Kotek Declares School District Emergency, Seeks Recovery Funding After Silver Rail Shooting

Oregon — — Gov. Tina Kotek announced additional state assistance Oct. 26 for the Bend community following the mass shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School, including an emergency declaration, help securing federal recovery grants and plans to seek state funding for school recovery costs.

The response covers the Bend–La Pine School District and the High Desert Education Service District. It includes assistance with substitute staffing, counseling personnel and employee leave, alongside measures intended to support longer-term educational recovery, according to the Governor’s Office announcement.

“No parent, no educator, and no community should have to carry this burden alone,” Kotek said.

Through Executive Order 26-28, Kotek declared a state of emergency in the two education districts. According to her office, the order directs the Oregon Department of Emergency Management to coordinate state resources to assess and address recovery needs. It also authorizes the Oregon Department of Education to provide assistance, including administrative waivers supporting immediate and long-term educational recovery.

The announcement did not specify which administrative requirements might be waived.

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Several agencies are receiving additional assignments. The Department of Education is assigning full-time staff to help coordinate federal recovery grant applications, including funding through the School Emergency Response to Violence program, known as Project SERV.

The Oregon Employment Department is deploying staff to Central Oregon to help district employees access Paid Leave Oregon. Oregon State Police will expedite background checks for substitute educators, crisis counselors and other professionals needed to support schools.

The Department of Public Safety Standards and Training will also provide 240 additional active threat training opportunities for Oregon law enforcement over the next three months.

State funding for some recovery expenses remains subject to approval. Kotek’s office said she is working with legislative leadership to identify money through the Legislature’s Emergency Board in December while the district’s federal Project SERV application is processed.

According to the announcement, Project SERV operates on a reimbursement basis, creating a need for funding to cover expenses before federal reimbursement arrives. The proposed state assistance would support substitute educators, building repairs, recovery coordination and support services.

The release did not identify a proposed dollar amount. Approval by the Emergency Board would be required before those state investments could proceed.

Bend Democratic lawmakers Sen. Anthony Broadman and Rep. Jason Kropf expressed support for the recovery response. Broadman highlighted community efforts to give children and families places to gather and process the tragedy. Kropf, a parent in the district, emphasized the need for continued cooperation between state and local officials.

The response also includes a statewide firearm-storage awareness effort. The Governor’s Office said it will direct all Oregon school districts to provide parents with information about safely storing firearms at home, citing the state’s existing secure-storage requirements under ORS 166.395.

The announcement did not identify a connection between firearm storage and the circumstances of the Silver Rail shooting.