Alternative High School Experiences Big Success With First-Ever After School Program BEND, Ore. -- Marshall High School may be small, but its students do things in a big way. At the beginning of the year, the school started a robotics program – the first after school program in the school’s 11-year history. Earlier this month, the fledgling team scored in the top three Oregon teams at their first statewide robotics competition and took home first ... [full story]

BEND, Ore. -- After a comprehensive search, the Buckingham Bronco’s will have a new principal when students return to school this fall – Skip Offenhauser.   Skip Offenhauser will be the new principal of Buckingham Elementary school - submitted photo “Buckingham has a wonderful reputation,” said Offenhauser, “I have heard nothing but positive things about the school, the staff, and the students. I am looking forward to joining the team and learning more about the entire Buckingham ... [full story]

BEND, Ore. -- Families interested in enrolling their children in one of Bend-La Pine Schools magnet programs are encouraged to contact the schools about visits and necessary information as the deadline for the enrollment lottery approaches. Applications are due to the school of choice by 4 p.m. on Friday, March 21. Applicants may apply for only one magnet program. Lottery results will be mailed on Thursday, April 10.The magnet schools, Amity Creek at Thompson School, ... [full story]

SALEM, Ore. – State Schools Superintendent Susan Castillo on Thursday named 16 Oregon public schools that have made significant progress in closing the achievement gap. The announcement was made at a press conference at Boise-Eliot School in Portland. Each school named for the award has demonstrated significant improvement in student achievement for minority and/or low income students. This is the fourth year that Castillo has recognized schools for the Celebrating School Success Awards. This year ... [full story]

SALEM, Ore. – State Schools Superintendent Susan Castillo announced today the release of the Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives (AMAO) report, required under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. The report shows the progress that Oregon school districts are making in teaching English to English Language Learners (ELL), based on test scores from the state’s English Language Proficiency Assessment (ELPA). In order to meet the federal requirement, school districts must meet the targets in all ... [full story]

The 2008 season for the Central District of the Oregon High School Equestrian Teams (OHSET) has begun, and the top three winners of each event for the recent OHSET meet have been announced.  The Redmond, Dalles/Wahtonka Union and Dufur High School teams excelled, taking home first-place team honors in the large, medium, and small team divisions. According to Kathy Russell, Central District media representative, the next meet will be held March 28-30 at the Deschutes ... [full story]

Restaurant Management Program Has Won State Title Four Years In A Row, National Twice. High school culinary programs around the country be forewarned. Bend High School’s Restaurant Management Team has defended its state championship for the fourth year in a row and is ready for national competition. They beat 35 Oregon high school culinary programs on Saturday at the Oregon Culinary Competition and will travel to the National High School Culinary Competition National ProStart Student ... [full story]

31 Bend-La Pine School Bus Drivers Spend The Weekend Learning New Student Safety Tools For Their Routes Before dawn last Saturday, 31 Bend-La Pine Schools (BLS) bus drivers and transportation staff boarded a bus to Turner, Oregon, to attend a unique student transportation safety conference. The eight-hour event, called “Bullies, Behavior and Bombs…OH MY!” focused on preventing bullying, student behavior management, and bomb/explosive recognition and management techniques. Bend-La Pine Schools Transportation Manager Denise Blake said ... [full story]

Parent Information Meetings Taking Place. Applications Due By March 21. Families interested in a magnet school experience have the opportunity to apply for one of the district’s five magnet school programs next month. Application forms are available at each school and must be submitted by March 21 to be eligible for the magnet school enrollment lottery. Enrollment in a magnet program is open to any resident of the district. A lottery is conducted to give ... [full story]

The Bend-La Pine Schools Board of Directors met Tuesday to review potential candidates for the position of Superintendent of Bend-La Pine Schools. More than 30 applicants were considered for the position, and seven are being recommended for interview.The community is invited to meet the finalists for the position in early March. Forums are set for March 5, 6, and 7 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Bend-La Pine Schools Education Center in Room ... [full story]

REDMOND, Ore. -- To meet the needs of a growing student population, safety and aging facilities, the Redmond School Board of Directors approved a bond referendum totaling $110 million at its regularly scheduled meeting on February 27.  The bond referendum will be included in the May 20 election. Passage of the $110 million bond referendum would fund:      1,400-seat high school ($80 million): Build a new high school on the Elkhorn/Canal site that provides a ... [full story]

Central Oregon Community College and Oregon State University–Cascade Campus are offering College 101, a “campus preview day” for high school juniors and seniors, on March 5 and 6. While on campus, students will spend the day meeting current COCC students, taking mini-classes from COCC and OSU-Cascades faculty, touring the campus and enjoying a free lunch. To meet the growing demand for event attendance, College 101 will be offered on two days this year. Both days will have ... [full story]

TheCollegePlace-Bend has completed its first year of free college access services. In the past year, 2,397 persons have received free college and financial aid service or information through this resource. Director Richard Thompson noted that more than 300 people have successfully navigated college access processes and are enrolled or expect to enroll in the college of their choice. “I knew there was a need for free college access services for low-income persons in Central Oregon, ... [full story]