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Center for Black Student Excellence: district staff outline pilot programs, community coalition and space vision
Summary
District staff presented an update on the Center for Black Student Excellence, described four pilot initiatives (Action for Equity framework, Pages of Possibility, PASS family partnerships and Bridges to Brilliance mentoring), and said site selection and long‑term operating funding remain to be finalized.
Portland Public Schools staff presented a progress update on the Center for Black Student Excellence (CBSE) and described pilot programming, community engagement and a vision for a standalone or colocated facility.
Quinn Peoples, program manager for the CBSE, told the board the center’s current development focuses on four pilot initiatives: an Action for Equity framework to identify and train trusted adults in schools; Pages of Possibility, a literacy initiative to provide personalized book libraries to students; PASS (Parents Advocating for Student Success), a parent support and advocacy network; and Bridges to Brilliance, a mentoring and tutoring pathway aligned with student career interests. Peoples said staff have had extensive co‑design meetings with community members and school leaders and are piloting programs at a small set of partner schools.
Why it matters: The CBSE was a community promise connected to earlier bond conversations. Board members and public speakers urged urgency — several community leaders asked the board to commit staff and funds now to formalize the center’s programs while staff pursue a permanent space.
Staff said operating funds for pilot programs are coming from the district’s internal budget for now and from partner organizations; capital work (a physical site or major build‑out) would be funded through bond capital (the district’s “sticks and bricks” funding) while program operations will require ongoing operating dollars and community partnerships. “We currently have an internal budget that we’re using to fund those programs…to continue those pop‑up programs, we will be seeking internal funding to continue to do that work,” Peoples told the board.
The staff presentation included a long list of possible physical elements for a center — a makers/innovation lab, cultural archive, community kitchen and wellness spaces — and described measures staff will use to track impact such as attendance, portfolios of student work and qualitative focus groups. Board members asked staff to bring a clear financial picture once site options were identified and to list partner commitments for operating support.
Public testimony at the meeting echoed the presentation: Youssef Leary, president of the Oregon Association of Black School Educators, and Erin Frazier, executive director of the Center for Black Excellence, urged the board to move with urgency and to use existing bond funds dedicated to the CBSE. The Portland Association of Teachers also urged investment in student supports and staff to ensure the center’s programs have stable operations.
What’s next: Staff said they will continue the pilot work this spring, finalize community engagement and bring a more detailed proposal — including financial implications, partner commitments and site recommendations — back to the board.
