Portland Public Schools — Portland, Oregon
PPS

Frequently asked questions about the schools bond measure

OVERVIEW

WHAT IT MEANS FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF

DEVELOPING THE BOND PROGRAM

WHAT IT MEANS FOR TAXPAYERS AND NEIGHBORS

PROPOSED WORK

 

 

OVERVIEW

How big is Portland Public Schools?

Portland Public Schools is the largest school district in Oregon, with 47,000 students in 85 schools, including neighborhood and focus schools, charters, alternative schools and special programs. Portland Public Schools is the second largest property owner in the city and one of the region's largest employers with more than 6,000 teachers and school support staff. [back to top]

How old are the school buildings?

The average age of PPS schools is 65 years. Most were built in the 1920s or just after World War II. Only two schools have been built in the last 40 years -- Rosa Parks Elementary in North Portland and Forest Park K-8 in Northwest. While PPS has added computers and other technology to schools, and has addressed some of the most urgent building needs – such as for earthquake safety and roof replacement – our school buildings have never been fully updated. [back to top]

Why is Superintendent Carole Smith proposing Measure 26-121, the school facilities bond for safety and buildings?

PPS students do not have the same up-to-date classroom equipment, technology and other modern learning spaces as students in neighboring school districts with newer buildings.

PPS school buildings have never been fully updated. The buildings are worn out with leaking roofs and drafty windows; energy-inefficient and antiquated heating, ventilation and plumbing systems; overtaxed electrical systems with few outlets and outdated safety systems.

Measure 26-121 would provide dedicated money to address these needs and provide students and teachers with modernized schools. Without the bond, Portland Public Schools must continue to use scarce operating dollars for the most urgent building needs. [back to top]

Why is the proposed bond this size?

PPS is the biggest school district in the state, serving 47,000 students, employing more than 6,000 teachers and school support staff, and covering some 100 city neighborhoods. It is the only local school district that does not have a facilities bond in place. Measure 26-121 is appropriate for our size. The tax rate of approximately $2 per $1,000 of taxable assessed value is comparable or less than many of our neighboring districts with newer school buildings (see table). We need to make sure our students can compete for college and jobs with those who attend newer facilities.

Portland Metro Area School Districts
FACILITIES BOND RATE

Gladstone

$4.54

Sherwood

$4.07

Forest Grove

$3.53

West Linn-Wilsonville

$2.97

Riverdale

$2.85

Hillsboro

$2.61

Corbett

$2.55

Canby

$2.31

Oregon Trail

$2.27

Centennial

$2.26

Beaverton

$2.09

North Clackamas

$2.08

David Douglas

$1.61

Oregon City

$1.41

Tigard-Tualatin

$1.38

Reynolds

$1.13

Parkrose

$1.08

Gresham Barlow

$1.06

Lake Oswego

$1.04

Portland Public Schools

$0.00

AVERAGE

$2.25

[back to top]

Why doesn't PPS tighten its belt and cut other costs before asking for this bond?
 
We work hard to manage our finances well at PPS. Overall, more than 80 percent of our General Fund budget goes to pay for our staff – more than 6,000 teachers, educational aides and other school district staff from custodians, bus drivers and nutrition services workers to secretaries, principals and professional and technical employees. We have worked to manage our compensation costs. Unlike the state and many other government agencies, PPS employees have paid a share of their health care premiums for years. And, unlike the state and many others, PPS staff pay their own 6 percent contribution to their PERS retirement.

Check the financial information on Chalkboard's Open Books website to see that we have low administrative costs and are above the state average in getting the most possible money into the classroom for teaching and student resources.

We continue to work hard to increase the community's trust in PPS. One way we are doing that is by telling people the facts about the importance of modern and safe school buildings in a child's education. [back to top]

What other ways can PPS raise money for this work?

The school district's taxing authority is severely limited by law. Currently, PPS is limited to property taxes and construction excise tax, which is paid at the time of building permit issuance.

However, PPS is leveraging the proposed bond funding through operational and capital partnerships with the city, the Portland Development Commission, higher education and the business community. The state has a very tight budget, and unlike many other states, does not offer matching dollars for school construction. There are some state grants for specific purposes, and PPS applies when those opportunities come up. [back to top]

How many jobs would Measure 26-121 create and will you use local labor?

School rebuilding programs have a direct and significant impact on the local economy – by increasing neighborhood property values, revitalizing neighborhoods, and by the jobs created during design and construction.
Portland Public Schools' proposed school modernization bond would add a net 2,600 jobs in the Portland region and $222 million in personal income over the six-year construction time-period, according to an analysis by a local economic consultant firm.

Economist Alec Josephson of ECONorthwest measured three types of projected impacts to the local economy:

  • Direct impacts in the form of jobs and income for local construction workers, manufacturers, contractors, architects and project managers.
  • Indirect impacts such as business-to-business transactions within the supply chain. For example, contractors would purchase concrete, wood and steel for modernization projects.
  • Further impacts, also called "induced" impacts, such as increased spending by newly employed workers and businesses.

The school building projects would directly create more than 3,700 jobs, in construction, design and manufacturing industries, with further jobs created under the indirect or "induced" impacts of the bond work. Because local property owners would finance the project, Josephson accounted for a reduction in personal spending across the region – bringing its own indirect and induced impacts – to arrive at the net economic impact. His findings are summarized in the table below.

ECONorthwest Impact Report
TYPE OF IMPACT

PERSONAL INCOME

JOBS

Gross impact
(Bond program expenditures)

$413 million

7,051

Reduced household spending

-$191 million

-4,457

NET IMPACT

$222 million

2,594

[back to top]

What work is proposed for my school and my neighborhood?
 
Descriptions of the proposed upgrades of individual schools are available on the PPS web page or www.pps.k12.or.us/departments/schoolmodernization/index.htm [back to top]

 

 

WHAT IT MEANS FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF

How will Measure 26-121 help children succeed?
 
Everything PPS does is to enhance student success in school and in life. Numerous studies indicate that building condition and a school's physical environment are directly related to student achievement and behavior. Students need up-to-date learning environments and access to modern technology to compete with those from districts with newer school buildings and technology.

A Roosevelt teacher, for example, pointed out that it is difficult to teach Advanced Placement science in a classroom without the equipment and sinks that allow her students to conduct their own experiments.

(For a review of the impact on student success, read Linda Lemasters, "A Synthesis of Studies Pertaining to Facilities, Student Achievement and Student Behavior." University of Virginia doctoral thesis. May 1997.) [back to top]

10.    How would this affect school enrollment?

Other school districts' experience shows that enrollment increases when schools are rebuilt. Children return to public schools from homeschooling or private schools, and new families move in. Seattle Public Schools, which has been steadily rebuilding its schools, saw a 1,000-student enrollment increase this year alone.

Our rebuilt schools would be designed to be expanded over time to accommodate growth in our community in coming generations. Updated schools also attract more families, helping property values. [back to top]

Are you asking teachers and families how schools should be designed?
 
Each school would be designed in a community process, including input from teachers and schools staff, as well as students and families.

Although the school district has common educational goals and wants to bring every school up to standards, we recognize that each school has a unique community. Particular factors might include: Partnership opportunities, services to be offered to students, historical significance of the building and integration into the surrounding neighborhood. The school staff working in the building – whether principals, teachers, aides, secretaries, nutrition workers or custodians -- would be a particular resource to the design process, as they know the operations of the school, the students who learn there and the opportunities that exist for improvement. [back to top]

How long will it take to rebuild a school? Where do kids go in the meantime?

School construction can take anywhere from 12 to 24 months, depending on the size of the school and the extent of the construction work effort. The staff and students would temporarily move into "swing space" – just as Marysville students now are in the Rose City Park school building.

PPS has several sites that could be prepared to accept students, including Kellogg School in Southeast and Smith School in Southwest. PPS would provide transportation. In some cases, students may remain in their current school while a replacement school is built on another part of the school property. [back to top]

Will the proposed work eliminate the need for portable/modular classrooms throughout the district?

Schools from the 1920s and even the 1950s just weren't built to the scale we need today to provide the core program and achieve administrative efficiencies. Dozens of schools across the city have added modular classrooms over the last 60 years. Some are in better shape than others.

As schools are rebuilt to a more appropriate size for today's student numbers and a modern teaching and learning environment, modular buildings would be removed. We will determine their condition and decide whether to move them elsewhere in the district, sell them to other organizations or school districts that need the space or demolish them. We will do our best to factor in growth projections at rebuilt schools and design them to be expandable into the future. [back to top]

It seems like all of the schools in Beaverton and Hillsboro have better buildings than we do. Why is that?

Those school districts – and many others in the Portland area – have approved school construction bonds large enough for major rebuilding projects. Portland Public Schools has not. Of the 20 school districts in the Portland metro area, only Portland Public Schools has no current facilities bond. [back to top]

 

DEVELOPING THE BOND PROGRAM

Didn't you have a bond before? What did that pay for?

Voters in 1995 passed a bond that built Forest Park Elementary School; provided classroom computers and computer labs; carried out seismic safety upgrades at 53 schools, increased fire safety at 45 schools through emergency lighting, fire alarms, sprinklers and smoke containment improvements; increased accessibility; and addressed major building repairs. Measure 26-121 would continue work at additional schools, go deeper in some areas and fully update some schools through rebuilding, which was not part of the 1995 bond. [back to top]

Why ask for construction dollars when budget cuts threaten teachers' jobs?

PPS is working with our state and federal elected officials to ensure everything possible is being done to support and improve school operating budgets. Voters also will decide in May whether to  replace our local option levy – due to expire in 2012 – to raise the full amount allowed locally to  maintain teaching positions and preserve a full school year.

The replacement levy, Measure 26-122, would raise $57 million at a rate of $1.99 per $1,000 of taxable assessed value – compared to the current $1.25 per $1,000 -- and cost the typical homeowner about $24 per month.
 
Facilities bond dollars can only be used for facilities projects, not to support school operating budgets, preserve teaching positions or fund educational programs. However, our general fund budget, which does support those needs, now is used to cover operations and urgent facilities needs. This capital bond would actually help protect already-scarce classroom resources from those demands. [back to top]

This seems to be a quick process. Why isn't there more public input?

Portland Public School first convened community meetings on improving its school facilities in May 2007. In the following year and a half, the school district conducted extensive reviews of the condition and needs of our buildings. Hundreds of community members participated in meetings held in each quadrant of the city to discuss the vision and future for PPS school buildings.

The community process to develop the bond was put on hold during the High School System Design process – which, among other outcomes, determined the use of each of the existing high school campuses. Once the Portland School Board voted on the location of focus and community high schools, the facilities bond moved to the forefront again and the community was invited to comment on the plan. (That is not to say that the school modernization work was at a stand-still during High School System Design; further reviews of seismic, accessibility and historic value of PPS buildings were conducted and publicized, and the superintendent convened an advisory committee of community leaders and experts)

Superintendent Carole Smith proposed the bond measure on Nov. 8. Since then, hundreds of teachers, students, principals, parents and community members have weighed in with their thoughts through conversations, school visits, e-mails, phone calls and public meetings. That valuable input shaped the plan, and was reflected in the final package brought to the Portland School Board for its consideration to put on the May 17 ballot. [back to top]

Didn't you just close schools?

Over the last 10 years, Portland Public Schools has closed a dozen schools as student enrollment has dropped because of lower birth rates in the city and higher housing costs. The percentage of Portland students in our schools has remained fairly constant. Those closures – as difficult as the decisions were – mean PPS can serve more students at each school, and can concentrate staff and resources to better offer the full, rigorous common program and course offerings. With Measure 26-121, we would not be opening new schools – rather, we would upgrade and rebuild existing schools to better serve their students. [back to top]

Are you saying you will keep all 85 schools open for the next 30 years? You should close more.

Portland Public Schools has closed a dozen schools in the last 10 years, and will close the Marshall High School campus next year. While several buildings have been sold, most are leased, in use for other district programs or would be used for swing space during school construction.

Closing schools was necessary to maintain the core educational program as student enrollment dropped – but now enrollment has stabilized. In fact, in the last two years, PPS has seen small increases in student numbers, particularly at the youngest grades. That growth is not even at all grade levels, and in all neighborhoods of the city.

PPS continues to watch student numbers at each school; some are still too small to offer the full program, others are overcrowded. When necessary, the Portland School Board will consider changes for those schools, including possible boundary adjustments, student assignment shifts (feeder pattern adjustments for neighborhoods or programs), grade reconfiguration and even possibly closures if warranted. [back to top]

Why doesn't PPS just spread the bond money equally across all schools?

It is most cost-effective to coordinate renovations or rebuild a school building in a single construction phase rather than to patch building systems to keep them working a little bit longer. Mobilizing workers to many sites for smaller projects adds costs to the construction. Further, piece-meal repair of systems requires frequent disruption of classes and movement of teaching materials and equipment.

Completing all necessary construction at one time and coordinating displacement of students saves money on temporary classroom space. The current proposal, as part of a longer range plan, is a practical, systematic way for PPS to renovate or rebuild all of our schools. [back to top]

When will my school be rebuilt? How can we sustain funding for this program over 20 to 30 years?

We know that every PPS school building needs work. That is why Measure 26-121 would offer every school both updates to learning environments and one-time updates to safety and school building systems. These are interim updates – we plan to completely rebuild all of our high schools within 18 years, and every PPS school within 30 years. More than 40 percent of PPS students live in the attendance area of the first high schools to be rebuilt under the long-range program: Cleveland, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln.

PPS has developed a primarily pay-as-you-go funding program for the bond. The school upgrades and rebuilding would be almost completely paid for when they are completed in the first six years. Instead of 20-year bonds, most of our funding would be short-term. That saves more than $200 million in interest payments alone.

When a subsequent 6-year bond is proposed, it would not be added on top of the first because it would be nearly paid off. Rather, with voter approval, PPS would take on another chunk of school rebuilding at the same or even a lower rate, depending on population growth. It is a practical, fiscally responsible and sustainable plan. [back to top]

How did you choose the first schools to rebuild?

Portland Public Schools will not take on more than can be effectively managed and accountably overseen, and used the following main factors to propose the first-phase schools:

  • Providing rebuilt schools for as many students as possible, particularly at the grade levels where the educational environment is most outdated compared to neighboring school districts. This led to a focus on high schools.
  • Addressing school buildings with higher need because of their condition or configuration. As an indicator of a school's age and level of disrepair, the Facilities Condition Index (FCI) estimates the cost of addressing deficiencies against the cost of full renovation, with higher index numbers indicating high need. The configuration is also important, as some schools are less suitable for today's teaching and learning practices as a result of crowded classrooms or poorly configured learning spaces.
  • Renovating schools in each part of the school district. Geographic diversity provides balance and equity, and helps ensure that "swing space" closer to the home school is used while students are displaced by construction.

There is no simple mathematical calculation; these factors were balanced in the decision-making. [back to top]

My school has a higher facilities condition index (FCI) than some to be rebuilt. Why didn't you choose it?

Every school in PPS would benefit from this bond measure with assistance in areas such as modernized learning environments, updated safety and security building systems, increased protection from earthquakes, and upgraded outdoor play facilities and grounds.

The facility condition was definitely a factor in selecting the first schools to rebuild, but there were others, especially the impact on the greatest number of students, the geographic diversity of schools in order to balance projects and the use of swing space across the city. [back to top]

What happens if the bond doesn't pass?

PPS students and teachers would continue to learn and teach as best they can in out-of-date facilities that require emergency repairs paid for from the district's general fund. If the bond doesn't pass, it would also put a tighter squeeze on the operations budget, as PPS would have to use general fund dollars to pay off the construction debt for Rosa Parks Elementary School and the nine roof replacements that were completed in 2009. [back to top]

Why don't you sell your closed buildings and extra property to pay for this work?
 
Portland Public Schools has closed a dozen schools in the last 10 years, and has sold or leased some properties to earn money for facilities work. Now, the former Washington High School site in Southeast Portland is for sale. Other former PPS schools are in use for special education, alternative schools, family support centers and early childhood centers. One is leased to a Catholic school. Other sites, including Clarendon, Smith and Kellogg, are unused or underused and could be useful swing sites where schools could relocate when their home buildings are being modernized, much as Rose City Park School is housing Marysville K-8 after that school burned. [back to top]

 

WHAT IT MEANS FOR TAXPAYERS AND NEIGHBORS

What would Measure 26-121 cost me?

This bond would raise $548 million for classroom, safety and security improvements at every school in the district over six years. It would cost the typical homeowner about $300 per year, or about $25 per month.

The proposed bond rate – approximately $2 per $1,000 of taxable assessed value – is in the middle of the rates voters approved in neighboring schools districts, which range from about $1 to more than $4 in some school districts.

Portland Metro Area School Districts
FACILITIES BOND RATE

Gladstone

$4.54

Sherwood

$4.07

Forest Grove

$3.53

West Linn-Wilsonville

$2.97

Riverdale

$2.85

Hillsboro

$2.61

Corbett

$2.55

Canby

$2.31

Oregon Trail

$2.27

Centennial

$2.26

Beaverton

$2.09

North Clackamas

$2.08

David Douglas

$1.61

Oregon City

$1.41

Tigard-Tualatin

$1.38

Reynolds

$1.13

Parkrose

$1.08

Gresham Barlow

$1.06

Lake Oswego

$1.04

Portland Public Schools

$0.00

AVERAGE

$2.25

[back to top]

Isn't this recession a tough time to ask voters to approve a bond? My taxes are already high.

Portlanders are watching their budgets in a tight economy, and this asks the typical homeowner to pay an additional $25 a month.

In tough times, jobs and education are core priorities. This bond proposal would help on both fronts. Skilled and educated graduates are most likely to land jobs and keep working. Strong public schools increase property values in Portland's neighborhoods and help attract new and growing businesses. Finally, this would be a significant public works effort, creating thousands of jobs in hard-hit local design and construction industries across Portland.

Portland Public Schools receives about 27 cents of every property tax dollar paid by PPS residents. The net rate for Portland Public Schools – the one that you see on your property tax bill – this year is $5.86 per $1,000. That's more than a dollar below the average district rate in the metro area, which is almost $7.

Portland Metro Area School Districts
NET DISTRICT TAX RATE

West Linn-Wilsonville

$8.91

Gladstone

$8.90

Forest Grove

$8.44

Sherwood

$8.32

Riverdale

$7.74

Hillsboro

$7.58

Tigard-Tualatin

$7.36

Corbett

$7.14

Centennial

$7.00

Beaverton

$6.78

Oregon Trail

$6.72

Lake Oswego

$6.69

North Clackamas

$6.58

Canby

$6.58

Oregon City

$6.21

Portland Public Schools (15th)

$5.86

Parkrose

$5.83

David Douglas

$5.78

Gresham Barlow

$5.59

Reynolds

$5.35

AVERAGE

$6.97

[back to top]

Would the district save money with all these improvements?

Savings would come in lower utility costs for heating, water and electricity. The rebuilt schools would have modern, efficient systems. About 40 schools also would have their furnaces updated to run on more efficient natural gas rather than oil, saving an estimated 30 percent to 45 percent yearly, depending on fuel costs. By the end of the six-year bond program, utility savings should come to about $250,000 annually.

In addition, PPS would lower costs and save taxpayer funds by retiring the debt on funds borrowed to complete Rosa Parks School and the nine school roofing projects completed in 2009, which included seismic upgrades and solar energy arrays. [back to top] 

How will this help me if I don't have kids in schools?

Today's students are tomorrow's leaders: in business, in the arts, in health care and in technology. An available, educated workforce keeps industry in the community and attracts new businesses. And young people need to learn up-to-date skills to achieve their best in the work world. For instance, some 75 percent of living wage jobs demand computer skills.

Good schools are a hallmark of a community's livability.
 
Based on the experiences of other districts, school modernization work would increase property values, while adding appeal to city neighborhoods for families with children.

More immediately, it would create hundreds of jobs in the design and construction industries, with an estimated economic impact of $1 billion as money circulates among local businesses and households. [back to top]

How is the money to be spent?

PROJECTED PROGRAM RATIOS   PROGRAM SUMMARY BY CATEGORY
Projected Program Ratios
Click to enlarge image
   Program summary by category
Click to enlarge image

[back to top]

PROPOSED WORK

When will the work begin?
 
If voters approve Measure 26-121, the work would begin in June 2011 and would be completed in stages over six years. Most of it would be paid for as we go, to avoid extending interest payments over decades. Marysville K-8, which burned in a November 2009 fire, would be first to be rebuilt, with other classroom updates, structural work and other improvements at schools across the city starting in summer 2011. [back to top]

Why did you choose to renovate buildings rather than tear them down and build anew?

The decision to fully renovate or completely replace an older building depended on the school building, its construction and character, its site and the scope of the work to be completed.

Suburban school districts often construct new schools on green fields (vacant parcels that do not require removal of existing structures). This type of construction generally is easier and more economical than redevelopment of occupied sites. However, demolition followed by new construction or renovation are the only options available to PPS.

The bond budget includes cost estimates of $205-$210 per square foot for school renovations and $275 per square foot for new construction. These numbers are in line with comparable school modernization projects within the region, and have been vetted with directors of local capital improvement programs and two independent Portland-based professional cost estimators.

Renovation of existing schools is not only the most cost-effective choice, it also is the most sustainable. Modernizing existing facilities allows for maximum reuse of existing materials and minimizes the amount of additional embodied energy required _ an assessment that includes the energy required to extract raw materials from nature, plus the energy used in primary and secondary manufacturing activities and transportation to provide a finished product. The rebuilt schools also would have modern heating, water and electrical systems, which would save money and conserve resources.

PPS has many beautiful, historic schools. Schools would be modernized in a way that honors and respects historical design and building components, while providing up-to-date teaching and learning environments and durable, sustainable finishes. Teachers, staff and families would be involved in planning to help preserve the unique personality of each school and its integration into the surrounding community. [back to top]

What does it mean to "rebuild" a school? Will it be torn down, gutted?  

A rebuilt school would be fully renovated with structural, roofing, window and flooring, security, mechanical and full ADA accessibility upgrades. Classrooms and learning spaces would be redesigned for modern teaching practices and equipment, and technology would be upgraded throughout.

Each school would be designed with a community process, including input from teachers and schools staff as well as students and families. Many of our older buildings have significant historical character and are landmarks in the local community (a historical assessment of each building is posted online). We recognize the community will want to preserve special features of many buildings, even as the full updates are made. In some cases, the community design process may lead to greater opportunity through building a replacement building. [back to top]

What are you doing for earthquake safety?

Seismic safety is a high priority for Portland Public Schools. Most of our schools were built before seismic-resistant measures became standard in modern building codes.

The previous facilities bond – passed in 1995 – included more than $47 million of seismic upgrades to 53 schools. Nine school roof projects in 2009 also significantly increased safety by including roof seismic upgrades; roofs built to modern construction standards help stabilize the entire building.

Measure 26-121 continues that work, with 12 percent of the proposed funding dedicated to seismic safety. The schools to be rebuilt -- Marysville, Markham, Cleveland, Jefferson, Roosevelt, Laurelhurst, Rigler and Faubion -- would meet current seismic structural code. In addition, Beverly Cleary K-8's Fernwood campus would receive seismic upgrades as the highest priority school building in our structural project category.

Partial or complete reroofing proposed for Ainsworth K-5, Tubman Young Women's Academy and Grant and Wilson high schools would include seismic upgrades.

Separate from the bond, Portland Public Schools also is awaiting word on its application for a state grant for seismic upgrades to Alameda Elementary School. [back to top]

Why has Portland Public Schools agreed with the City of Portland that $5 million in construction bond money go to transportation improvements?

PPS and the City of Portland have long worked together through the Portland Safe Routes to Schools (SRTS) program. Transportation improvement projects at and around district schools have helped more students, families and school employees get to and from school more safely.
The city and school district have agreed to use $5 million of the proposed bond to continue that work.
If Measure 26-121 passes, city and school district staff would work together to develop a master list of transportation projects to improve traffic and pedestrian safety around all district schools. High on the list would be work at:

  • Schools proposed to be modernized in the bond.
  • K-8 schools in buildings that used to be middle schools (Cesar Chavez, Cleary's Fernwood Campus, Harrison Park, Ockley Green, Roseway Heights), and
  • Other schools with the greatest unmet need for transportation safety.

Plans for improving transportation safety at schools in the SRTS program include fixing streets and sidewalks and improving visibility, as well as teaching staff, students and parents about alternative transportation or showing them walking and cycling routes. Currently, not every elementary, K-8, and middle school in PPS has such a plan and the partnership would allow a greater number of schools to participate in the program.
PPS now has 70 schools in the Safe Routes to Schools program. [back to top]

Will you save energy through green building?

Energy savings begin the day a rebuilt school turns on its lights. Efficient, modern heating, lighting and water systems would save an estimated 30 percent or more over existing energy consumption. PPS utility bills currently are almost $11 million a year for electricity, heating, water and sewer fees, and garbage and recycling. [back to top]

What is the proposal for West Sylvan Middle School now?

Superintendent Carole Smith proposed Measure 26-121 to update and improve safety in all PPS school buildings. Both before and after she made that proposal, Smith considered the challenges posed by having the West Sylvan Middle School sixth grade students in the East Sylvan building -- rated the second worst in PPS for its facilities condition, and located more than a mile away and across the Sunset Highway from the school's seventh and eighth grade students.

This separation leads to increased transportation costs, administrative inefficiencies and difficulty in coordination and professional development for the schools' split teaching staff.

Superintendent Smith refined the bond proposal to master plan the West Sylvan campus and to construct space – classrooms and other school facilities – to house the sixth grade students on the main campus. That new building would be designed and placed so as to be easily integrated into a rebuilt West Sylvan Middle School when that school is fully renovated in a future bond. [back to top]

Why isn't insurance paying for a new Marysville School?  

Insurance is covering repairs on the burned and water-damaged wing. The school board and superintendent agree the building needs updating far beyond the basic repairs. Improving the learning environment throughout the school will take more money than the insurance payment. [back to top]

Why are you rebuilding Jefferson? The school board almost closed it.

The school board has decided that Jefferson will not remain a comprehensive community school. Instead, Jefferson would house a new Middle College focus program together with Portland Community College, which is located immediately across the street.

Other cities across the country have seen great success by offering a Middle College option – a magnet school that gives students the chance to earn college credits while still enrolled in high school. Jefferson is the perfect location and interest already is running high from students and parents.

The board and superintendent believe this would be an attractive option for students across the district, and for many of the 1,550 high school-age students who live in the Jefferson area. Three-quarters of those students – almost 1,190 -- choose not to attend the current Jefferson program.
 
The 101-year-old Jefferson building doesn't offer a modern environment to support the Middle College program. The school would be rebuilt to house up to 700 students, with flexibility for future expansion if demand arises. [back to top]

How will PPS implement such a large bond program? How can you be sure PPS is structured to accomplish this?

Portland Public Schools developed a bond proposal that is right-sized to ensure delivery of the entire program on-time and on-budget.

Workflow volume, complexity and logistics for the modernization program are planned so the district can successfully deliver the projects' scopes, budgets and schedules. Project schedules also would respond to the logistics of temporary "swing" locations for students and staff displaced during construction. Scheduling around academic calendars would minimize the disruption of education and make efficient use of resources.

PPS is implementing program management with strong district representation; robust outside expertise and advice; regular, transparent reporting; oversight by elected officials; and review by citizens and professionals.

A strong team is vital to the successful implementation of the school modernization program. Current leadership within the operations department was specifically brought in to develop this program and continues to add strength and structure to manage a large capital program. The district would hire additional experienced leaders and team members during the implementation process.

Best industry practices would be built into the PPS bond program management plan. Progress and expenditure reporting would be regular, thorough and validated by reviews, oversight and audits.

The school district proposes a blended team of in-house and outside expertise. The PPS bond management team would provide planning, support systems and implementation. As projects enter community engagement and design, project managers would team with outside construction managers. The inclusion of outside teams allows the district to draw on highly specialized expertise that is not cost effective to maintain in-house. [back to top]

Who is in charge and do they have the experience?

Portland Public Schools proposes a robust, blended team with in-house and outside expertise.

C.J. Sylvester, the chief operating officer for Portland Public Schools, would oversee the entire modernization program. While director of the PPS Office of School Modernization, Sylvester began developing the organization and partnerships the school district needs to implement a large capital program designed to transform aging facilities into smart, sustainable schools.

Sarah Schoening, the current director of the Office of School Modernization, also would oversee planning and delivery of the capital program. Schoening recently served as senior director of facilities and modernization for the Tamalpais (Calif.) Union High School District, where she oversaw a $235 million bond program that included program and project planning, support, design and construction management.

Schoening also established confidence in the accountability of the bond program with the Tamalpais school district staff and community members by improving delivery methods, establishing budget and project priorities, raising standards of reporting and audit reporting and guiding design and construction. [back to top]

Due to reduced operating budgets, PPS has not been able to keep up with building maintenance and repair. How will you be able to maintain newly renovated buildings appropriately?

Newly renovated buildings lend themselves better to our lower level of maintenance as newer buildings require less maintenance and repair. [back to top]

Why does every school get new stage rigging? Is that really a priority?

This is a safety issue. We have concerns that some of the lights and curtains in our schools stage areas may be unsafe. We would inspect each of our stage areas, and would like to replace stage rigging where needed. The bond provides funding to replace stage furnishings; otherwise we might be in the position of removing the old stage equipment for safety's sake, meaning the stage itself would be far less useful for performances, classes and learning.

What kinds of construction contracts would you use to ensure on-schedule, on-budget completion of projects?

Project delivery methods would, in the early years of the program, focus primarily on the lowest responsive, responsible providers. This method provides the clearest path to compliance with public procurement. As school district expertise and community confidence develop, other methods may be utilized that are appropriate to individual project needs and the existing economic environment.

PPS is committed to proactively include minorities, women and emerging small businesses in its capital program implementation, and currently is establishing a Minority, Women and Emerging Small Businesses (MWESB) program. [back to top]

Where can I learn more?

Please visit the Portland Public Schools web site.
Email us at schoolmodernization@pps.net
Call our hotline, (503) 916-2801

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