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Gov. Tina Kotek plans to ask lawmakers for $10 million to help Bend recover from the October 15 shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School. The request would go to the Legislature’s Emergency Board in December, with support intended for Bend-La Pine Schools and the city of Bend. The money has not been approved.
Kotek outlined the proposal during a November 6 news conference in Portland, the Oregon Capital Chronicle reported. Her announcement puts a dollar amount on the state assistance she had pledged in October. It comes as the school district prepares to welcome students back and families continue navigating the aftermath of the attack.
Kotek Wants Funding Before the Next Legislative Session
Speaking with reporters Friday, Kotek said she wanted financial support available before the regular legislative session begins in January. She described a need to help school districts, parents and the broader community, while the state continues organizing its recovery response. Lawmakers are scheduled to return for committee meetings in early December.
“We don’t know what they need right now, but I’m not waiting for the legislative session to figure it out,” Kotek said, in reporting by the Statesman Journal carried by Central Oregon Daily. That account did not include a detailed breakdown of the proposed $10 million. Approval by the Emergency Board would still be necessary before the requested funding could move forward.
State Support Would Help Cover Costs While Federal Aid Is Processed
The funding effort follows Kotek’s October 26 emergency declaration for Bend-La Pine Schools and the High Desert Education Service District. In its announcement of the state’s recovery response, the governor’s office identified substitute educators, building repairs and recovery coordination as immediate expenses. It said state assistance would help while the district’s application for federal Project SERV funding is processed.
Project SERV, the School Emergency Response to Violence program, operates on a reimbursement basis, according to the governor’s office. That creates a need for money to cover eligible costs before reimbursement arrives. The October announcement described emergency state funding as a way to keep recovery work moving during that gap.
The broader state response also includes education staff helping with federal grant applications and Employment Department personnel assisting district employees with Paid Leave Oregon. Oregon State Police were directed to expedite background checks for substitute educators, crisis counselors and other needed professionals. These steps were announced in October, before Kotek identified the $10 million request.
Silver Rail Families Are Preparing for a Return to School
Three students and a teacher were killed in the shooting, and others were injured. Bend-La Pine Schools has said Silver Rail students are expected to return November 12, barring unforeseen problems with restoration. That Oregon Life previously reported on the district’s return-to-school plan.
In its November 2 update to families, the district said a school resource officer would remain on campus through the end of the school year. Additional student support specialists, an extra administrator and other staff are also planned for the transition. The district said it would respect families’ individual timelines for returning.
Community fundraising is continuing alongside the government response, including a GoFundMe supporting Cassidy Schutz, the teacher who helped stop the gunman. That campaign supports her individual recovery needs. The proposed state funding concerns the wider school and community response, with the Emergency Board’s decision still ahead.
