After its 1981 closure as a school, the building was used for school district administrative purposes until around 2003.
 During that time a portion of it was also used for a public performance space, hosting events that included Lily Tomlin's "The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe" as a "work in process".
Subsequently, the building was vacant, although it was prepared to house Hurricane Katrina evacuees in fall 2005.

In the 2002–2003 school year, Portland Public Schools identified a number of properties that it considered "surplus" based on the recommendation of Innovation Partnerships and the Real Estate Investment Trust.

In 2005, the City of Portland purchased 5.4 acres (22,000 m²) of the school property for $4.5 million.
That parcel included the gym, a three-story addition, a one-story outbuilding and the track and field.
At that time, the city was intending to use the land for a community center and athletic fields when funding became available.
The remaining 2.6 acres (11,000 m²) comprises two parcels in the northeast and southeast corners of the site, one largely vacant, and the other housing the multi-story brick high school building.
Beam Development was planning on developing the space into condos and commercial buildings.

In 2009, Portland Parks & Recreation received funds as a result of the support of Senators Ron Wyden and Gordon H. Smith.
This money was received as a United States Department of Housing and Urban Development grant for $665,000.
In April 2009, an advisory committee was appointed by Portland Commissioner Nick Fish to develop the scope and program for the facility.

From 2009-2012 the Washington High School site was used each September by the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art for their Time-Based Art Festival.
 Dubbed "The Works", the site displayed many of the visual arts pieces.
 Though it was opened and cleaned out, in part, due to the TBA Festival, in 2009 the site was still slated to be turned into a community center.
Preservation talks about the planned center were still under way.

Concurrently, PPS commissioned an update of an appraisal on the building, which was due to be finished in January 2010.
 The district also plans to issue a "request for information" to see if any other developers are interested in buying the long-vacant high school.
Doug Capps, a PPS facilities manager, told an advisory committee on December 1, 2009, that an offer on the building could be submitted to the school board as soon as March or April 2010.

In 2011, the site hosted the City Repair Project's Earth Day event, Earth Day Incorporated.
In April 2011, local volunteers began the process of creating the Buckman Historic District which, if approved, would have included Washington High School.
However, the proposal to create such a district was dropped in 2013 after failing to attract sufficient support from property owners in the affected area.
After its 1981 closure as a school, the building was used for school district administrative purposes until around 2003.  During that time a portion of it was also used for a public performance space, hosting events that included Lily Tomlin's "The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe" as a "work in process". Subsequently, the building was vacant, although it was prepared to house Hurricane Katrina evacuees in fall 2005.
In the 2002–2003 school year, Portland Public Schools identified a number of properties that it considered "surplus" based on the recommendation of Innovation Partnerships and the Real Estate Investment Trust.
In 2005, the City of Portland purchased 5.4 acres (22,000 m²) of the school property for $4.5 million. That parcel included the gym, a three-story addition, a one-story outbuilding and the track and field. At that time, the city was intending to use the land for a community center and athletic fields when funding became available. The remaining 2.6 acres (11,000 m²) comprises two parcels in the northeast and southeast corners of the site, one largely vacant, and the other housing the multi-story brick high school building. Beam Development was planning on developing the space into condos and commercial buildings.
In 2009, Portland Parks & Recreation received funds as a result of the support of Senators Ron Wyden and Gordon H. Smith. This money was received as a United States Department of Housing and Urban Development grant for $665,000. In April 2009, an advisory committee was appointed by Portland Commissioner Nick Fish to develop the scope and program for the facility.
From 2009-2012 the Washington High School site was used each September by the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art for their Time-Based Art Festival.  Dubbed "The Works", the site displayed many of the visual arts pieces.  Though it was opened and cleaned out, in part, due to the TBA Festival, in 2009 the site was still slated to be turned into a community center. Preservation talks about the planned center were still under way.
Concurrently, PPS commissioned an update of an appraisal on the building, which was due to be finished in January 2010.  The district also plans to issue a "request for information" to see if any other developers are interested in buying the long-vacant high school. Doug Capps, a PPS facilities manager, told an advisory committee on December 1, 2009, that an offer on the building could be submitted to the school board as soon as March or April 2010.
In 2011, the site hosted the City Repair Project's Earth Day event, Earth Day Incorporated. In April 2011, local volunteers began the process of creating the Buckman Historic District which, if approved, would have included Washington High School. However, the proposal to create such a district was dropped in 2013 after failing to attract sufficient support from property owners in the affected area.
Washington High School (Portland, Oregon)