Portland Schools Scale Back Renovations, Sparking Outrage Among Students

PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland Public Schools has announced significant cutbacks to renovation plans for three high schools, causing discontent among the affected communities. In a decision made during Tuesday night’s school board meeting, the Portland School Board agreed to reduce the proposed renovations at Cleveland and Ida B. Wells high schools.

The board plans to shrink the total square footage of renovations at the three schools to 295,000 square feet. This adjustment is expected to yield savings between $20 million and $40 million for each project, according to Portland School Board Director Julia Brim-Edwards.

“It’s the same square footage as Lincoln and Franklin,” Brim-Edwards said. “We know that all the essential elements, and rooms and spaces students need can be included in that square footage.” This move aims to lower modernization costs to enable improvements at the district’s elementary and middle schools.

The decision to cut down on the renovations follows a cost-comparison report conducted by Cornerstone Management Group. The school board members believe this approach allows the district to concentrate on the upcoming May 2025 bond initiative that will be presented to voters.

The superintendent has been directed to reassess contractor costs and performance. Some of the design cuts outlined in the resolution involve health centers that lack contracted providers and childcare centers deemed unnecessary.

Students and parents from the affected high schools have expressed frustration over the renovation delays, referring to the situation as a series of broken promises. Ava Brennan, a freshman at Cleveland High School, lamented, “When it comes to us, and I don’t really know why, really, it’s like we’re not good enough, and we just don’t get the same treatment as the other schools do.”

Cleveland senior Damien Adams-Parsons echoed her sentiment, stating, “It’s such a long process, and to see it delayed over and over is really disheartening.”

Jenn Latu, president of the Parent Teacher Student Association at Jefferson High School, added to the chorus of disappointment. She remarked, “The people who cry out the loudest are the ones who get the most, and the people who aren’t there have to settle for what they get — and that has historically been the situation with Jefferson.”

Latu further expressed her concerns over the state of Jefferson High School, indicating it plays a role in her decision-making regarding her second child’s enrollment next year. “The building is so dilapidated. There are water buckets around, unsafe spaces. I’m sure there’s that at other schools, but this has been a long-standing issue at Jefferson,” she said.

The resolution also recommends cutting design plans that exceed the Portland Public Schools Comprehensive High School Education Specifications regarding space size and quantity. Brim-Edwards emphasized the importance of making “smart reductions” while maintaining quality. “We want to ask them to design and build with lower cost — but just as high of quality — but lower-cost materials,” she said. “We also want to set high standards, but they don’t need to go way above the standard.”