Some 16 years since efforts began to modernize Cleveland High School in Portland, Oregon, students, staff and community members are celebrating the beginning of a $470 million renovation project at the aging campus.
The Oregonian reports that for years, sought-after upgrades of Cleveland High took a back seat to renovations of other district campuses. Finally, a $1.83 billion bond package approved by voters in 2025 included funds for modernizing Cleveland High.
Design plans call for the new school to feature two four-story wings, one for academics and one for performing arts and events. They will be linked by a skybridge, and enclose an outdoor courtyard.
The school is slated to have two gymnasiums, a performing arts theater, and a new main entrance that will shift the front doors from busy 26th Avenue to quieter 28th Avenue.
The modernized campus is scheduled to open in 2029. While construction is under way, students will spend the next three years in swing space at Marshall High School.
In addition to the upgrades at Cleveland High, Portland also is modernizing Jefferson and Wells high schools.
