Family Spotlight

Realms Middle School and Realms High School, which operate in a leased building in northeast Bend, will relocate to District-owned schools next summer.

The decision follows a thorough review of District resources and facility costs and a determination that it is not financially viable to continue leasing the Brinson Boulevard building beyond the current school year. Realms High has operated there since 2018, joined by Realms Middle in 2022. District safety and custodial offices also are located in the building, formerly a warehouse.

Realms High School will merge with Bend Tech Academy (BTA), our other choice-option high school, at 1291 NE 5th Street. By merging both schools under one roof, we have the opportunity to provide more robust and sustainable academic opportunities, drawing on the best of both schools.

Realms Middle School will relocate to Buckingham Elementary School at 62560 Hamby Road. Buckingham has room to house both schools, similar to other K-8 schools in our District. Realms Middle will occupy its own portion of Buckingham, separate from elementary classrooms. Some areas will be shared, including the library, gymnasium and cafeteria. The District currently is adding a new cafeteria/multi-purpose room and kitchen onto Buckingham, with construction expected to be completed next summer.

Did you hear the good news about 2026-27 enrollment? It opens early on Wednesday, December 10, 2025. Locate your school, find out what documents you need, and more at bls.fyi/enrollment.

Entry into the Choice Options lottery, Dual Immersion lottery, and Priority Area Change Requests begins Monday, January 5, 2026. Applications will be accepted through January 23, 2026.

Don’t forget! Entry into the Choice Options lottery, Dual Immersion lottery, and Priority Area Change Requests all require a current enrollment into Bend-La Pine Schools for the school year requested. Learn more about our schools at bls.fyi/options2026. And stay tuned for school info nights coming in January.

Bend-La Pine Schools has adopted a revised administrative policy prohibiting students from use of personal electronic devices during regular instructional hours. The changes pertain to our high schools and will go into effect in January after students return from winter break.

High school students will now be required to have their phones off and away during the entire instructional day, from the first class bell to the last bell of the day. This includes between classes and during lunch – times when students currently are permitted to use their phones. The restrictions are consistent with the policy already in place at our elementary and middle schools.

Our high school administrators are calibrating how to administer the policy revision clearly and consistently across all high schools starting in January. In December we will provide guidance for all high school students on what the new policy is, how it works, and what we expect from them.

This update to the District’s current regulation of students’ personal electronic devices complies with the requirements of Executive Order 25-09 signed by Gov. Tina Kotek on July 2, 2025. The new administrative policy, JFCEB-AP, and corresponding administrative regulation, JFCEB-AR, will be implemented January 1, 2026.

Jamf Parent is a mobile application that allows parents to manage their student’s school-issued device outside of school hours. It lets parents set time limits, restrict or allow specific apps and websites, and enable features like "App Lock" to lock the device into only a few applications for focused use.

This management tool is designed to help parents balance their child's device access and ensure responsible use. Student devices can only be managed through Jamf Parent when school is not in session.

Jamf Parent is a free app available from the App Store or Google Play. Go here to get started with Jamf Parent.

During severe weather events the District sends drivers out early in the morning to evaluate road conditions in the Bend, La Pine and Sunriver areas. We also check on state, county and city road-clearing operations and monitor weather forecasts.

If we decide to delay school start times by two hours, or to close schools for the day, we strive to announce the decision no later than 5:30 a.m. If there is no change in normal operations, we do not make an announcement.

This is how we announce school closures or delayed starts

Here’s where to find announcements of school closures or two-hour delayed start times due to severe weather or hazardous road conditions:

• TEXT MESSAGE: Sign up for BLConnect, our emergency alert text messaging system. Register at this link: bls.fyi/blconnect
  
• WEBSITES: Visit our District website, bend.k12.or.us, or any of our school websites. An alert banner will be posted to every page.
  
• SOCIAL MEDIA:
  
• Facebook English: @BendLaPineSchools
• Facebook Spanish: @EscuelasdeBendLaPine
• Instagram: @BendLaPineSchools
• We notify KTVZ, Central Oregon Daily News, KBND and other local news media of our decisions.
  

Additional information about weather-related closures and delays is available at bls.fyi/snowday.

How to track bus route changes and delays

Winter weather can cause delays in school buses arriving at stops on time. We have a new app, My Ride K-12, that parents, guardians and students can use to know approximately what time their school bus will arrive at their home stop. My Ride K-12 will provide real-time GPS bus locations, route information, and messages from Transportation with route updates.

Please visit our Transportation for All Schools webpage for detailed information and instructions. Visit the Google Play Store (for Android) or the App Store (for iOS), search for "My Ride K-12" and select Bend-La Pine Schools when prompted.

NEW - Tackling Chronic Absenteeism in Our Schools

In the latest podcast, Superintendent Cook sits down with Eric Powell, Director of Student Services, to talk about why some students miss a lot of school and how the district approaches chronic absenteeism.

What happens when a student is a no-show at school? Student attendance has been a major concern in schools across the U.S. the past few years, after chronic absenteeism spiked during the pandemic years. Helping students and families achieve regular attendance is a key focus of Bend-La Pine Schools, and that centers on academic engagement and success; ensuring all students experience a sense of belonging and safety in school; and addressing family circumstances that make it challenging for students to attend.

We’re seeing success with our strategies. Bend-La Pine Schools is tracking big improvement with a large number of students who had been missing too many days last school year, and who are showing up regularly this fall.

September 25 - Standards-Based Grading

Are you up to speed on Standards-Based Grading? In case you missed it, in the Supe's On! podcast with Dr. Cook, our Superintendent speaks with Katie Legace, the Executive Director of High Schools, and Stephen DuVal, the Executive Director of Middle Schools, about standards-based grading.

The new grading model is expanding across secondary schools this year as Bend-La Pine Schools continues its implementation. Some middle and high schools previously adopted it, more are implementing it this year, and all secondary schools will have it fully in place by this time next year. It’s a monumental shift in how our teachers evaluate how well students are learning and the process by which grades are assigned.

The bustling holiday season is around the corner and for many, it’s a joyful time for creating memories with family and friends. It also comes with stress and challenges. While we each celebrate the season, it’s important to stay mindful and take care of ourselves.

For helpful tips on creating a more stress-free holiday and contact information for professional support, click here. We hope you have a safe, peaceful, and happy holiday season!

Aiming to go into law enforcement, health care, or forestry? Headed to an Oregon university? As part of this annual tradition, students are encouraged to dress up as a professional from their career path or in their favorite postsecondary institution's colors.

College and Career Day spotlights postsecondary pathways in an effort to support our students as they begin to plan for their next steps after high school. From kinder to seniors, students can begin exploring their futures.

Help us celebrate a beloved member of the La Pine High School community - math and language arts teacher Dr. Luke Donahue.

His nomination came from La Pine High School Principal Scott Olszewski who said, "Dr. Donahue is a trusted adult for so many students. He is in tune with their experiences as students and as individuals, and he provides a high level of compassion and support while also being able to deliver critical and actionable feedback for learning. He consistently reaches out to parents and colleagues to celebrate students' successes or identify their needs."

In recognition of his outstanding commitment to the Math and Language Arts classes at La Pine High School. Luke Donahue consistently provides a high level of support and compassion for students, while providing insightful and constructive feedback essential to academic growth. He goes above and beyond in recognizing student experiences both inside and outside the classroom, making students feel seen and helping them thrive.

His dedication, empathy, and leadership make a lasting impact on the La Pine High School community. Bend-La Pine Schools is proud to recognize Dr. Luke Donahue as a true Champion for Students.

Do you want to shine a light on a staff member, student or community member who goes above and beyond every day to improve our school communities? Nominate that special someone at bls.fyi/championforstudents!

Together, we made a difference! This fall, the Foundation proudly awarded $63,652.99 in classroom enrichment grants—empowering educators to bring creative, hands-on learning to life. We also received generous in-kind donations, including $800 in art supplies from Selco Credit Union, plus $500 for a French Café project and $1,400 in materials for the Transitional Cooperative program from individual donors.

Our heartfelt thanks go out to the supporters of Trivia Night and our community partners whose generosity fuels innovation in classrooms throughout Bend-La Pine Schools.

November

Native American Heritage Month

November 1-2: Dia de los Muertos

November 2-6: National School Psychology Week

November 11: Veterans Day

November 14: Ruby Bridges Day

November 19: Education Support Professionals Day

November 27: Thanksgiving

Top row from left: Board Chair Marcus LeGrand, Shirley Olson, Ross Tomlin, Jenn Lynch

Bottom row from left: Cameron Fischer, Kina Chadwick, Board Vice Chair Amy Tatom

The Board of Directors for Bend-La Pine Schools will hold its next board meeting on Tuesday, November 18 at 5:30 p.m. at the Bend-La Pine Schools Education Center at 520 NW Wall Street, Bend.

For information about board members, meetings and agendas, please visit our School Board page.

Catch up on all the news from the latest School Board meetings. Click here for Dr. Cook's recaps.

Are you curious which district policies and regulations are currently under review? To see proposed changes and give feedback on new language, click here.