Some Bend families say a return to school could restore routine; others say they need more time to grieve and process what happened. Silver Rail’s reopening date has not been announced. The district has pledged additional security and counseling for its students and staff, while Bend police plan to be present at public and private schools this week. Police spokesperson Sheila Miller said the details of that presence were still being worked out.

Eileen Sather, a mother of two, said she was already dreading the school drop-off while taking her children to Larkspur Park over the weekend. “I believe in education, and I believe that school should be a safe space for kids, and to have that shattered, it’s gonna be a hard drop-off,” she said.

The shooting began Thursday with 911 calls about someone firing at a pickup truck near the school. Within minutes, three children, ages 5, 8 and 11, and a 25-year-old teacher were dead inside a special education classroom. A 7-year-old girl and a 54-year-old teacher were critically injured. A bystander followed the suspected gunman into the classroom, where he was struggling with another teacher, and shot him, according to the account of events provided by authorities.

Bend-La Pine School Board Chair Amy Tatom said the shock of the shooting has affected children across the district, including students who were not at Silver Rail. “They have traumatized younger siblings, and even if you weren’t in that building, we’re all going to remember the moment where we heard this was happening,” she said.

Kent McIntosh, a University of Oregon education professor who studies school violence, said schools generally should reopen as soon as possible when a safety plan is in place. Established routines can offer comfort, he said, while the school where violence occurred may need more time to be cleaned and restored. Hazardous-materials crews were working at Silver Rail over the weekend.

For some families, returning to class is welcome. Viktoriia Ivanova said her children, who attend other schools, were eager to see friends after being home since Friday. Her 5-year-old daughter told her she was sad that children who died would not be with their parents again.

Others are uneasy about the return and the increased police presence. Bend father Brian Day welcomed additional officers, saying he wanted protection at schools. Tatom cautioned that more police alone would not address the problem. The shooting, she said, unfolded in about three minutes, leaving five people dead and two critically wounded. “We’re still not talking about the root cause because it’s too political,” she said.

At Trinity Lutheran, a private school where classes resumed Monday, 10-year-old fifth-grader Poppy Day said she was unsure whether students were ready to return. Her mother and teacher, Stephanie Day, also said she needed time to grieve and process the shooting so she could support her students. She said trauma-informed training could help teachers recognize students who are struggling and keep them from “falling through the cracks.”

As Bend schools prepare to resume classes, families and educators face the challenge of rebuilding a sense of safety while making space for grief. Tatom said she has been holding on to Silver Rail’s motto: “Kindness matters.”