Parents, students press district on device use and restroom access; committee presents three finalists for new choice high school name

Several students and community members addressed the Bend‑LaPine board Feb. 10 with requests on volunteer access, restroom design, educational technology and student records, and administrators presented three finalist names for the new choice high school.

Student Bella Madden asked the board to permit freshmen to volunteer as Camp Tamarack counselors, describing the program as a leadership opportunity that helps students build communication and time‑management skills.

Jude Welton, a senior at Bend High, urged the district to provide multi‑stall all‑gender restrooms rather than relying mainly on single‑stall family restrooms, saying separate facilities can unintentionally single out transgender and nonbinary students. ‘‘All students should have a private gender neutral bathroom available to students in the same normal way that homes have bathrooms for guests to use,’’ Welton said.

Natalie Houston, a mental‑health therapist and parent, presented a letter signed by more than 1,100 parents (representing about 1,500 students) asking the board to reevaluate the district’s increasing reliance on educational technology, citing research about screen‑based learning and concerns about students viewing inappropriate content on school‑issued devices and an AI rollout the signers say was premature. Dr. Kate Bridal, a pediatrician and parent, urged limits and suggested shared classroom devices for younger students and nondigital homework options.

Kathleen Simons Heap, a court‑appointed guardian for three minors, said a child’s legal school record was changed without her knowledge; she referenced Oregon requirements for legal name changes and asked the district to correct records and clarify policy. The board invited written documentation and referred follow‑up to staff.

District staff then presented the naming committee’s process and three finalist names for the new Choice High School. Administrators described a multi‑step process that narrowed roughly 74 initial suggestions to three finalists using community surveys and selection criteria focused on inclusion, timelessness and signaling that the site is a high school. The three finalists are Central Bend High School, Deschutes High School and Deschutes River High School. Directors discussed whether the finalists sufficiently reflect the school’s distinctive programming and said a final vote is expected in March.

What happens next: The board expects a vote on the new high‑school name at a future meeting; district staff will follow up on guardianship records and public‑comment items per board practice.

Representative quotes: ‘‘I encourage you to allow freshmen to participate as counselors in this program,’’ Bella Madden said. ‘‘The idea of separate but equal helps to explain why relying mainly on single family bathrooms can be harmful,’’ Jude Welton said.