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Long-Range Facility PlanOverview
Portland Public Schools is currently developing a Long-Range Facility Plan that will align the District’s educational vision with future capital planning. At this pivotal moment in history where recent events have catalyzed a growing awareness of systemic racial inequities, the Long Range Facility Plan represents an opportunity to institute lasting change in Portland’s schools which can redefine teaching and learning in our city. We know space is not neutral and the experiences of educational spaces are not universal. Indeed, students’ perceptions of built environments are shaped in part by their identities and lived experiences.
The purpose of this plan is to provide inclusive, quality learning environments that support the academic, social, and emotional needs of our students. Successful planning for this outcome will be a synthesis of three areas:
• Current and future educational program requirements
• Enrollment and capacity
• Facility conditionThis work is an opportunity to institute lasting change in our schools by re-envisioning teaching and learning environments. Through an authentic, inclusive, and transparent process, we will garner ideas from diverse communities and develop a representative, inspiring vision for the future.
Our inquiry will illuminate the relationship between the built environment and social inequities, reminding us that space matters when evaluating educational equity.
Our Approach
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Introduction
The district is committed to a community-based planning process guided by inclusive outreach and authentic engagement. Through multifaceted and interconnected tenets, our equity lens draws attention to systemic racism, dominant narratives, and the lived experiences of people of color.
Centering around the voices of marginalized communities helps us to understand how racial disparities – among others – are often linked to and reproduced by traditional spatial arrangements. Ensuring people most affected by social inequities are present and engaged in a collaborative effort supports long range planning in service to equity and inclusion. Guided by our Racial Equity Social Justice (RESJ) lens, the planning process will include two (2) phases of engagement: 1) Listening and Learning and 2) Ideas and Input
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Phase I: Listening and Learning
November 2020 – February 2021
The goal of Phase I is to understand the socio-spatial context of neighborhood schools and the District at large as well as the socio-spatial perceptions, experiences, and aspirations of community members. Using a range of inclusive outreach strategies combined with a multifaceted inquiry plan, Phase I will inform a comprehensive understanding of District needs, educational objectives, and community members’ hopes and dreams. Strategies for inclusive outreach include working directly with existing groups, networks, and organizations that reflect and serve marginalized communities. Student input will be intentionally sought through close coordination with PPS elementary, middle and high school teachers as well as student groups. Using an “affinity” model is another outreach strategy that will enable groups of people come together around common identities, fostering a sense of comfort in sharing stories and generating ideas to inform long range facilities planning. Affinity groups support inclusive engagement through empowering the voice of historically excluded or tokenized communities in traditional outreach methods.
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Phase II: Ideas and Input
February 2021 – September 2021
The goal of Phase II will be to bring together and analyze inquiry findings that reflect the voices and stories of communities and stakeholders in the planning process. Using an equity lens, the district will work to understand and translate lived experiences and reflections into a well-defined vision that can serve as a foundation for the district's Long Range Facility Plan. In this phase, the district will continue community engagement by sharing what we learned from Phase I inquiry efforts and invite input on draft plans that integrate district needs, educational objectives, and community members’ stories.
Resources
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2012 LRFP Documents
2021 Long-Range Facility Plan
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Contact the Team
Reach out to the project team at:
