P
ortland Public Schools will decide this week whether to buy the One North building for $37‑$41 million to house a Center for Black Student Excellence. Supporting Black students is, plan is reckless. The district is $50 million short, yet the property carries a $271 k annual deficit. Board members who raised the issue were dismissed as “unfair.”
The $16 million structure needs $20‑$25 million in renovations and 24‑30 months of construction, leaving the district with a shell for over two years. Staff cannot confirm whether the central atrium can meet classroom code, so usable square footage is unknown.
The center would operate weekends and summer, district has no transportation times. A solution is to integrate center into Jefferson High School’s rebuild, cutting delays. Board’s $60 million mandate for Black student excellence must be used wisely, not wasted.
