$2.5 Million Fund: Why Bend Schools Still Lack Panic Alarms
District leaders told parents at a tense meeting that limited state funds and high retirement costs block major safety upgrades after a fatal shooting.
By Chinedu Schneider ·
Two million and five hundred thousand dollars in state funding was set aside in 2023 to help Oregon schools install panic alarm systems, yet Bend-La Pine Schools does not have one. The district told a room full of anxious parents on Thursday night that it could not keep the system after the initial funding ended. This lack of hardware became the central friction point in a two hour meeting held one week before students return to Silver Rail Elementary School.
The gathering followed the October 15 shooting at Silver Rail, where a 16 year old former student entered the building with a shotgun. He killed three children, aged 5, 8, and 11, and a 25 year old teacher in a special education classroom. A father who had spotted the teenager entering followed him inside and killed the shooter before police arrived. The meeting was livestreamed and drew parents from across the district who sought specific changes, including privacy film for windows and police officers stationed in every middle and high school.
Scott Bojanowski, the district safety director, listed the existing security assets: eight school resource officers, 13 campus monitors, secure lobbies, and locked doors. He stated plainly that every new request from parents would require additional money the district does not possess. Superintendent Steve Cook and Board Chair Amy Tatom explained that a third of the district budget goes toward teacher retirement costs. They noted that state funding has not kept pace with rising operating expenses.
Parents pushed back against the budgetary constraints. One parent of an Elk Meadow Elementary student said the budget meant nothing compared to the loss of life. Another asked when the district would treat safety as a life or death issue. The discussion also covered student services, with parents asking how the district tracks students who drop out, noting that the shooter was not currently enrolled in the system.
Angie Moreland, associate director of the National Mass Violence Center, addressed the crowd to explain the psychological impact of the event. She compared the trauma to throwing a rock into a lake, where the largest impact is at the center but ripples spread outward to the whole community. She emphasized that people not present in the building on the day of the shooting were still affected by the violence.
Bojanowski and Cook confirmed that an outside investigator is currently evaluating the district’s actions and communication during the incident. They also discussed the potential of asking voters for a bond or levy to fund future security upgrades. The district is applying for federal grants, a process that takes months, but parents wanted immediate answers.
The meeting ended without a final decision on new hardware. Tatom suggested free measures families could take immediately, such as storing guns safely and practicing kindness. She noted that the district offers free gun locks locally. She added that while these steps are not the whole solution, they are actions families can take while the district waits for funding that may take years to secure.
