Benson High School’s new building held its grand opening on Sept. 14, 2024, at 10 a.m. Many public schools in Portland have been redone in the past decade, and Benson is no exception. The renovation started around three years ago, and the building is now open to the public. This new building has two new wings that allow more space for career and technical education (CTE). Benson has many programs where students get hands-on experience in many different fields, such as healthcare or mechanical jobs.
Students and staff are excited to be back in the building. One of Benson’s District Student Council representatives, Mildred Castillo Bojorquez, who majors in digital media, discusses the new building, describing it as super clean and “very Benson [as] the hallways are blue and orange,” their school colors. Besides the color theme, something that stood out to Castillo Bojorquez was that it’s high tech. She mentioned that the school has more space as well as photography and dark rooms, “which improves the overall experience of going to a CTE school.” Benson has many majors, which is what allows their students to focus on their specific area of study. For health, the new building has X-rays and a lab room. For automotive, manufacturing, and construction, the area contains tools and machinery.
Besides the benefit of technology and more space for students’ education, the school has more security than the Marshall campus, which was the school students and staff attended while Benson was being redone.“There are more locks on the doors which prevents people from coming in,” says Castillo Bojorquez. Not to mention that while there are many doors to get out, “when they are propped open they have a beeping sound until the doors lock.” There are also many cameras that can make teachers and students feel secure. Another safety upgrade in the classroom is the amount of outlets around the spaces; “it allows for less extension cords which makes it less of a fire hazard,” Castillo Bojorquez finishes.
One new feature of the school is the gallery wall for photography. As Castillo Bojorquez discusses, “Different pieces are added that were created by students, and it’s being displayed really nicely.” As a digital media major, she also finds herself now in the new and improved dark room, where she develops film, a necessary step in getting pictures from certain cameras. “Back at Marshall, we had to develop film in a little box, which got hot and sweaty. That made it difficult, but now we have rooms that lock and have more space.”
These facilities will help students out by making work easier. Castillo Bojorquez points out that “if your bedroom is messy, it can make your mind foggy, which I feel like can apply to classrooms as well.” The space allows students to “be more creative, because [they] aren’t boxed in.” It also makes her core classes feel more lively.
She expresses that the new building can benefit future students, as it will feel like a “home base … not a temporary school.” She also says that it will make Benson feel like a real CTE school. It will help them “dive into the major” and not have constraints on what students can do.
Overall, there are positive changes in staff, students, and the community. They are very happy to be coming back with their school feeling “tidy and clean,” as well as helping “people feel like they belong.” Teachers are also very happy with their rooms. Castillo Bojorquez adds, “Teachers got standing desks, which I heard they really like.” As students and staff start to enjoy this building, the community thrives and settles into a flow after the excitement of such a grand opening.
