Welcome to Bend-La Pine Schools!

Dr. Steve Cook

Note from Our Superintendent

Welcome to the 2022-23 school year in Bend-La Pine Schools! I am truly honored and humbled to serve as Superintendent for our community of 33 schools, more than 17,500 students and 2,100 staff members.

When I look at the past year we spent together, we have much to be proud of. We celebrated the opening of Caldera High School, the first new high school built by our community in 20 years. Our students continued to outscore peers on the SATs and our graduation rates remain among our highest on record. Our teachers continue to be recognized as the best in the profession, earning top national honors in math and social studies, to name just two.

Learning is at the center of everything we do, whether that’s helping a kindergartner understand the sounds that letters make or coaching a senior who is mastering the skills to become a professionally certified welder.

While academic learning is key, we know that just as important is developing our students’ character and supporting them to become kind, thoughtful humans who engage with the world around them. Our staff members are committed to holding students to high expectations, while also caring deeply about them as individuals.

Highlighted inside this year's annual Family Calendar & Handbook are students whose stories showcase the tremendous power within our school communities where students can grow and thrive.

We asked students to fill in the sentence: My school is where I ….

For eighth-grader Isaiah, school is where he has learned to be a leader, both on and off of the athletic field. For second-graders Grace and Amabel, school is a place where they made friends to laugh, play and learn alongside. For ninth grade twins Austin and Brock, school is where they got a chance to build, create and design. In their own words, our students tell us that school is where they explore their passions, perform, learn, grow, belong and so much more.

Seeing these students and hearing their responses is a wonderful reminder of the power of public education and the role our schools play in creating and nurturing environments that inspire and support students to achieve their dreams.

Thank you for your support as we head into this new year with a sense of optimism, excitement and renewed sense of purpose.

In partnership,
Dr. Steve Cook
Bend-La Pine Schools, Superintendent


About Bend-
La Pine Schools

Our Size

  • 5th largest school district in Oregon
  • 33 schools, plus two charter schools
  • 18,375 students
  • 2,005 staff members (Second Largest Employer in Central Oregon)
  • 1,600 square miles make up the Bend-La Pine Schools attendance area

Academic Success

  • More than 1,200 Students Graduated From Our High Schools in 2021
  • $8 Million in Scholarships Was Earned By the Class of 2019
  • Average SAT score is 57 Points Higher Than the State Average
  • 1,100 New Kindergarteners Started School This Fall
  • 34 Languages are Spoken by Bend-La Pine Schools Students
  • 20 Class of 2019 Members Earned Seal of Biliteracy on Their Diplomas

Our Staff

  • 82 percent of our teachers hold a masters degree or higher
  • $53,182 is the average new-hire teacher salary
  • 5 years is the average experience of our new teachers
  • $64,166 is the average teacher salary
  • 13 years is the average experience for our teachers
  • Home to: Oregon's Elementary Principal of the Year; Oregon's High School Principal of the Year; Oregon's Teacher of the Year; Oregon's Art Teacher of the Year; Oregon's School Nurse of the Year; Oregon's Journalism Teacher of the Year; Oregon's Culinary Teacher of the Year; Oregon's Athletic Director of the Year; a Presidential Award Winner for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching and many other state and national award winners.

Additional Information

  • More than 5,000 students are transported to school each day by our bus drivers.
  • More than 15,000 meals are served to students each day by the Nutrition Services team.
  • 2.21 million square feet of school building space is managed by our maintenance team.
  • For the 38th consecutive year, the district received the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association and for the 37th year, the Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Association of School Business Officials.
  • 43 Percent of Students are Enrolled in the Free and Reduced Lunch Program.
  • Community members spent more than 56,000 hours hosting events in our schools.