Community Transitional School (CTS)

Mission

Community Transitional School is a tuition-free, nonprofit PreK-8th grade private school dedicated to the educational needs of children experiencing homelessness and living in the Portland metro area and greater Multnomah County. Since the school's founding in 1990, our mission has remained the same: to provide a stable educational environment for children at risk of school failure that promotes their personal and academic growth. 

Bottom Line for Portland

AT CTS, we work towards the educational equity for our city and county's most notoriously overlooked and underserved population- its homeless children. At CTS, we provide: 

• A highly qualified and experienced teaching staff that includes four state-certified teachers, two full-time instructional assistants, one full-time teacher's aide, and a full-time Title-I instructor. 

• A small, closely knit school with four combined-grades classrooms: Pre-K – Kindergarten, 1st – 2nd grade, 3rd – 5th grade, 6th – 8th grade. 

• Two nutritious meals, breakfast and lunch, served each school day as part of the USDA school meal program.

• Take-home groceries on Friday afternoons provided through our partnership with Sunshine Division.

• Essential door-to-door transportation. 

• On-site Clothes Closet and Hygiene products.

• Dental exams/procedures through our partnership with The Dental Foundation of Oregon.

• Eye exams/glasses through our partnership with Pacific University. 

• An extended 5-week Summer Session. 

• Speech therapy.

• A well-rounded curriculum that prioritizes lessons in literacy and basic mathematics.

Quote

“I have learned a lot of things at CTS that will help me in life. I've learned the importance of telling the whole truth, treating others how you want to be treated, and to always turn your work in on time. I want to thank my teacher, Jennipher, because she's helped me come a long way and has been there for me when no one else was." 

2024-25 Graduate

Incentives

2026 Calendar made by students for donations of $1,000 or more.

Partner(s)

The Dental Foundation of Oregon: We're fortunate that bi-annually The Dental Foundation of Oregon's Tooth Taxi makes on-site visits to provide crucial dental exams and procedures for our students in need. https://www.smileonoregon.org/

Reading Results: Reading Results partners with schools to support students from systemically excluded communities in becoming successful readers. https://readingresultspdx.org/

Lipman Family Farms: For over a decade, Lipman Family Farms has supported our organization and students by providing extra produce for take-home groceries, supplying items from our school's wish list, and acting as “Santa's Elves” delivering gifts to our students on Christmas Eve. https://www.lipmanfamilyfarms.com/