Reiche School to Hold Community Meeting
Reiche Community School students, parents, teachers and staff are planning a community event on Tuesday, February 28 at 6:30 p.m. for West End parents and their children to learn more about the school. Portland Superintendent Mary Jo O'Connor will join a panel of parents, students and staff sharing information and answering questions. An opportunity to tour the school and view student work will follow the meeting. Light snacks and childcare will be provided. For more information, contact Reiche Principal Marcia Gendron at 874-8175 or gendrm@portlandschools.org.
About 65 people attended a forum to discuss the future of the Reiche School and Community Center at the school on Thursday, February, 16th. The forum was organized by West End School Committee member Stephen Spring.
Spring convened the forum to clarify the process being followed by the Elementary Facilities Task Force and to address the issue of school consolidation.
Jo Coyne of the West End Neighborhood Association talked about that group’s organizing a Community Design Workshop to design a master plan for the school and community center. That project is currently on hold until the future plans for Reiche are more definite.
Several of those in attendance spoke of Reiche’s origins and thirty-year history in the West End. There was also discussion about the ‘open design’ which has been brought up as one of the school’s educational shortcomings.
The Portland City Council and the Task Force will hold a joint meeting on February 27th to further discuss the City’s school consolidation plan.