Ten out of 11 Portland high schools have their cafeterias in a different room than their auditoriums, as Lincoln does; however, middle and elementary schools often combine the two, holding both lunch and assemblies in the “cafetorium.”

“It was a distracting setting for the audience,” said Lake Oswego freshman Gracie Jacobson of her former PPS middle school. “The amount of windows made lighting matinee shows very difficult, and the stage itself was really small.”

After being in a middle school cafetorium. “Having a separate auditorium gives us a lot more options than we would have in a cafetorium setting,” junior Abigail Meskimen said. “We wouldn’t be able to do half of what we do now without the space to work in.”

Most middle schools and elementary schools in Portland combine their auditorium with another room, either the cafeteria or the gymnasium. In both cases, there is limited space for activity and either very bright or very poor lighting. This causes problems for performances and assemblies, with distractions waiting outside large windows, as said by Ms. Jacobson.

The out-of-date structure of the rooms has been a safety hazard to students and staff. In the 2011 bond measure to fix facilities in Portland’s public schools, part of the proposed plan was to inspect the safety of the rigged curtains in the cafetoriums and of schools, including Lincoln and West Sylvan.

The measure was not passed, but work on schools has happened. Structure in both auditoriums and cafetoriums remain unsafe for anyone inside them.