Public commenters urge full Cleveland rebuild, Native Student Success Center and clearer bond terms ahead of Portland schools vote

Public comment before the Portland Public Schools (PPS) Board of Education on Jan. 27 focused on restoring full funding for the planned Cleveland High School rebuild, adding a Native Student Success Center to the bond package and clarifying the bond’s size and financing structure ahead of a likely May vote.

Speakers said the bond proposal, as drafted, risks losing voter support because it is large and, they said, presented in ways that many community members find confusing. "I would like to see you pass a bond. I don't think you can pass this bond. It's too vague. It's too complicated," said John Charles of Cascade Policy Institute during the public comment period.

Why it matters: The 2025 general obligation bond would fund the last two high‑school modernizations in PPS’ multi‑year capital program and other district capital needs. Community members said the board’s decisions now — about project scopes, costs and whether to include items such as a Native Student Success Center — will affect both voter turnout in a May election and long‑term equity across the district’s high schools.

Several Cleveland students and staff urged the board to keep the district’s previously defined standards and budget for Cleveland’s rebuild. Evan Juneman, a senior at Cleveland…