Six years after voters first approved plans to rebuild North Portland’s Jefferson High School, a creaky grande dame of a building, dignitaries, students, teachers and alumni gathered Friday to celebrate the official groundbreaking, golden-tipped shovels and hard hats in hand.
“This community has been waiting for so long,” said teacher Eliana Machuca, who wiped away tears during Friday’s ceremony as she listened to three of the school’s students perform “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” often known as the Black national anthem. “We didn’t always believe it would happen.”
There is still a long road ahead for the new building, which replaces a structure known for its lack of air-conditioning, leaky windows and bunker-like feel. The new building and athletic fields are projected to cost $466 million in voter-backed construction bonds…