In May, Portland-area voters approved the largest school bond in Oregon history: $1.83 billion for Portland Public Schools.

Part of the bond’s overwhelming success came from a last-minute effort by parents and advocates to have the district earmark funds for seismic retrofits. A Portland School Board resolution in May set aside $100 million of the $190 million in deferred maintenance funds in the 2025 bond for “imminent risk” projects, but committed the remainder to seismic upgrades. (School Board members have emphasized cost savings from high school modernizations in the district should mean more money for seismic projects.)

An August report by Holmes Consulting Group, which PPS commissioned, identified and prioritized school projects based on seismic risk scores. That report determin

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