Gresham School District to Hold Community Forums for Upcoming Redesign Project

GRESHAM, OR – Gresham High School is being redesigned and the school district wants residents’ input.

At a pair community forums set for April 5, community members, student families, and school district staff will have an opportunity to hear architects, project managers, and building leaders talk about their respective design ideas and how best to use the $219 million school bond approved by voters in November 2016.

The first forum, a morning session, will be held in the principal's conference room at Gresham High School, 1200 N. Main St., from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.

The second forum will take place from 6 p.m to 8 p.m. in the school's cafeteria.

Both forums are informal, drop-in-style open houses, and will each have Spanish translators available to assist residents.

The last significant bond-funded redesign for Gresham High School came in 2000 after voters approved a $40.2 million capital improvement bond. From that investment, the school added an expanded library and counseling office, six new classrooms, a new cafeteria and kitchen, student store, snack bar, wrestling mat room, and auxiliary gym complex with a new concession area, team rooms, and storage closets, according to the district’s official website.

For the upcoming forum, residents will be asked to share their thoughts on the building design, added safety features, options for community use spaces, auditorium features, and the possible addition of career technical programs.

Ultimately, district officials said, redesign projects should improve access to modern technology and address overcrowding “through the upgrades and updates made to schools and classrooms throughout the district.”

Officials anticipate the replacement or modernization of 70 percent of Gresham High School’s buildings.

For more information about the forums, email gbsd@gresham.k12.or.us, or call the district’s community engagement department at 503-261-4557.