Advocacy

An Open Letter to the BCS Community Regarding the Seismic Risks

The seismic risks at our schools are real and can feel overwhelming. But there are things you can do and actions you can take that can make a difference, especially right now, as the PPS Board unanimously passed a resolution prioritizing seismic safety in the upcoming school bond funding on May 6.

• Safe Structures PPS delivered 421 petition signatures from our community, including parents from 43 different Portland schools.
• BCS parents spoke passionately about protecting our children and in support of the resolution.
• The Board voted unanimously to support our resolution and thanked us for our advocacy.

We need to continue to engage to make sure our concerns are addressed.

If you are interested in advocating with the PPS School Board about the seismic deficiencies at Beverly Cleary and other elementary and middle schools, this email outlines some of the actions you can take (with more info on each action below).

1. Write letters to the editor supporting the bond
2. Help pass the bond
3. Continue to participate in meetings with PPS Board members as they get scheduled
4. Engage other parents, at BCS and at other schools
5. Sign a Petition
6. Follow on Social Media

1. Write Letters to the Editor in Support of the Bond:

We need to make sure everyone in our community knows how important this is, and a letter to the editor is a great way to do it. Follow this link for key points and submission instructions.

2. Support the Bond Campaign:

The PPS School Board has made the Seismic Promise - now we have to fund it!

• Vote yourself by May 20!
• Encourage others to vote!
• Sign up here to volunteer with the Yes for Portland Schools campaign.

3. Participate in meetings with PPS Board Members:

Which brings us to the next way to effectively advocate - when those meetings get scheduled, participate if you can. The PPS School Board needs to hear from us directly how much it matters - emails are great for getting the ball rolling, but there is nothing like a face-to-face meeting (even virtually) to make sure our concerns are heard and addressed.

We will need to continue to engage with the PPS School Board. Here are the email addresses for the board members: csplitt@pps.net, ghollands@pps.net, mdepass@pps.net, jbrim-edwards@pps.net, psullivan@pps.net, eddiewang@pps.net, Hermangreene@pps.net, jkunsevi@pps.net, schoolboard@pps.net. And, here is the superintendent: karmstrong@pps.net.

4. Engage other parents at BCS and at other schools

Another way to make sure the School Board focuses on the issue is to engage families at BCS and at other schools, especially families at other high-risk schools. The Willamette Week article increased attention on the issues, but there are still a lot of parents who don't really know how risky the building is. We need to increase everyone's awareness and help as many BCS families as possible have their voice heard.

There are also 18 other unreinforced masonry (URM) schools in the District, and an even longer list of schools that have significant seismic deficiencies beyond URM concerns.

We need to engage parents at those schools as partners and allies as we press the PPS Board to engage the broader PPS Community on these issues. If you know families who attend other schools - especially other high-risk and/or URM schools - reach out to them. Feel free to share this email with them and encourage them to engage their PTA, school principal, and the PPS Board.

5. Sign a Petition

Sign this petition to make your voice heard: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/make-the-seismic-bond-promise/ 

6. Follow on Social Media

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1177948650681938
https://x.com/PpsPromise
https://www.instagram.com/safe_structures_pps/
https://www.tiktok.com/@safestructures_pps