Two new schools will open in Bend next week to house a recent influx of students: Pacific Crest Middle School in Northwest Bend and Silver Rail Elementary in Southeast Bend.
As the city continues to grow, so too grows the number of school children in the Bend-La Pine School District. Enrollment has increased by 200-300 students annually for the past several years.
Virginia Sanchez brought her three kids to the new school dedication Thursday at Silver Rail Elementary. Her fourth grader starts here next week. Sanchez said she prefers this school to the former one.
"The other school was crowded," said Sanchez. "A lot of kids, they need to share the gym with the cafeteria."
Her daughter Ivonne Hernandez agreed.
"This school was better because it's much more bigger and there's much more space," she said.
The construction of both new schools was funded by a $96 million dollar school bond passed in 2013.
Bend-La Pine is now the fifth largest district in the state, according to district officials.