Just weeks after favoring a streamlined bond proposal of no more than $600 million, the Portland Public Schools board reversed course to reconsider placing a $1-billion bond measure on the ballot that includes $320 million for a new Jefferson High School, one of the district’s most outdated high schools and Oregon’s high school most attended by black students. The board met virtually June 2 due to COVID-19 social distancing standards and amidst a national conversation on equality and race.

“We have an opportunity as a group to work toward getting a shovel in the ground and recognizing that vision this community has envisioned for 50 years,” says Michelle DePass, the only black member of the school board. “This is a defining moment for us as a district. This is such a great opportunity for us to lead. We can actually say we are going to help black kids and expect high things from black kids.”

波特兰公立学校是俄勒冈州最大的学区，为包括9所高中在内的79所学校提供了近50,000名学生。5月，董事会从其工作债券提案中取出了新建筑，当时出于大流行期间的经济问题，其价值为14亿美元。The bond numbers for a November ballot would have ranged between $500 million and $600 million, including $150 million for health and safety upgrades such as HVAC and roof replacement and $200 million to finish work at Benson Polytechnic High School that wasn’t completed as part of a 2017 bond. Another option included an additional $75 million to design and plan for three new high schools but did not include construction funding.

But that all changed again. Amy Kohnstamm, board chair, says that while the board was nearly unanimous for a shorter-term bond in May, now was the right time to discuss Jefferson. The newest option now includes $40 million for design and planning of Cleveland and Wilson high schools and $320 million to rebuild Jefferson High School.

波特兰公立学校首席运营官丹·荣格（Dan Jung）说，总部位于波特兰的博拉建筑师在1月份完成了一项总体规划，该项目将需要大约两年的设计和两到三年的建设。

董事会成员安德鲁·斯科特（Andrew Scott）支持杰斐逊（Jefferson）的重建，他说，他担心将该地区锁定成3,000万美元的费用，直到8月14日债券提交文件可能会限制董事会。他说：“这个数字成为数字，我们必须弄清楚如何生活在这个数字中，我们看到了2017年债券中提出的问题。”由于建筑成本超支，2017年的债券并未完成所有工作，例如本森（Benson）。

DePass, though, says that it is “unequivocally time to support Jefferson in this way, unequivocally the time to make those investments in that part of town. People are ready for that project. I know unequivocally the community in and around northeast Portland wants to see this happen.”

A new Jefferson High School was included on a 2011 bond that failed by 900 votes, but not included in the 2012 bond that passed. Jefferson was again not included in the 2017 bond.

董事会讨论的六项债券提案包括价格标签，从5.84亿美元到10亿美元不等。该地区将致力于最终选择，以在7月向公众展示。

董事会将继续考虑这笔1亿美元的套餐，因为它在今年夏天做出最终决定之前缩小了获得公共反馈的选择范围，但仍包括1.5亿美元的健康和安全，其中9800万美元用于屋顶和机械维修，安全升级2600万美元，地震改造1500万美元。该债券还具有1.61亿美元的教育改进，包括1.27亿美元的技术。该计划的应变率为10％。

Jefferson High School serves about 650 students, but upcoming residential projects in the area and Portland’s system of allowing some high school students freedom in school selection means the board anticipates a jump in enrollment if a new school is built. Master planning called for classroom space for 1,000 students, but common areas large enough to hold 1,700 with room to expand classrooms to match.

Multnomah县专员Susheela Jayapal是在公众评论部分发言的两个人之一，现在都赞成新的杰斐逊。她说：“重建的杰斐逊将在我们的黑人社区中成为一种具体的投资。在这一刻，这是正确的事情。”

在波特兰以东的百年纪念和坎比学区的五月债券批准以及两项波特兰地区税的情况下，对大流行期间更大的价格标签的一些担忧。

Depass说：“要做的是考虑前进，并且不要为该项目带来任何障碍。”