Douglas McKay High School, known as McKay, is a public high school located in the North Lancaster neighborhood of Salem, Oregon, United States. Built in 1979, the school was named after Douglas McKay, former Governor of Oregon and United States Secretary of the Interior. A large oil portrait of him hangs near the main entrance, on a wall adjacent to the library.AcademicsIn 2007, McKay was listed for the third consecutive year as one of Oregon's "Persistently Dangerous Schools" . In October 2009 the school was removed from the No Child Left Behind safety watch list, due to the following not occurring: "3.4% percent of their students brought a weapon to school, were expelled for violence or committed a violent crime on campus."In 2008, 71% of the school's seniors received a high school diploma. Out of 480 students, 343 graduated, 94 dropped out, two received a modified diploma, and 41 remained in school the following year. In 2013 the Oregon Department of Education released its report of high school dropout numbers. McKay's numbers fell dramatically, two only three dropouts. As a result of this accomplishment the Mayor of Salem proclaimed Feb. 26th "McKay High School Appreciation Day."
