An inevitable reality is brought to light by Julia Silverman of The Oregonian/OregonLive’s study of the $1.8 billion bond that the Portland Public School board presented to voters: updated high schools are costly. In Portland, the cost of building new high schools is skyrocketing. Why?January 19).
However, contrary to what the story claims, these are not price tags for champagne. The schools are significant investments in our community and future, built to withstand massive earthquakes, use sustainable materials and technologies to combat climate change, and prioritize accessibility, equity, and high educational standards. Because that is what it means to invest in our community, they were constructed to last a century, using union work and involving women’s and minority-owned companies.
After more than a year of thorough planning, schematic design, public workshops, and meticulous cost analysis, the school board instructed design teams to cut construction costs for each school by almost $100 million, less than six months before the May election. Although it is not ideal, reevaluating budgets at this point should reassure voters that every dollar has been well considered and is providing significant value.
A project-specific analysis that takes into consideration the program site and the complexity of these suggested builds is superior than Silverman’s analysis, which offered useful points of reference. An apples-to-oranges comparison results from referencing both recent completed projects and national averages. It hides the intricacy of budget projections for Portland improvements that won’t begin until at least 2027.
The advantages of having schools that will serve our children, families, and communities for the next century much surpass the unquestionably high expenses of modernizing our high schools.
Stuckey, Sam, Portland
Portland’s Tiffany Rodriguez
Co-chairs of the Cleveland High School Design Advisory Group are Stuckey and Rodriguez.
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