Jason Lee Elementary School

Dear PPS Community,

Saturday night, gunshots were fired outside of a district-wide basketball tournament held at Franklin High School. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured and the suspect is now in custody, but if you have any information about the incident please call 503-823-3333 or utilize the SafeOregon tipline.

While this incident occurred over the weekend, and outside the school building, we are grateful that there was already an officer onsite who responded quickly and alongside our PPS security team.

We also recognize that this is still an unnerving event and scary for those who were present at the game. As we shared before the break, we have comprehensive systems to assess threats and take quick, decisive action to keep students safe in our buildings.

Please be on the lookout for further messages in the coming days, but for now, we want to share two immediate updates.

First, classes will take place tomorrow on our regular schedule. Our counselors, social workers, and psychologists will be on-hand at all schools tomorrow. Members of our Student Success and Health crisis recovery team will be assigned to support specific schools. These skilled professionals will provide trauma-informed support to any student who wants to connect with a trusted adult. We also have these community violence resources for families who want additional resources outside of the building.

Second, we will accelerate talks with the City and PPB to step up patrols in the immediate neighborhood around schools. As a district, we have continued implementing additional safety measures and enhanced security outside of all basketball games, including additional PPS campus safety associates, community outreach partners, and police.

As educators, we call upon our city’s elected leaders, law enforcement, and the justice system to prioritize the development of a comprehensive neighborhood safety plan that protects our children, youth, families, and neighbors from this continued gun violence. As I said last week, we stand ready to partner in these related efforts and solutions.

Sincerely,

Guadalupe Guerrero
Superintendent