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redmondspokesman.com
A special good morning to subscriber Darren Dutcher
@RedmondSpox
District forecasts small decline in enrollment
BY BRYCE DOLE
For The Spokesman
Central Oregon school dis-
tricts, including Redmond, are
projecting minimal changes in
enrollment for the 2022-23 ac-
ademic year and are building
conservative budgets around
the forecasts.
At least three districts are
projecting slight growth in
enrollment for the upcoming
school year, despite enroll-
ment dropping in some parts
of Oregon during the pan-
demic. In its proposed budget
document for the upcom-
ing fiscal year, the Redmond
School District is forecasting
its third consecutive year of
declining overall enrollment,
but only by a handful of stu-
dents. Middle school and high
school enrollment is projected
to decline, but the district is
projecting an increase in ele-
mentary enrollment overall.
But in Crook County Chief
Financial Office Annie Logan
said her district is forecasting
the second consecutive year of
growth. Logan said that’s no
surprise.
“If you look at Prineville,
we’re a community that’s
growing,” Logan said.
Last year, the district grew
by roughly 5%, Logan said.
This year, the district proj-
ects enrollment will increase
by 2%, which is 94 students, a
“slight increase” that is likely
driven by population growth,
Logan said. Logan is still
building this year’s budget
proposal, she said.
The Sisters School District is
also projecting “small growth”
in enrollment, up from 1,100
to 1,120 students, Superin-
tendent Curt Scholl said.
Last year, the district forecast
1,140 students, but enrollment
ended up lower, so “this year,
we’re being a bit more conser-
vative,” Scholl said.
Scholl said he anticipates
the upcoming district budget
to be similar to this year’s due
to the steady enrollment.
Holmstrom said that, al-
ready, more students are
showing up to school as mask
mandates have been lifted,
making it unclear what the
actual turnout could be next
year. She said that makes a big
impact on the amount of state
school funds that schools get
per student.
“They might all show up in
September,” she said, adding:
“We just don’t know … We
could have as many as we had
today, or we could have 100
more.”
█
Reporter: 541-660-9844,
bdole@bendbulletin.com
A PLACE
TO REST
FACILITY TO HOUSE
HOMELESS YOUTH,
FAMILIES IN CRISIS
BY ZACK DEMARS • For The Spokesman
A
Dean Guernsey/The Bulletin
n old house in Redmond could soon see
Jana Hill speaks in front of the J Bar J Canal House in Redmond on Wednesday.
new life sheltering youth and families in
“It’s prevention,” Gill said. “A lot of times we’re able to help
a family prevent that child from running away.”
The nonprofit does that largely by building connections
with youth and families. Volunteers build relationships with
youth, and staff mediates disputes between family mem-
bers that might be driving youth to leave the home, and, for
some families, the lessons learned can encourage them to re-
build the relationships in their own families.
Once renovated, the nonprofit’s building — right across
the street from the Homestead Park Bike Pump Track,
which Hill hopes will help attract families who might be us-
ing the park — will serve as a place for initiating those con-
nections.
Volunteers and staff will meet with families for mediation
and to help navigate services, and the facility will be open
after school hours to offer youth a safe place to be outside
the home. Hill said volunteers will also schedule programs
to teach life skills, like cooking classes and resume creation
workshops.
“The hope is that volunteers will create programs and
events that kids can be a part of,” Hill said. “We’ll utilize all
the experience the volunteers have to teach kids and build
belonging.”
The facility will also house two emergency, temporary
shelter beds for youth experiencing homelessness and await-
ing placement in a host home or at The LOFT, J Bar J’s Bend
youth shelter. Redmond currently lacks a permanent youth
crisis.
J Bar J Youth Services on Wednesday received its first do-
nation of seed funding to remodel one of its existing prop-
erties to be used as a host home and emergency housing for
youth experiencing homelessness, a resource sorely lacking
in the city.
Kindred Connections, the branch of J Bar J that focuses
on supporting families in crisis, will use the property as a
Redmond hub. Previously, different branches of J Bar J used
the building to shelter survivors of human trafficking and
youth transitioning out of shelter.
“The Kindred Connections center is going to warmly wel-
come youth and their families with a space,” said Jana Hill,
the nonprofit’s agency and church liaison. “I feel the most
important thing is they’ll find belonging.”
The building needs some work before it’ll be ready for
its new use. Hill said the nonprofit plans to knock out a few
walls to expand a space for volunteers to meet with youth
and families in crisis, and to expand the kitchen to make it
suitable for family cooking classes.
Kindred Connection’s main goal is to keep families to-
gether, preventing youth from running away from home
and becoming homeless in the first place, according to Eva
Gill, a spokesperson for the nonprofit.
Dean Guernsey/The Bulletin
The living room of the J Bar J Canal House in Redmond.
shelter of its own.
All told, the nonprofit expects the renovations to cost just
over $130,000, with Wednesday’s $25,000 donation from
Subaru of Bend laying the groundwork for future fundrais-
ing and grant-seeking efforts. Hill hopes renovations will be
completed and the facility opened this fall.
The Kindred Connections building is just part of J Bar J’s
expansion of family services into Redmond. The nonprofit
received funding earlier this year to open a “basic center” in
the city to provide family mediation and homelessness pre-
vention services.
█
Reporter: 541-617-7814, zdemars@bendbulletin.com
“The Kindred Connections center is going to warmly welcome youth and their families with a space. I feel the most important thing is they’ll find belonging.”
— Jana Hill, the nonprofit’s agency and church liaison
The Spokesman uses
recycled newsprint
Events in and around Redmond
The Redmond Spokesman welcomes event information for
its community calendar. Submissions are limited to nonprofit,
free and live entertainment events. Deadline is 5 p.m. Thursday
for the following Wednesday’s paper. Items are published on a
space-available basis and may be edited. Contact us at
news@redmondspokesman.com or fax 541-548-3203.
Tuesday 4/12
Thursday 4/14
Writers Writing — Quiet Writing Time: Enjoy the focus of
a quiet space with the benefit of others’ company; 10:30 a.m.-
12:30 p.m.; free; Redmond Public Library, 827 SW Deschutes
Ave., Redmond; deschuteslibrary.org or 541-312-1050.
Aaron Rhen — Range Music Series: The local American
roots musician will perform; 5:30-8:30 p.m.; free; Brasada
Ranch, 16986 SW Brasada Ranch Road, Powell Butte; brasada.
com or 855-318-4960.
City Council Meeting: A regular meeting will be held;
6-8 p.m.; free; Redmond City Hall Council Chambers, 411 SW
Ninth St., Redmond; redmondoregon.gov or 541-923-7710.
Bow Wow Bingo: Join for BowWow Bingo every Thursday
evening benefiting BrightSide Animal Center; 6:30-8 p.m.; $1
each card for first two games, $2 each for second two games;
Cascade Lakes at Seventh St., 855 SW Seventh St., Redmond;
facebook.com/CascadeLakesBrewingCo or 541-388-4998.
Trivia Tuesday: Go with a team or team up there to play
genuine UKB Trivia live and possibly win gift certificates; 6:30-
8:30 p.m.; free; Initiative Brewing, 424 NW Fifth St., Redmond;
facebook.com/InitiativeBrew or 541-527-4380.
See Calendar / P4
INDEX
Puzzles ............. 2 Obituaries ....... 4
Flashback ........ 4 Classifieds ....... 5
Volume 112, No. 33
USPS 778-040
U|xaIICGHy02326kzU