Bend Senior High School auditorium found to be ‘unsafe to occupy,’ emergency demolition planned

Fractures in roof trusses found; renovation was planned in later phase of school's major upgrade

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Bend Senior High School auditorium will be demolished as soon as possible, Bend-La Pine Schools announced Monday. Officials said the decision follows a determination that the 69-year-old structure is substantially compromised and unsafe to occupy.

Preparation for emergency demolition is beginning immediately, with the goal of having the site cleared before students return to campus in September, according to the announcement, which continues in full below:

“We recognize this is an abrupt turn of events and a cause of concern for our staff, students and families,” Superintendent Steve Cook said. “The Lava Bear auditorium has served as an essential and beloved venue for our community. As part of the ongoing modernization of Bend Senior High, we had planned to renovate this space for future generations to use and enjoy. Unfortunately, it's no longer safe to maintain the auditorium, and it needs to come down as soon as possible.”

Recent inspections by structural engineers revealed fractures in trusses supporting the auditorium roof, said Paul Dean, Chief Operations Officer for the school district. “Making repairs to the facility is not a viable option due to safety concerns, so we are proceeding with a controlled demolition of the auditorium,” Dean said.

Demolition may begin this week. Any materials containing asbestos will be handled and disposed of according to Oregon Department of Environmental Quality requirements.

As part of the ongoing Bend High modernization project, structural engineers inspected the auditorium trusses in April of 2023 and observed no irregularities. Earlier this month, while responding to a fire suppression system leak in the auditorium, district personnel determined that the west wall of the auditorium had moved outward and cracked in places.

A preliminary evaluation of the structural integrity of the auditorium prompted the district to close off that part of the building until further notice. At this time, the district has not determined the cause of the truss fractures.

Built in 1955, the auditorium was scheduled to be renovated in a later phase of the four-year modernization and expansion of Bend High. Phase 1 recently began on the south side of campus, with a groundbreaking ceremony last month. The auditorium is not adjacent to the area where crews are preparing for construction of a new classroom wing starting this fall.

Planning for a new auditorium will begin immediately. District and school leaders will develop a plan to relocate auditorium functions to other spaces until the new auditorium is completed.