Education

Many people choose to raise their families in Central Oregon because of public schools that still focus on quality education. The region’s quality of life helps attract talented and innovative teachers who instill a zest for learning and personal achievement. They are committed to ensuring Central Oregon students are well-prepared for the changing demands of both secondary education and the job market. The region's largest district with over 16,000 students, Bend-La Pine Schools, is also the seventh largest district in the state. Additionally, of Oregon's 198 school districts, the Bend-La Pine District is one of just seven school districts to be awarded an Aa3 or better bond rating from Moody's.  

School District	Website/ Phone #	# School	# Students
Deschutes County Bend-La Pine School District Redmond School District Sisters School District	bend.k12.or.us; 541-383-6000 redmond.k12.or.us; 541-923-5437 sisters.k12.or.us; 541-549-8521	41 24 13 4	24,300 16,000 7,000 1,300
Jefferson County Madras/Warm Springs School District Culver School District	jcsd.k12.or.us; 541-475-6192 culver.k12.or.us; 541-546-2251	11 8 3	3,699 2,994 705
Crook County	crookcounty.k12.or.us; 541-447-5664	8	3,183
Tri County Total		60	31,182

Sources: EDCO Primary Research, regional school districts

There is popular support for the public education system in Central Oregon. Parents who elect to send their children to private school do so largely for personal reasons, not because of academic reasons.  Below are comparative statistics showing by city the percent of students in public schools versus private schools.

Public School Participation	Bend OR	Phoenix AZ	Portland OR	Medford OR	San Fran-cisco CA	Sacramento CA	San Diego CA	Seattle WA	Salt Lake City UT
% in Public Schools	89.0	92.3	84.6	86.8	70.1	93.3	90.0	74.0	85.7
% in Private Schools	11.0	7.7	15.4	13.2	29.9	6.7	10.0	26.0	14.3

Source: CNNMoney.com 

Educational Test Scores in Central Oregon

Below we show comparative reading and math scores (the percent above the state average in that area divided by the percent below the state average; higher is better).  These statistics indicate that Bend schools perform above the state average in both reading and math, and that when looking at the two ends of the performance range - above average and below average - there are more in Bend performing above average.

Performance Scores vs. State Averages	Bend OR	Phoenix AZ	Portland OR	Medford OR	San Fran-cisco CA	Sacramento CA	San Diego CA	Seattle WA	Salt Lake City UT
Reading Scores	10.1%	-4.5%	3.9%	-0.5%	1.7%	-17.5%	11.1%	-7.8%	-16.9%
Math Scores	13.7%	-1.9%	8.2%	-3.8%	6.3%	-17.2%	-0.3%	-11.9%	-17.1%

Source: CNNMoney.com 

On SAT scores, the Tri County area performs well on a weighted average basis relative to other states and to national SAT scores. 

2007 Central Oregon SAT Score Comparison
Area	Reading	Math	Writing	Total
Tri County Average	510	522	495	1525
Oregon	522	526	502	1550
Washington	526	531	510	1567
California	499	516	498	1513
National	502	515	494	1511

Sources: College Board, Oregon Department of Education

Higher Education in Central Oregon

Central Oregon Community College (COCC) provides programs and courses at its Bend and Redmond campuses, as well as other regional locations in Prineville and Madras. COCC offers transfer/lower division programs, mirroring the first two years of a university education at a fraction of the cost, plus professional technical programs to move students into local industry jobs. On its Redmond campus directly across from the airport, COCC hosts the Manufacturing and Applied Technology Center (MATC), where students learn how to weld, use robotics, or machine metals and other hands-on technical skills. The Business and Employee Development department delivers industry-specific courses and workshops tailored to business and industry’s changing needs. The Small Business Development Center provides active support for the region’s many small businesses and early stage companies. COCC also offers a wide range of continuing education for personal and professional development. Phone: 541-383-7700. 

OSU Cascades Campus is a branch of Oregon State University located at 2600 NW College Way. The Campus offers upper division courses in nine majors and Master’s degrees in Counseling and Teaching. Majors are offered through the University of Oregon and Oregon State University. Students receive excellent advising, work with one another and faculty in small classes and earn first-hand community experience in most majors. Discussions are underway to add an option in Hospitality Management to the Business program and to start programs in Engineering and Sustainable Energy. Phone: 541-322-3100.