Students set to return to Robert Gray Middle School in Portland after severe storm damage

When a massive ice storm swept across Oregon and Southwest Washington in January, power lines were cut, homes and businesses were damaged, and at least 15 people died. Schools were hit, too.

All Portland Public Schools were closed for four days as icy roads and sidewalks made transportation treacherous, and uncertain conditions inside school buildings led district officials to be cautious about resuming classes.

Four PPS campuses were hit especially hard: Forest Park Elementary, the Kelly Center’s Head Start program, Markham Elementary and Robert Gray Middle School.

At Robert Gray, pipes froze and broke. Both Markham and Robert Gray sustained so much damage that their students and staff could not return for the rest of the school year. Students were relocated to other schools in Southwest Portland.

Now — eight months later — as families and educators in Oregon’s largest school district prepare for a new school year, Robert Gray is opening its doors once again.

“It’s pretty amazing that we can stand here today,” Principal Lisa Newlyn said during a media tour of the building Tuesday, speaking about a specific hallway with new flooring. “I’ve watched the building be put back together again.

“We knew Robert Gray had to open on time,” she continued, “there was no other choice. So, everybody’s been all hands on deck … and here we are.”

Staff are getting reacquainted with a school that’s seen some changes.

Some classrooms are like a time capsule of the last time they were in the building, with lockers needing to be cleaned out and class materials put into storage containers. In other areas, there are new chairs and desks, lockers and air purifiers. Some changes are much bigger — a new roof, new flooring, and entire classrooms and hallways that have been repainted and modernized.

Newlyn said it gives her and her staff a sense of relief and comfort to “be in our home” again.

However, large paper lists posted on several doors throughout the building show what work remains: Some classrooms are missing numbers on their doors, and some areas still lack wireless internet access. And the school is expected to reopen without some features union educators asked for during last year’s historic teachers strike.

Teachers have pushed for better temperature regulation in their classrooms, for example, but Robert Gray still does not have air conditioning. They do have windows that can open, officials said, and new blinds are coming.

Still, Newlyn said it’s reassuring to her that the district has taken care of as much as it has in such an old building. She said it’s huge to know they have sound infrastructure above and below them — and hidden behind walls where they can’t see, like the replaced water system or new insulation.

“All of that, I think, gives us a sense of security knowing that the district took care of a lot of things that in a 70-year-old building, you’re just not going to see and address,” she said.

Staff were scheduled to return to Robert Gray on Wednesday to begin preparing for the new year, which begins for its youngest students — sixth graders — on Tuesday, Aug. 27, and the rest of Robert Gray’s students the day after. Officials said families will all be able to see the new building at a back-to-school night in September.

It may take more time for some community members to fully heal.

“The storm had an impact on all of us in Portland in some way,” Newlyn said. “Many students and families found themselves in the dilemma of losing both their school and their home.”

Newlyn thanked Jackson Middle School leaders and staff for welcoming the Robert Gray community last spring. At the time, some staff and parents expressed concerns that the building was too packed, made learning hard and may have set students back.

Still, everyone voiced their gratitude for each school community trying their best to merge.

“That we could be ‘Jay-Gray’ for six months — that was really awesome,” Newlyn said. “And that’s a unique opportunity for us, but it came at the expense of grief and loss over losing our home. So, we’re coming back with a celebration of ‘home, sweet home,’ and rebuilding and starting again.”

Markham Elementary students and staff, on the other hand, will not be back “home” to start the school year. Instead, they’ll be housed for the first few months of the year in Jackson Middle School’s east wing.

According to a notice sent to Markham families from the district in late July, Markham’s building improvements are progressing. All asbestos abatement is complete; they’ve installed a new plumbing system, completed much of the electrical work, obtained approval for their plan to finish the new gym floor installation, and more. Officials are still finalizing the use of portable classrooms at Jackson.

District leaders said the goal is for students and staff to return to Markham after winter break. More Markham updates may come out later this week.

As climate change worsens, experts say these storms could become more commonplace — or at least, they’re harder to predict when compared to historical storms. It’s unclear if Oregon schools will be entirely prepared.

When asked if the newly renovated Robert Gray will be ready for such a storm in the future, Newlyn said she thinks so.

“The dilemma for me, to be honest, has been — how do we prepare for a storm when there are so many unexpected factors that come?” Newlyn said.

“Everyone’s doing the best that they can to make sure that we’re ready,” she added. “No one wants to experience this again, and we live in an environment where it could.”

Reporter Elizabeth Miller contributed to this story.