Silver Rail Shooting: Bend-La Pine Officials Discuss Reunification Decisions

Bend-La Pine Schools officials faced questions about their response to the Silver Rail Elementary shooting during a Nov. 10 school board meeting, including why some parents waited hours to learn whether their children were safe.

Safety Director Scott Bojanowski and Assistant Safety Director Kayla Martin presented a timeline of the Oct. 15 attack and explained decisions made during evacuation, family reunification, and victim notifications. They also described gaps in the reunification guidance they relied on, while parents called for clearer communication and additional support for students.

Three students and a teacher were killed in the shooting at the Bend, Oregon, school. Another student and an educational assistant were seriously injured.

Why Bend-La Pine Officials Delayed Reassuring Families

Students were transported to Journey Church for reunification following the shooting. Some parents arrived before officials had determined which families needed to receive notifications about victims.

Bojanowski said identifying victims required a deliberate process, even as other families waited to learn whether their children were safe, according to The Source.

“I know that weighs heavy on everybody else that had to wait to know if their children were OK. But it was very important to those of us leading that incident that we got that right,” Bojanowski said.

Martin said officials were concerned that a general announcement reassuring waiting parents could reach a victim’s family or friends and give them incorrect information.

“We knew we could not make the mistake of letting someone think that their child was safe and then go back on that,” Martin said.

Martin said some victims’ parents were already at the reunification center before officials had identified their children. She said officials chose to notify those parents there rather than ask them to leave and receive the news elsewhere.

“We were trying to control the worst moment of someone’s life in the best and most respectful way we could,” Martin said.

Other parents remained uncertain about their children’s status for hours. According to the district timeline reported by OPB, victims’ families had been notified by 3:11 p.m., while reunification was not completed until 5:31 p.m.

Tracking Silver Rail Families and Communicating Student Status

The reunification process also involved tracking relatives who arrived separately seeking the same student. According to Barney’s Bend Bugle, Martin said each arriving person received a tracking card, creating duplicate requests. In some cases, four to six relatives were seeking one child.

Bojanowski said he considered reassuring parents waiting in the auditorium that the students who were there would be going home with them. He ultimately decided against making that announcement and told the board he regretted the decision after learning how long some families had remained uncertain.

He also said reunification proceeded faster than district drills had projected, although families continued to raise concerns about the time they spent waiting for information.

Officials Question Guidance on Death Notifications

Martin and board member Jenn Lynch said the reunification guidance district staff had used did not provide enough direction for the notification decisions they faced.

According to The Source, Lynch questioned how the guidance addressed death notifications when family members might be separated.

“Based on my reading of that plan, we followed the protocol to the letter,” Lynch said. “And also, the protocol is missing.”

Martin said she reread the guide after the shooting to look for instructions on notifying families of injured or deceased students and was frustrated by the lack of specific direction.

Parents Seek Changes to Emergency Planning, Student Support

Parents addressing the board called for changes extending beyond reunification. Silver Rail parent Trey Heiss presented a petition seeking dedicated school resource officers, a review of emergency response plans, and districtwide building security assessments. Other speakers emphasized relationships, social-emotional learning, and support for vulnerable students.

Parent Kim Drew urged the district to examine whether emergency procedures adequately accommodate students with disabilities.

“I’m concerned our current emergency plan asks some children to do things that their disabilities make impossible,” Drew said.

Parents also questioned how the district would address missed instruction. OPB reported that Silver Rail parent Kim Riley asked for a more substantive plan to support students who had been out of school for nearly a month.

“A plan needs to be implemented to provide resources to the students, to ensure they receive the same level of educational instruction as every student in the district,” Riley said.

Recovery Planning Beyond Reopening

Silver Rail students returned Nov. 12 on an early dismissal schedule, with additional staff, mental health support, and a dedicated school resource officer.

Superintendent Steven Cook has said the district’s responsibility to affected students will continue throughout their remaining school years, including kindergartners who may need support for more than a decade, KTVZ reported.

“We are going to be there for them in that journey and help them and those families until the day they are finished in their school career with us,” Cook said.

Funding Recovery and Communicating Next Steps

The district is also examining how to fund its response. According to OPB, Cook said officials were considering four grants, including the federal Project SERV program, which supports recovery following violent or traumatic events that disrupt learning.

Bojanowski said some desired security improvements would require funding through a bond or levy.

Parents asked district leaders to explain how those possibilities would translate into action. Marie Dos Santos, whose child attends nearby Jewell Elementary, called for a districtwide safety improvement plan that identifies what can happen immediately, what requires additional funding, and how families will see progress.

“I’m not asking for promises that every tragedy can be prevented, I’m asking for visible, measurable action,” Dos Santos said.