Silver Rail reopening raises difficult questions faced by schools nationwide

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Silver Rail Elementary School is scheduled to welcome students back Thursday, four weeks after the October 15th shooting that killed three students and a teacher.

As the school prepares to reopen, KTVZ News is examining difficult questions communities across the country have faced after school shootings: What happens to the buildings afterward? How — and when — do students and staff return?

There is no national standard. Some schools have reopened within days while changing or closing the area where the violence occurred. Other buildings have been partly demolished, replaced, or never used as schools again.

At Silver Rail, exterior doors have been replaced, and a wall separates the impacted classroom from the rest of the school. Additional staff, mental health support, and a dedicated school resource officer will also be on campus.

KTVZ’s Claire Elmer is looking into how communities have faced the unimaginable, and moved forward. Tune in to KTVZ News for the full report.