PORTLAND, Ore. (KPTV) – Tuesday was the first day of school at Benson Polytechnic High School in Southeast Portland – the first first day in three years. Renovations to the 105-year-old school that will keep the building in use by 2024 are finally complete.
Students in grades 9 and 12 took their first steps in the renovated building after years of attending the satellite school, Marshall. Students in grades 10 and 11 start on Wednesday.
Administration gave FOX 12 a tour before classrooms were full and attributed the success in part to the bonds approved by voters.
Arnand Milazzo III, construction manager and Benson project manager, said the high school is now the only one in the state with state-of-the-art medical and dental equipment that prepares students not only for a degree but also for industry certification. These career opportunities caught the eye of Kimberlee Armstrong, superintendent of Portland Public Schools (PPS), when she first looked at the space.
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“It really shows and emphasizes that this is a polytechnic high school. And we are preparing kids for careers, college and all the wonderful things that happen when you leave high school,” Armstrong said.
“There are better seats in the treatment room than at my dentist, which I pay to see,” agreed Angela Bonilla, president of the Portland Association of Teachers, saying that the learning environment itself plays a big role in education.
“I think it will really allow educators to reach their potential,” Bonilla said. “They don’t have to worry about all the other things in the building that may not be conducive to learning. They can just teach.”
The school was built in 1919 and its original elements are part of the new look, including wood paneling, auditorium seating on the balcony and even an homage incorporating the century-old gym floor.
“The work doesn’t end with a beautiful high school,” Armstrong said. “Our goal is to make sure every classroom is accessible, equipped and has everything a student needs.”
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Still, Armstrong acknowledged that PPS is entering the school year with a $30 million budget deficit. She said they hope to obtain bonds to continue modernizing Portland’s public school buildings without raising tax rates.
“I am humbled to see how our community has come together,” Armstrong said. “I hope we continue to make this investment a priority not only in the coming years, but for decades to come.”
She said PPS’s next priority is to renovate Jefferson High School in northeast Portland..
Armstrong said there are currently about 1,000 students enrolled at the Benson school, with room for about 600 more. Any student in the district can apply.
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