School Improvement Bonds

Students and staff carrying a new flagpole to Bend Senior High School's Heroes Plaza for installation.

We're building for the future in Bend-La Pine Schools with our community's investment in upgrading, expanding and renovating our schools. Voter-approved bonds allow us to pursue safety enhancements, technology updates, energy efficiency, classroom and athletic facility improvements, and other projects across all schools in Bend, Sunriver and La Pine.

What are Public School Bonds?

A school bond is a financial tool to gather funds for building new schools or upgrading existing schools and other District facilities. Bonds are a long-term investment, typically spanning 12 to 20 years. They are sold to investors and repaid with interest over time using property tax collections.

Oregon school districts must seek voter approval authorizing them to issue general obligation bonds. Authorization requires a simple majority vote in any May or November election. The funds acquired through bond sales are earmarked for designated projects, ensuring essential improvements across our schools.

Bend Senior High School Modernization (2024-2028)

First two years of construction

Project Overview

Most of the Bend High campus is being rebuilt in this four-year project. A three-story classroom building that contains most of the new learning spaces on campus as well as the school commons and offices will open in September 2026. In the 2026-2028 phase of construction, new gyms, a school library and an auditorium will be built, connecting to the new classroom building.

This project followed a design phase that included input from students, families, school staff and community members.

Project Team

Chris Reese, Principal, Bend Senior High School
Mike Condon, Facilities Construction Project Manager, Bend-La Pine Schools
Renée Alexander, Principal, BBT Architects
Bob Barker, Project Manager, Kirby Nagelhout Construction Co.

Phase 1

Timeline: June 2024-August 2026

Demolition of I Hall, D Hall and most of C Hall, and removal of baseball field (summer 2024). Starting in September 2024, construction of a three-story classroom building (B Wing), front entrance, main office and counseling center, commons, outdoor courtyard, school-based health center.

Project highlights:

New construction totaling 155,000 square feet
Classroom building will house 90 percent of classrooms on campus
Commons design will pay tribute to the BSHS history and its alumni

Image of overall building site and phasing
Image of Phase 1 - 3D overall view

Phase 2

About our 2022 School Improvement Bond

In November 2022, voters in the Bend-La Pine district approved $249.7 million in general obligation bonds to improve safety and modernize aging schools and classrooms. Projects funded from this bond have touched nearly every building in the district. They include:

School safety updates, including new interior classroom door locks and handles, updated fire alarm systems
Replacing aging roofs at La Pine Middle School, Sky View Middle School
A major modernization of Bend Senior High School, including new classrooms, offices, commons, gyms
Expansions at Buckingham Elementary School, Sky View Middle School
Money-saving energy improvements to boilers, HVAC and lighting systems

Nearly half of the district’s buildings were built prior to 1980. Some were built more than 90 years ago, with the oldest built in 1918. Though these buildings have been well maintained, many are in need of major repair and maintenance to extend their life and usefulness.

No Increase to Current Tax Rate

The 2022 bond was structured so that taxpayers would not have a property tax rate increase.

In the news

Links to recent news coverage of the bond project underway at Bend Senior High School:

The Bulletin
January 21, 2026

Central Oregon Daily News
September 20, 2024

Images of the future Bend Senior High School

A spacious indoor area with rows of tables and chairs, surrounded by large windows and architectural features, suggesting a modern cafeteria or dining hall setting.

A modern multi-story building complex with a parking lot in the foreground, surrounded by a clear blue sky with wispy clouds.

Buckingham Elementary Kitchen & Cafeteria (2025-26)

Project Overview

In 2026 work will be completed on the long-anticipated construction of a multi-purpose room/cafeteria and new kitchen at Buckingham Elementary School. Students have used the school gymnasium for meal service.

In this project Buckingham, which also will house Realms Middle School starting in the 2026-27 school year, is gaining a larger kitchen and a spacious, bright cafeteria. This addition will also be available for other school activities and community events.

Part of the extends the Buckingham playground outward and adds new play equipment. In the end the school will have a larger, better outdoor play space for recess time.

Construction Timeline

Construction began in summer 2025, extended through the 2025-26 school year, and is scheduled to be completed in summer 2026. The new addition will open for the 2026-27 school year.

Project Team

Michelle Wilson, Principal, Buckingham Elementary School
Daniel Bogaert, Facilities Construction Project Manager, Bend-La Pine Schools
Shawn Helligso, Griffin Construction LLC

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Sky View Middle School Gym Addition (2026)

Project Overview

Sky View Middle School will gain a second gymnasium as well as a new roof. The second gym includes reconfiguration of existing locker rooms to provide access to the new gym and improve visibility.

Construction Timeline

The gym addition is scheduled to start in June 2026 and be completed in August 2027. It will open prior to the 2027-28 school year.

The first half of roof replacement was completed in the summer of 2025. The second half of the roof replacement is scheduled for the summer of 2026.

Project Team

Julie Stroinski, Principal, Sky View Middle School
Daniel Bogaert, Facilities Construction Project Manager, Bend-La Pine Schools

La Pine Transportation

Facility remodel and addition

Completed Projects

Classroom Door Locks

New door locks were installed for learning spaces district-wide, improving school safety with up-to-date, easy-to-use classroom door locks for an estimated 3,200 doorways.

Elementary: Amity Creek Magnet at Thompson, Bear Creek Elementary School, Buckingham Elementary School, Elk Meadow Elementary School, Ensworth Elementary School, High Lakes Elementary School, Highland Magnet at Kenwood, Juniper Elementary School, La Pine Elementary School, Lava Ridge Elementary School, Pine Ridge Elementary School, Ponderosa Elementary School, R.E. Jewell Elementary School, Rosland Elementary School, Silver Rail Elementary School, Three Rivers Elementary/Middle School, W.E. Miller Elementary School, Westside Village Magnet at Kingston.

Middle: Cascade Middle School, High Desert Middle School, La Pine Middle School, Pacific Crest Middle School, Pilot Butte Middle School, Sky View Middle School.

High: Bend Senior High, Bend Tech Academy, La Pine High School, Mountain View High School, Summit High School.

Other schools: Bend Senior High School will get the new door locks as part of the 4-year school modernization project. North Star Elementary and Caldera High School were built using these new locks.

Details: We have thousands of classroom doors in more than 30 buildings. Our new door locks are fast and easy to use: Just turn the switch from inside the classroom. No need to find a key or open the door. And once locked, it’s easy to see it’s locked from across the room. Also, if someone exits the room, the door remains locked when closed again.

Fire Alarm Systems

New fire alarm systems were installed in 18 schools and the Education Center in 2024 and 2025.

Three Rivers Elementary/Middle School, Buckingham Elementary School, Ponderosa Elementary School, Westside Village Magnet at Kingston, Ensworth Elementary School, W.E. Miller Elementary School, La Pine High School, La Pine Middle School, La Pine Elementary School, Bear Creek Elementary School, High Desert Middle School, Mountain View High School, Education Center

High Lakes Elementary School, Lava Ridge Elementary School, Pine Ridge Elementary School, Sky View Middle School, Summit High School.

La Pine Middle School

Bear Creek Elementary School

Education Center

Paving and Concrete Work

Accessibility Updates

Air Circulation Fans in Gyms, Cafeterias

New pavement on playground at Highland Elementary

A baseball field surrounded by a red running track, with a wooded area and buildings visible in the background.

A large, multi-story building complex surrounded by lush green fields and a forested landscape in the background.

Learn more

Bond Management Plan

Sites and Facilities

The Sites and Facilities Committee is a volunteer committee made up of 20 community members and Bend-La Pine Schools staff members. The district's 20-year Sites and Facilities plan has recently been completed. The process involved members of the community and district staff evaluating hundreds of projects across the district as well as capacity needs based on projected enrollment growth. Members visited district facilities to evaluate the need for improvements and upgrades. The process to refresh the data takes place approximately every five years.

Project List

Procurement and Bid Opportunities

Visit our contracting page to find procurement and bid opportunities for smaller projects in the district. This includes bid opportunities for fire alarm upgrades, Buckingham Elementary School project, and Sky View Middle School reroof project.

The Facilities Development Department also is seeking architectural services for the Sky View Middle School Gym Addition and the La Pine Transportation Remodel and Addition through a Request for Proposals. The programming, design and permit will be in progress during 2025 and the construction will start in 2026. Click here for the advertisement for the Sky View Gym Addition Architectural Services.

2022 Construction Bond Overview:

$249.7 million in general obligation bonds to improve safety and modernize aging schools and classrooms in Bend-La Pine Schools.

Why?

Nearly half of the district’s buildings were built prior to 1980. Some were built more than 90 years ago – the oldest was built in 1918. Though these buildings have been well maintained, many are in need of major repair and maintenance to extend their life and usefulness. In addition to maintenance and modernization, many any of these buildings will benefit from safety and security improvements to help keep students and staff safe.

What?

Safety and security improvements district-wide such as upgrading interior classroom door handles and door locks;

Delivery of safety improvements at Juniper Elementary School that include moving the main offices to a location that improves visibility and visitor management;

Replacement of Bend Senior High School’s inefficient 70-year-old classrooms on the current school property to improve safety, security, and instruction;

Delivery of about a dozen maintenance and safety projects at La Pine area schools;

Protection of the community’s investment in school buildings by making repairs and improvements district-wide including the replacement of aging roofs;

Classroom additions and modernization projects; and

Money saving energy improvements to boilers, HVAC and lighting systems.

Economic Engine

The bond measure sustains jobs in our community each year; and Bend-La Pine Schools hires local contractors to do the construction work to the greatest degree possible in order to sustain employment opportunities for Central Oregonians.

No Increase to Current Tax Rate

With approval of this bond and continued retirement of existing bonds, we anticipate the District’s overall general obligation bond tax rate will not increase. New residents moving into the community will assist in the repayment of the bonds.