Public asked to help name Bend’s new high school

Community members are invited to suggest potential names for Bend-La Pine Schools’ new high school, slated to open in fall of 2021 to students. Individuals can suggest names through an online survey, open now. The survey will close Nov. 15.

The naming committee, which includes planning Principal Chris Boyd, staff members, community members and parents, will review all suggested names and provide a short list of recommendations in to the Bend-La Pine Schools Board of Directors. The board will ultimately select the name for the new school.

This marks the beginning of an in-depth process to give the new high school an identity. Name suggestions from the public will be reviewed by the naming committee. Results will not be used as a consensus gathering or decision-making tool.

The suggested names should come from the following categories:

People: Names of distinguished individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the community and education, who have demonstrated leadership in fields of education, arts and sciences, or public service, or who reflect the history and character of the community. Names to be considered are of persons or group of persons who have been deceased at least five years.
Places: Names of recognized historical and geological landmarks or areas, geographic points of interest, or reflect national, state or local history.
Themes: Thematic names which reflect the cultural and historical character of the community, or names which reference the indigenous and characteristic flora and fauna.

The new high school, strategically sited where overcrowding issues are the greatest, at SE 15th Street and Knott Road, will meet current and anticipated future classroom shortages caused by decades of enrollment growth, officials said.

It will be a two-story school that will include approximately 60 classrooms, including several Career and Technical Education classrooms; a 600-seat auditorium; a library as a central focal point of the school; collaboration space throughout the school; a football stadium and other sports fields; and two secure main entries.

The school is on track to open in the fall of 2021 and will help alleviate overcrowding at the high schools in Bend.

KTVZ 2019