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Parents and teachers urge board to raise per‑pupil funding for Bend International School
Summary
Multiple parents, teachers and the Bend International School community told the Bend‑LaPine School Board that the charter elementary receives 80% of district per‑pupil funding and urged the board to increase that to 95% to match middle‑school funding, citing staffing, pay and program impacts.
Members of the Bend‑LaPine School District heard a string of public comments on March 11 urging the board to increase per‑pupil funding for Bend International School (BIS). Speakers said BIS elementary grades currently receive 80% of the district per‑pupil allocation, while the district has set middle‑school funding for BIS at 95%.
The comments came during the board’s public‑comment period. Josh Colvin, a founding teacher at Bend International, said BIS “receive[s] only 80% of the per pupil funding that other public school students in our district receive.” He called the 80% level a constraint on classroom programming and teacher pay and asked the board to move BIS to 95% funding for all grades.
Parents amplified the point. Gentry Richardson said BIS must “cover all major services entirely on its own” and urged the board to “meet BIS at 95% funding” so students “have the resources that they need.” Jenny Hopper, a parent and long‑time BIS volunteer, told the board teachers there have taken pay cuts and that higher per‑pupil funding would reduce the heavy reliance on parent fundraising. Vanna Miller, PTO president, said BIS makes up “3.5% of the district” enrollment yet does not receive equivalent funding and asked the board to extend the elementary funding uplift the district previously applied at the middle‑school level.
Board Chair Marcus LeGrand asked whether BIS leaders had raised the issue with district staff; Colvin said school leaders had conversations and that state‑level changes were underway but requested board action “before the law changes or if the law does not change.”
The speakers framed the request around equity: they said BIS students are district students who should have comparable access to staff, counselors and classroom resources. Speakers also described operational burdens: increased parent volunteer time for fundraising and classroom supports and teacher retention challenges tied to pay differentials. Colvin told the board BIS staff earn roughly 10% less than comparable district positions, a figure he said contributed to staffing strain.
Board members did not take action on the funding requests during the meeting. The testimony was recorded for staff follow‑up, and the board indicated staff would relay the comments to the appropriate administrators.
The comments are part of a broader district budget conversation as the district begins its annual budget process and continues to reconcile funding allocations for charter and district schools.
