About Us

The mission of Buckman Arts Focus Elementary School is to support students as they develop and contribute their creativity
and academic knowledge through collaboration, critical thinking, and arts integration. We commit to curricular and systemic change to uplift anti-racist teaching in all subjects and with all grades. We strive to enable every student at Buckman to carry with them a strong social awareness, a sense of identity, and a commitment to civic engagement.

The school’s highly trained arts specialists provide concentrated instruction in the disciplines of music, visual art, and dance. The arts specialists collaborate with the classroom teachers to integrate the arts into the core curriculum, resulting in effective and creative communicators and thinkers, ready to succeed in school and beyond. As a Portland Public School, Buckman is committed to utilizing district-adopted, evidence-based curriculum materials. We also focus on social-emotional learning using the Caring Schools Community curriculum.

Buckman is open for admission through Portland Public Schools’ lottery process. Buckman is also a neighborhood school, serving an essential educational function for children who live in inner southeast Portland. Unlike some magnet or focus-option schools, which operate using a “school-within-a-school” approach, Buckman’s art program is structured to include every student in the building.

The innovative arts-integrated curriculum at Buckman Arts Focus Elementary School nurtures and challenges the whole child—nourishing the intellectual, social, emotional, physical, and artistic development of each student. Buckman students achieve academic excellence as they develop a lifelong love of learning.

What else is special about Buckman?

Highly trained arts specialists (Visual Arts, Music, Dance), who teach weekly specialized classes in their art field
PE standards are covered in Dance
Student Affinity Groups
Student Leadership Groups
Library with an extensive and current collection
On-site before and after-school care
SUN (Schools Uniting Neighborhoods) program offers a wide variety of creative-based after-school activities and community events
SMART (Start Making a Reader Today) program
Dedicated, creative caregiver volunteer community & a strong, active PTA
Robust support from Portland community members, artists, musicians, and civic leaders