PORTLAND, Ore. — On Saturday, Benson Polytechnic High School in Northeast Portland officially celebrated its new state-of-the-art facility, while also recognizing its rich history that spans over a hundred years.
During the ribbon-cutting ceremony and tour of the campus, the event celebrated the legacy, major school spirit and proud alumni that all contributed to the fabric of the career and technical education (CTE) high school.
James Robb, a graduate from the class of 1950, expressed his amazement at the modernized campus, reflecting fondly on his education.
“I learned how to be a leader here, how to get along with people and to work together,” Robb said. “This is a wonderful school; it’s done everything for me that I would ever want it.”
This sense of fulfillment is shared by the seniors currently attending the high school.
“So many people still have so much Tech pride for this school and so much happiness towards the renovation, the spirit. Everything is really energetic and nice,” said Rosa Guerra, a member of the class of 2025.
Students are excited about the opportunities that the new facilities will bring, with entire wings of the school now dedicated to technical instruction in areas like communications and computer science.
Dane De Block, also from the class of 2025, noted, “We’re really going to be able to succeed and excel.”
The school features an automotive center on site, a place for hands-on construction learning and even a separate building, where students produce their own radio broadcasts.
“Now, we are at the new building, and we have top-of-the-line instruments that even other radio stations don’t have,” De Block said.
The students and staff said they are grateful to the taxpayers who funded these renovations through bonds from 2017 to 2020, supporting the vision of Principal Curtis Wilson Jr., who brainstormed the idea nearly eight years ago.
“Now, with this state-of-the-art equipment that the taxpayers allowed us to utilize, we are very happy and fortunate. But we still know that we have other schools in our district that still need to be supported as well,” Wilson said.
Jefferson High School is set to begin its construction in summer 2025. The cost to rebuild one of the oldest schools in Oregon’s biggest school district is estimated at more than $400 million and won’t be finished until the summer of 2029.