A contractor’s report obtained by WW shows Portland Public Schools could open portions of a new Jefferson High School building in the fall of 2028, an entire year ahead of its current rebuilding schedule.

PPS is reckoning with Jefferson’s low enrollment numbers this fall, ahead of a $466 million modernization project to modernize the North Portland school.

District officials have so far communicated their desire to start bolstering Jefferson’s enrollment in the fall of 2027 (the high school class of 2031), while the school is undergoing active construction. It’s a pressing problem, given that Jefferson in the current academic year reported just 391 students.

In engagement meetings, the district has found itself trapped in a vicious cycle: Families don’t want their kids moved into one

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