Rigler Elementary School is a dual immersion (Spanish/English) school in Portland’s Cully Neighborhood. Rigler is a school-wide Title 1 school with 70% students of color. Due to its location it also suffers from the urban heat island effect.
In 2022, teachers, administrators, parents, students, and the landscape architects at Juncus Studio went through an extensive community engagement process to create a Resilient, Inclusive, Sustainable, and Equitable (RISE) Schoolyard Vision Plan for the Rigler campus. The plan envisioned more tree coverage, inclusive play areas, a nature play area, and facilities to filter polluted runoff from the parking lot and schoolyard. In 2024, the Estuary Partnership began working with the Rigler School community to plan for the schoolyard’s stormwater treatment improvements.
The project was constructed from June to October 2025. The project:
- Depaved portions of the asphalt schoolyard and parking lot – approximately 4,600 square feet. We co-hosted a community depaving event with the nonprofit Depave on June 7, with dozens of participants helping to rip up asphalt.
- Installed stormwater management in the schoolyard and in the school parking lot to capture and treat runoff before it drains to the river.
- Planted trees, in coordination with the City of Portland’s Learning Landscapes program and with the help of Rigler students, to provide much-needed shade and improve habitat.
- Enhanced paths and playground access and add additional plantings and amenities like log boulder seating and picnic tables.
In addition, the Estuary Partnership’s Environmental Educators engaged four classes of 4th and 5th graders at the school with a hands-on lesson on the impacts of stormwater pollution, and how the new project in their schoolyard will positively impact their watershed.
These schoolyard improvements will be transformational for the students and nearby community. The addition of trees will not only improve habitat for wildlife and reduce the overall heat-island effect in the neighborhood, but they will directly shade and cool west-facing classrooms.
A grant reopening celebration was held on November 4, 2025 with representatives from Rigler School, the Estuary Partnership, Juncus Studio, and Portland Public Schools Superintendant Dr. Kimberlee speaking about the importance of the project.
After the speakers, the students were released from their seats and eagerly ran around their new track and playground, all surrounded by green infrastructure that will help soak up stormwater from the remaining hard surfaces in the schoolyard.
This project was in partnership with Depave, Juncus Studio, Portland Public Schools, Rigler School PTA Padres de Unidos, and the Rigler School community. Funders include the City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services Percent for Green grant program, the Rose Foundation, Depave, East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District Partners in Conservation grant, and EPA’s Columbia River Basin Restoration Program.
