A Great Place to Grow, Learn and Play

Mary Rieke Cares

Every student is important at Rieke. Our teaching staff is experienced, dedicated and committed to encouraging excellence while celebrating each child’s unique talents and individual successes. Children are inspired to be creative, taught to be responsible and encouraged to be respectful of themselves and others.

Mary Rieke Inspires

Lively and varied activities spark the students’ interests and imagination. Our large campus and state-of-the-art athletic field is the stage for spirited physical activity. Classroom instruction is enhanced and extended to provide rigorous challenge. Rieke provides a wealth of opportunity to encourage curious young minds to explore and grow in classroom and after school programs such as:

  • Garden Club

  • Chess Club

  • Instrumental and Vocal Music (Through M.U.S.E.)

  • Math Detectives

  • Arts and Science Fairs

  • EG Robotics

  • Artists in Residence (through Right Brain initisative) 

  • Adventures in Spanish

Mary Rieke Dreams

The high level of achievement at Rieke is a reflection of the powerful partnership between home, school and community. Working together, we build success for children as they become competent people and caring citizens for tomorrow’s world.

View our staff roster and additional school information here.

History

Rieke was constructed by Portland Public Schools in 1959-61 during the post-war “baby boom” that dramatically increased enrollment in public schools around the nation. It opened to classes on February 20, 1961 as the “Wilson Park Elementary School,” with David McCrea as the first principal. In 1978, the school was renamed the “Mary W. Rieke Elementary School” to honor Mary Whitelaw Rieke, a former PTA member at Fulton Park, Robert Gray, and Wilson schools, a 12-year board member of PPS (1958-1970), and a member of the Oregon House of Representatives (1970-78).

In 1982, enrollment at Rieke and all PPS schools fell dramatically leading to a closure of the school. Rieke Elementary students moved either to Hayhurst or Capitol Hill Elementary. Rieke was used for special programs only, primarily TAG programming for the next 10 years.

In September of 1992, in the face of growing elementary enrollment in Southwest, the District reopened Rieke to regular neighborhood attendance. Hayhurst had approximately 600 students in the 1991-92 academic year, and the District concluded that Rieke needed to open in order to accommodate the overflow of students.

From the time that Rieke reopened in 1992 until 2023, its enrollment has been largely stable, fluctuating between 260 and 300 students. Over the years, enrollment across PPS has fluctuated greatly, forcing the district to reconsider closing Rieke, along with several other schools. Each time, parents have come together to fight to keep Rieke open.

We continue to advocate at the district for programming and staff at Rieke as funding issues persist. Additionally, we prioritize kindergarten recruitment to ensure large incoming kindergarten classes help keep Rieke the strong successful school it is.

Click here for a more detailed account of the history of Rieke and PPS.