11/06/2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Cascade Policy Institute
4850 SW Scholls Ferry Rd., Ste 103
Portland OR 97225
Media Contact:
Naomi Inman
naomi@cascadepolicy.org
Office 503.242.0900
Cascade Identifies Purchase Risk
for PPS One North Building
Portland, Oregon – Cascade president, John A. Charles, Jr., submitted a Memorandum and Analysis on Thursday to the Portland Public School Board (PPS) and the Facilities Improvement and Oversight Committee (FIOC) in preparation for its November 10 meeting.
The FIOC will meet for the first public review of their due diligence report on the proposed acquisition of the One North property for the proposed Center for Black Student Excellence (CBSE).
“While the board and oversight committee are reviewing all aspects of the Center for Black Student Excellence and purchase of a building, we have submitted two documents analyzing the risks associated with the One North purchase,” Charles noted. “I hope the board finds the documents helpful as part of their due diligence.”
The 8-page Center for Black Student Excellence Memorandum submitted by John A. Charles, Jr., reviews the legal liabilities of the CBSE under both federal and Oregon state law.
In the 17-page Analysis of Proposed One North Property Acquisition for Portland Public Schools’ Center for Black Student Excellence, economist Eric Fruits, Ph.D. outlines the procedural failure of not determining the facility’s programmatic requirements until after the building is purchased. He also analyzes the unfunded operational liabilities of purchasing the building, along with substantial legal and safety risks, and compliance with ORS 328.205, restricting bond funds to “school buildings.”
