Kotek Seeks $10M for Bend School Shooting Recovery
Oregon's governor will ask state lawmakers for emergency funds following the October shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Primary Education
Governor Tina Kotek will request $10 million in emergency funds to support Bend after a shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School on October 15, 2026. She declared a state of emergency on October 26 to direct state agency assistance to the Bend-La Pine School District and the High Desert Education Service District.
Why it matters
The request is intended to help school districts, parents, and the broader community recover from the shooting. Kotek said she will ask the legislature's emergency board to approve the funding.
The $10 million request will go to the state emergency board, which is scheduled to meet in committee the first week of December. The shooting occurred about two weeks before the November 3 election, in which Kotek won a second term.
The players
Tina Kotek
Governor of Oregon who declared the state of emergency and announced the $10 million funding request, and who won re-election in November 2026.
Bend-La Pine School District
The school district that oversees Silver Rail Elementary School and receives state agency assistance following the shooting.
The details
Kotek told reporters on November 6 that she would ask the emergency board to approve the funding. The state is working to set up infrastructure to lead the recovery effort, and all Oregon school districts were directed to send a firearm safety guide to parents by November 6.
Timeline
October 15, 2026: Shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend.
October 26, 2026: Governor declares a state of emergency for Bend.
November 3, 2026: Election; Kotek wins a second term.
November 6, 2026: Kotek announces the $10 million emergency funding request.
First week of December 2026: Legislative emergency board committee meetings.
Season Trajectory
The governor's emergency declaration applies Oregon's existing state-of-emergency authority to direct agency support to the Bend-La Pine School District and the High Desert Education Service District. The request extends that recovery response into the upcoming six-month legislative session that begins in January.
Families of students at Silver Rail Elementary and other Bend-area schools may see state support directed toward recovery services if the funding is approved. All Oregon school districts have been directed to send a firearm safety guide to parents, so families should expect that communication.
The takeaway
The request signals that state-level emergency tools are being used to support local school communities after violence, and its approval will depend on the emergency board's action in December. Parents in Oregon should watch for the firearm safety guide their school district is required to send.
What happens next
Lawmakers will meet in committee the first week of December to consider the emergency funding request, and the six-month legislative session begins in January.
Further reading
Explore more on Primary Education for context on school safety and student wellbeing in Bend.
