Cost to Fix Portland Public Schools Environmental and Health Problems Tops $400 Million

Portland Public Schools is beginning to grapple with the price tag to fix elevated levels of lead in its drinking water and other emerging health risks.

The cost to replace all the lead pipes and fix plumbing failures at Portland Public Schools: $196 million.

The cost to address all the pressing health and environmental safety concerns at PPS buildings: $400 million, at a minimum.

As part of a discussion on what should be included in Portland Public Schools' bond, slated to be put before voters in November, the school board is weighing which problems to address first.

The environmental concerns came to the fore after revelations that PPS had found lead in the water at dozens of schools since 2010.

PPS's previous plan to overhaul three high schools—Benson, Madison and Lincoln—was already on the rocks, but the new assessments of how much the district could spend to address health and environmental concerns further dampens the prospects.

It seems likely that Benson will be left off the list—a prospect first reported by OPB earlier this month—though a final decision won't be made till a meeting of the school board's bond committee next month.

Board member Amy Kohnstamm says Benson will likely be left out: "The size of the building makes it the most expensive."

A poll conducted in November showed voters are only willing to support $556.5 million bond. And estimates for the fixes to Madison, Lincoln and Benson high school exceed that amount.

In response to the revelation that lead problems exist throughout the district, the school board appeared to shift course on the bond, asking district staff for more information on what should be fixed.

A presentation of the health and environmental changes needed in district schools by David Hobbs, senior director of Facilities & Asset Management was part of discussion of presentation today on what repairs could be included in a school bond. It identified asbestos problems (cost: $20 million), lead paint problems at 20 sites (cost: $870,000) and seismic repairs (minimum: $15.6 million), among other problems.

Willamette Week