Bend-La Pine Schools enrollment surges 300 students

Student enrollment in Bend-La Pine Schools continues to surge and is up 300 students this year, the district said Thursday.

As of Thursday, the school district has 17,163 students, an increase of about 2 percent above last year’s figure of 16,863.

During the past decade, enrollment in Bend-La Pine Schools has steadily increased, up more than 2,000 students since 2004 when it had14,560 students.

“A large increase in student enrollment is always a welcome challenge,” said Superintendent Ron Wilkinson. “We appreciate that parents and students continue to see the value of our high performing schools.”

Seventeen of the district’s 27 schools are near or above capacity. Construction is underway on two new schools, which are slated to open in September 2015 and will help better balance enrollment. The new middle and elementary schools are being built as part of the voter-approved bond passed in May of 2013.

“This continued enrollment increase shows how needed the new school space will be for the district,” said Wilkinson. “We are so grateful to the community for its support, which will help the district accommodate this growth.”

Wilkinson noted that Portland State Universitys Center for Population Research estimates that the school districts population will continue to grow during the next decade and is expected to reach 19,600 students by 2021.