Gov. Tina Kotek announced an emergency declaration for Bend-La Pine Schools and High Desert Education Service District on Monday, Oct. 26, as state agencies outlined assistance following the deadly shooting at Silver Rail Elementary. The declaration will give the districts flexibility to set aside state requirements, including minimum instructional time, as they recover.
Three students and a teacher were killed at the Bend school on Oct. 15 when a 16-year-old entered with a shotgun reportedly purchased by his mother. Speaking at the Capitol alongside local lawmakers and agency leaders, Kotek described a coordinated response across the executive branch. “We are treating this like the disaster it is,” she said.
State support includes helping workers obtain paid leave, accelerating background checks for substitute teachers and mental health professionals, and seeking money to cover recovery costs. Leaders from the Oregon Department of Education, Oregon Health Authority, Oregon Department of Emergency Management and Oregon Employment Department described their agencies’ work to assist the Bend community.
Employment Department Director Andrew Stolfi said workers from his agency are available in Bend to help residents apply for paid family leave. The program provides eligible Oregon workers with up to 12 weeks of paid time off to address a health condition or care for a family member. A dedicated email address and telephone number have also been established to speed applications from Bend. Stolfi emphasized that eligibility extends beyond school employees to other qualifying workers who need leave because of the attack.
Education Department Director Charlene Williams said her agency has worked closely with area schools, including expediting background checks for mental health professionals supporting survivors. The department is also assisting the district with an application to a federal program that reimburses schools for expenses related to violent acts. Kotek said she would seek emergency funding from state lawmakers when they meet in December while the federal application proceeds. She did not specify an amount.
Kotek also directed the Education Department to require schools to inform parents about Oregon’s firearm storage law. The law requires owners to lock away guns when they are not in use to prevent minors from accessing them. Investigators have not said whether they believe the attacker’s mother violated that requirement, and Kotek said she had no additional information to offer.
Although the governor announced no proposed changes to gun laws, she indicated that she expected proposals when the Legislature meets next year. She said Oregon must examine what happened and consider whether its laws and their implementation need strengthening. State Sen. Anthony Broadman, a Bend Democrat whose district includes Silver Rail, similarly said lawmakers have a responsibility to assess whether state laws serve their constituents.
Broadman and fellow Bend Democrat Rep. Jason Kropf became emotional while discussing the community’s grief. Kropf recalled a pastor’s remarks at a memorial for Megan Lambert, the 25-year-old teacher killed in the shooting, about grief reflecting love for those who died. “Our town and our region is grieving, but there’s also been incredible displays of love and caring,” he said.
