Portland high schools plan cost-saving design revisions

Portland's school board is looking to cut costs on three high school modernization projects to address a budget crisis. The projects at Jefferson, Cleveland, and Ida B. Wells high schools are currently estimated to cost over $400 million each. The board wants to reduce expenses to free up funds for maintenance needs in the district’s middle and elementary schools. New plans aim to trim these high school designs down to about 295,000 square feet. Jefferson High in North Portland may see its theater's seating reduced from 1,000 to 500. Other proposed cuts include smaller choir and dance studios, fewer community organization spaces, and reductions in athletic facilities. Ida B. Wells High in Southwest Portland might lose its teen parent center and have smaller band and career-technical education classrooms. Flexible learning spaces and teacher collaboration areas could also face cuts. At Cleveland High in Southeast Portland, architects propose to reduce space for general education classrooms, science labs, and performing arts facilities. They are also exploring ways to lower contractor costs. The school board will review these proposals at a meeting on Tuesday evening.