A century ago, downtown Bend celebrated as the city’s new high school — a grand earth-toned brick building nestled among towering ponderosa pines — welcomed its first students. Today, that same structure — now the Bend-La Pine Education Center — sits in the heart of downtown Bend as the district’s administrative hub and a living monument to the city’s educational legacy. In 1993, the Bend-La Pine Education Center became a historic landmark. Community celebration“The Bend-La Pine Education Center isn’t just a building—it’s the story of Bend itself,” said district officials in a statement. Centennial Anniversary Open House Sat., Sept. 27, 11am-4pm Bend-La Pine Education Center 520 NW Wall St., Bend FreeThis article appears in the Source September 25, 2025.