School Building Improvement Bond Program

School Building Improvement
Bond Program

School Building Improvement
Bond Program

  • Larger health and safety bond projects took place this summer thanks to the voters who supported the May 2017 Bond.

    PPS has now replaced and brought back online the majority of drinking fountains and kitchen faucets in the common areas of most schools. These faucets now meet or exceed PPS water quality standards which are better than those mandated by the EPA.  Additionally, work is underway that will bring classroom drinking faucets back online and bottled water use has been dramatically reduced. Each school is different, and each fixture must be tested and re-tested before we can label it safe for drinking. To see the status of drinking fixtures at your school, click on this chart and this schedule for when future work will be accomplished. These will be updated on a regular basis.

    Beverly Cleary Fernwood, and Martin Luther King Jr. School received new seismically strengthened roofs. These schools also received ADA improvements plus new fire sprinkler systems and fire alarm improvements. Lewis Elementary received a full seismic retrofit to bring it up to modern seismic code thanks to a seismic rehabilitation grant from Business Oregon. Lewis also received new fire alarm and fire sprinkler systems and ADA improvements. Health and safety work at Chapman Elementary and Jefferson High School included the removal and replacement of asbestos containing flooring throughout the building. 

    Modernization work is also proceeding. The School Board has approved the master plan for the new Kellogg Middle School and demolition is complete. Madison High School had its master plan approved as well.  Design work continues and construction at Madison will begin in the summer of 2019. Lincoln High School is nearing completion of its master plan and at Benson Polytechnic, a Design Advisory Group began work on their master plan this fall.

    Construction at Grant High School continues with new additions on the west side of the school, seismic upgrades and interior framing of the new classrooms in the historic building. Grant is the last project from the 2012 Bond. It re-opens at the start of the 2019-20 school year.

    Based on the latest project budget projections from the modernization/rebuild projects the program is now $89 to $125 million dollars below the amount needed to deliver these projects as envisioned in the initial master planning phase.  The Office of School Modernization is working with the School Board for opportunities and options to rectify the situation. PPS remains committed to deliver robust high school and middle school projects and to maintain the trust of voters in our community.

Bond Community Engagement Slide Show

FDW 9_21 Students in design teams at work #2

  • Stay informed

    Significant water quality work accomplished this summer

    Portland Public Schools continues to make progress on returning school drinking fixtures to service. Each school is different, and each fixture must be tested and re-tested before we can label it safe for drinking. To see the status of drinking fixtures at your school, click on this chart and this schedule for when the work will be accomplished  It will be updated on a regular basis.

    PPS has now replaced and brought back online the majority of drinking fountains and kitchen faucets in the common areas of most schools. These faucets now meet or exceed PPS water quality standards which are better than those mandated by the EPA. 

    In some cases, even after replacing the fixtures, tests indicate that more extensive work involving replacing plumbing lines in the walls may be needed. These faucets will remain off until this work can be accomplished.  Plumbing teams are also focusing their efforts on testing and returning to service in-classroom faucets. PPS plans to have classroom faucets that pass lead and copper level tests operating by January of 2019.  Learn more details at our Water Quality Page.

    Benson Design Advisory Group begins work in October

    PPS is moving forward with planning and design for the modernization of Benson Polytechnic High School. The master plan includes major renovation of the historically significant buildings and new additions for the school’s campus. PPS is developing public input on the redesign of Benson Polytechnic High School through the Benson Design Advisory Group (DAG). The goal of the DAG is to develop a comprehensive, equitable, integrated and visionary high school campus design with authentic school community engagement. The DAG includes parents, teachers, students, alumni, partners and community representatives.  The group meets on Thursday evenings, approximately six times, during the 2018/2019 school year.

    Madison and Kellogg set to begin construction in 2019

    The PPS School Board has officially approved the order of the middle school and high school modernization projects from the May 2017 Bond. The Office of School Modernization was already given the green light to start the design process for Kellogg Middle School and Madison High School by the Board shortly after the bond passed. Now the schedule for all four project schedules has been established.  Read the full PULSE story on the construction schedule for the May 2017 Bond schools here.

    Thank you voters

    Thank you voters for supporting the  2017 Health, Safety and Modernization Bond. The Office of School Modernization is continuing the important work of rebuilding our aging schools, making them all safer, and better equipped for 21st century learning.

    2012 Bond Progress Report

    View the new Bond Progress Report (Sept.2016)

    Check out the latest Bond project videos here.

     

  • Get Connected
    For more information about any school building improvement bond projects email schoolmodernization@pps.net

    Or call us  at 503-916-2222