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Lee Perlman
The MID-COUNTY MEMO
Mike Lopes has a new job in the old neighborhood.
At 7 a.m. on an August morning, he is preparing for his job as the new principal of Prescott Elementary School. He comes from the Beaverton School District where he worked for 10 years as a teacher of grades one through four, and most recently as an administrative intern at Cooper Mountain Elementary School. At age 32, this is his first assignment as a principal.
However, though new to the job and the district, Lopes is not new to Parkrose. “My grandfather had a business in Parkrose for many years, Sandy Fruit and Garden Center across from the Grotto, and I went to church here, so this is an area I’m very familiar with,” he told the Memo. “That was one of the attractions of my coming here.”
Another was the district itself. Though beset by budget woes and the problems associated with a largely foreign and transient student population, Lopes likes the outlook. “The greatest part about the district is that it’s on the right page,” he says. “There’s a lot of support for building principals. I’ve got a very ready and willing staff. Based on that, I think we’ll do a great job, even though we’ll do it on a low budget.”
Doing so will mean “meeting the needs of a diverse population. Our greatest challenge will be learning how they learn, learning about diversity as well as poverty. It’s something I’m excited about.”
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