Published 7:30 pm Tuesday, October 27, 2026

An overwhelming majority of Silver Rail Elementary families want their children to return to the school, according to a survey conducted by Bend-La Pine Schools.

The school remains closed for repairs through Nov. 6 and the district said it hopes to reopen as soon as repairs are complete and safety requirements are met.

In the survey, 60.4% of families said they want their children to return to learning within two weeks while 14.1% favored returning immediately after fall break (Nov. 2) and 9.3% preferred waiting until after Thanksgiving.

As a second choice, 58.7% selected keeping their children with their current class at another district location.

Superintendent Steven Cook told The Bulletin Tuesday his staff will respond to needs of Silver Rail Elementary families but he wasn’t certain of a timeline for getting children back in a classroom setting.

Safety and mental health were a top concern among respondents.…