Four districts, their sizes, how to find the school assigned to an address, how transfers work, charter and private tuition for 2026-27, and the two colleges. No ratings.
Central Oregon has four public school districts a home buyer is likely to land in, a set of charter and private schools, and two colleges. This guide is what each one offers, how large it is, how to find the school assigned to a specific address, and how transfers work. It does not rate schools or neighborhoods. Every figure names its source, and enrollment counts are the Oregon Department of Education's fall 2025 membership report.
Find the school for an address first
Attendance areas are drawn by the district and change as schools open, so look up the specific address before you decide anything. Bend-La Pine assigns schools through the county's DIAL lookup at dial.deschutes.org, where an address returns its elementary, middle, and high school. Redmond publishes a bus route locator that returns the neighborhood school. Sisters has a boundary map tool on its district site. Crook County publishes an interactive elementary boundary map. Our schools index lists every school in the region by district with a page for each.
Bend-La Pine Schools
The largest district in the region covers Bend, La Pine, Sunriver, and the country between. Its site lists 17 elementary schools, two K-8 magnet schools, seven middle schools, six high schools, an online school, and a transition program, and the Department of Education counted 16,530 students in fall 2025. Two public charter schools also sit inside the district: Bend International School, a free K-8 charter, and Desert Sky Montessori. The 2026-27 year starts on a staggered schedule, September 9 for grades 1 to 6 and 9, September 10 for grades 7, 8, and 10 to 12, and September 11 for everyone. A student who lives in another district needs approval from both the home district and Bend-La Pine to transfer in, and the district says those decisions are usually made in spring.
Redmond School District
Redmond lists eight elementary schools, two middle schools, two high schools, Redmond High and Ridgeview High, and three specialty options: Redmond Proficiency Academy, a free public charter for grades 6 to 12, RSDFlex online, and StepUP. The fall 2025 count was 7,281 students. Households can ask for a school other than the assigned one within the district, subject to space and staffing, with a May 31 deadline and a waitlist after capacity.
Sisters School District
Sisters runs one elementary, one middle, and one high school, plus Sisters Educational Options, for 1,171 students in fall 2025. The district's board has set no limit on students transferring in from other districts as long as there is space, and a transfer is renewed at each change of school level.
Crook County School District
Prineville and the surrounding county are served by eleven schools, among them two elementary schools in town, two K-8 schools in the outlying communities, a middle school, Crook County High, an alternative high school, Powell Butte Community School, a home-link program, and an online option. The fall 2025 count was 3,291 students. Transfers out of or into the district are handled case by case, and both districts must approve.
Private schools in Bend
Each school publishes its own tuition, and the figures below are the 2026-27 rates posted on their sites as of September 7, 2026. Activity and materials fees are extra where noted.
- Cascades Academy, preschool through grade 12. Kindergarten through grade 5 $25,332 plus fees, grades 9 to 12 $26,010 plus fees.
- Seven Peaks School, preschool through grade 8. $19,859 for all grades plus activity fees.
- Trinity Lutheran School, preschool through grade 12. Kindergarten through grade 5 $11,235, grades 6 to 8 $12,175, grades 9 to 12 $13,065.
- St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School, preschool through grade 8. Kindergarten through grade 5 $9,275, grades 6 to 8 $9,950.
- Morning Star Christian School, nursery through grade 8. Kindergarten through grade 5 $7,350, grades 6 to 8 $7,950.
- Waldorf School of Bend, toddler through grade 8. Posted tuition $16,180 plus a $500 materials fee.
The two public charters, Bend International School and Redmond Proficiency Academy, charge no tuition and enroll by application.
After high school
Oregon State University-Cascades in southwest Bend enrolled 1,401 undergraduate and graduate students in fall 2025, with 24 undergraduate majors and graduate programs that include counseling, a writing MFA, teaching, and a doctorate in physical therapy. Central Oregon Community College, the oldest two-year college in Oregon, has campuses in Bend, Redmond, Madras, and Prineville.
What this means when you buy
The school assigned to a house is a fact about the address, not a rating, and it is the only fact in this guide that a purchase changes. Look it up on the district tool before you write an offer, ask the district about transfer rules if the assignment matters to you, and treat a listing's school claim as something to verify rather than something to rely on. Boundaries move. We check the assignment on every home we show to a buyer who asks.
Questions
How do I find out which school a Bend address is assigned to?
Enter the address in the county's DIAL lookup at dial.deschutes.org, which Bend-La Pine Schools uses for attendance areas. It returns the assigned elementary, middle, and high school.
How big are the school districts in Central Oregon?
Per the Oregon Department of Education's fall 2025 membership report: Bend-La Pine 16,530 students, Redmond 7,281, Crook County 3,291, and Sisters 1,171.
Can my child attend a school outside our attendance area?
Within a district, yes where space and staffing allow, on the district's transfer process. Between districts, both the home district and the receiving district must approve. Sisters accepts incoming transfers without a cap when space exists. Each district publishes its deadlines.
Are there tuition-free charter schools?
Yes. Bend International School is a free public K-8 charter in Bend, and Redmond Proficiency Academy is a free public charter for grades 6 to 12 in Redmond. Both enroll by application.
When does the 2026-27 school year start in Bend?
Bend-La Pine Schools starts on a staggered schedule: September 9 for grades 1 to 6 and 9, September 10 for grades 7, 8, and 10 to 12, and September 11 for all grades, per the district calendar.
Next step
Get listing alerts and we will check the school assignment on any home before you tour, or book a call.
Matt RyanOwner & Principal Broker at Ryan Realty.
