March 20 2024- The Portland Public Schools (PPS) Board has approved an effort to change the name of Jason Lee Elementary School, located on Northeast 92nd Avenue. The school was named after Jason Lee, the first Christian missionary who settled in the Pacific Northwest in the early 19th century. While Lee established schools in the region, he also worked to convert Indigenous tribes to Christianity and assimilate them into western culture, promoting white settlements in the Willamette Valley.
According to Principal Alma Velasquez, the school community no longer aligns with the ideals and values represented by Jason Lee. She emphasized the school’s racial and cultural diversity and expressed the need for a name that reflects their commitment to creating a more socially just world.