Governor Kotek Outlines Next Steps of State Response to Silver Rail Elementary Tragedy

Salem, OR - Today, Governor Tina Kotek outlined a series of actions to ensure the Bend-La Pine School District and the High Desert Education Service District have the resources, flexibility, and sustained support needed in the wake of the mass shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend.

"My heart remains broken for the students, families, school staff, and entire Bend community," Governor Kotek said. "Oregon will continue to stand with Bend, to make sure the community has what it needs, both in the immediate future and for the long road of recovery ahead. No parent, no educator, and no community should have to carry this burden alone."

"No community should have to face a tragedy like this-every mom and dad in our community is demanding action and welcoming support," said Senator Anthony Broadman (D - Bend). "But our community is defined by its strong, compassionate response in the days and weeks following-creating spaces for families and kids to process, color, see their friends-and simultaneously-thorough, rapid work to get to the bottom of what happened and provide tangible resources quickly to everyone who needs them."

"There's no true way to process this type of loss. When I heard about the shooting, my stomach dropped and my heart broke at the same time," said Rep. Jason Kropf (D - Bend). "As a parent in the district and fellow community member to families impacted, we are all still reeling. But I am proud to have seen Bend step up as we navigate our way forward. It will take time, but I know that through state-local partnership, we will get through this-we are a small town but part of a larger Oregon community."

State Agency Assistance

In addition to the coordinated work already underway between state agencies and local partners, the Governor has directed additional mobilization of resources and personnel:

• Oregon Department of Education (ODE): Assigning full time staff to support the district in coordinating federal recovery grant applications, including School Emergency Response to Violence (Project SERV) funds.
• Oregon Employment Department (OED): Deploying staff to Central Oregon to help district staff access Paid Leave Oregon, ensuring those who need time away receive immediate support.
• Oregon State Police (OSP): Expediting background checks for substitute educators, crisis counselors, and other needed professionals to ensure timely placement of school staff and behavioral health professionals.
• Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST): Providing 240 additional active threat training opportunities for Oregon law enforcement over the next three months.

Executive Order to Provide Sustained Support

Governor Kotek has issued Executive Order 26-28, declaring a state of emergency in the Bend-La Pine School District and the High Desert Education Service District. The order directs:

• Coordinated deployment of state resources necessary to assess, mitigate, and support recovery needs through the Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM).
• Authorization to ODE to provide necessary assistance, including administrative waivers to support both immediate and long term educational recovery needs.

The full text of the EO is available here.

Immediate State Funding

Governor Kotek is working closely with legislative leadership to identify funding through the Emergency Board in December to support the Bend community, most immediately the Bend-La Pine School District while its federal Project SERV application is being processed. Because Project SERV operates on a reimbursement basis, the community needs immediate support to:

• Deploy substitute educators.
• Cover building repair costs.
• Maintain recovery coordination and support services.

If approved by the Emergency Board in December, these state investments will ensure recovery efforts are not delayed.

Public Awareness of Safe Storage Law

The Governor's Office will be directing all school districts statewide to provide information to parents about safely storing firearms in the home. Oregon law requires firearm owners to keep unattended or uncontrolled firearms securely locked or stored away under ORS 166.395.