardless of ability or language.
