Brothers community school could reopen
After sitting closed for a decade, the Brothers School in the rural community 40 miles east of Bend could reopen as soon as this fall.
The Crook County School Board will hold a special meeting at the Brothers school Thursday to discuss the possibility and seek input from area parents and community members.
The school, which operated as its own district for decades before shutting down in 2005, is now the property of the Crook County School District, as it is the closest district to the rural area of eastern Deschutes County.
The Brothers area is home to about 35 families, mostly ranchers who actually live several miles outside of the small town, comprised of a post office/store and an ODOT yard.
Students living in the area are either home-schooled or make the trek to bigger cities. Bend is about 40 miles away — Prineville is about 50 miles from Brothers.
Brothers Stage Stop owner Jerrie Hanna put NewsChannel 21 in contact with several parents, but ranching commitments far from any roads prevented on-camera interviews Tuesday.
But Hanna said reopening the school would benefit the entire community and especially the children.
“They’re just a good bunch of ranch kids,” Hanna said. “Some come from Hampton, which is 20 miles from here, and then they meet the little school van that picks them up. That’s probably another hour or hour and 10 minutes to get to Prineville. These kids are pretty small kids, and it’s a long ride for them — and that’s just one-way.”
Several parents said it takes them an hour and a half or more to get their kids to school. They said reopening the school will improve their students’ learning and make life in Brothers easier.
Mother Clancy Roth said she drops her kids off at Bend schools and then waits in the city until class is out, because driving back and forth is too far and expensive.
Another father said his daughter has missed too much school because the family can’t make the drive in bad weather, and making the trip for half-day school days isn’t worth the drive.
Other parents said they wouldn’t send their children to the Brothers School unless they approve of the teachers and curriculum.
Hanna said no matter how small the class sizes, she thinks it would be the smartest move.
“It would be great — the best thing they ever did in this community,” Hanna said. “You get more individual help from the teachers when you have small classes, and there’s probably a little bit more, better discipline.”
The school board meeting is Thursday at 5 p.m. at the Brothers School. It is open to the public.
School officials said they do not yet know how many children might attend the school.
