Family, parenting and pets in Bend
This page points to the public agencies that serve Bend families. It does not republish school ratings or enrollment numbers, because third-party sources disagree with each other and with the district. Go to the source that is accountable for the numbers.
Schools
Public schools in Bend belong to Bend-La Pine Schools. The district site has school boundaries, calendars and enrollment information. The Oregon Department of Education also publishes an annual report card for every school and district.
Library
The Deschutes Public Library has branches in Bend, La Pine, Redmond, Sisters and Sunriver. It lists story times, early learning programs, homework help, teen and adult programs, a MakerSpace and digital downloads. It describes a library card as free for Deschutes County residents. Branch hours and any closures for remodeling are posted on its site.
Park district programs
The Bend Park and Recreation District offers swimming and fitness classes, childcare including after-school programs and summer camps, youth and adult sports, community events and recreation scholarships. It runs facilities such as Juniper Swim and Fitness Center, Larkspur Community Center, Bend Senior Center and Bend Whitewater Park.
Dogs
The park district's published rules are these.
- Dogs must be on a leash in public areas, including city parks and trails, unless they are in a designated off-leash area. City law and district rules both require this.
- Bend has nine off-leash areas in local parks: Alpenglow, Awbrey Reservoir, Big Sky, Discovery, Hollinshead, Overturf Butte, Ponderosa, Pine Nursery and Riverbend.
- In off-leash areas dogs must be under voice control, each handler may have no more than three dogs, aggressive dogs are not allowed, and children under 12 may not be in an off-leash area unsupervised.
- Owners must pick up their dog's waste.
- Fenced small-dog areas are at Alpenglow, Riverbend, Pine Nursery and Ponderosa parks, for dogs under 15 inches at the shoulder and under 25 pounds.
Rules can change, so read the district's Dogs in Parks page before you go.