Everyday in Portland, more than 7000 students go to public school in unreinforced masonry buildings that are likely to crumble to the ground in even a moderate earthquake, burying kids, teachers and staff in the rubble. (See this recent Willamette Week article for the details)

For years, parents have been raising the alarm...but action has been slow or nonexistent. But there's an opportunity RIGHT NOW for the district to get to work protecting our kids from unthinkable disaster.

This May, Portlanders are voting on a $1.8 billion bond for Portland Public Schools. Nearly $400 million of that bond could be spent on upgrades to the most dangerous elementary and middle schools, more than enough to retrofit these schools to better withstand an earthquake. But the School Board has yet to make a commitment to prioritize these upgrades. 

Our Demand:

We're asking for a promise from our School Board: Formally commit via a Board vote to prioritizing seismic retrofits of the most dangerous school buildings with the unallocated $400m set aside in the 2025 bond for improvements, updates, and repairs of our elementary and middle schools.