Want to learn how to fix a car?

Mountain View High School’s the place to be.

Want to learn how to be a cop?

Bend High’s offering a law enforcement class next year.

Want to start on your engineering degree a little early?

Summit High has about a dozen courses right up your alley.

Sure, all three of Bend’s traditional high schools offer the basics and electives necessary to simply get a diploma.

But depending on what kind of student you are and what types of courses you want to take, each school offers a little something different.

Bend-La Pine doesn’t have an open enrollment policy for its high schools, but new boundaries approved by the school district this spring create two areas of town where about 130 families can choose between Bend and Summit high schools.

And any parent can choose to complete a change-of-area request to send their child to the school of their choice. Acceptance into the school is based on the number of students who are transferring from that school to another school.

District officials say more often than not, the requests are approved.

SELLING A SCHOOL

Bend High Principal Sue Shields said Bend’s traditional high schools now are asked to not only be the best they can be, but in a way they’re being asked to be better than the others as parents and students school shop.

”We have to market our school, and it’s a very different place to be in,” Shields said. ”I don’t want to compete with Mountain View and Summit. That’s not healthy for the community, and it’s not an efficient use of my time.

”I need to be spending my time trying to make Bend High a better high school.”

Katie Legacy, assistant principal at Mountain View, disagreed.

”The competition isn’t a bad thing because it makes us work harder to be better,” she said. ”And it makes us take more pride in what we do.”

For Bend parents, choice in education is nothing new.

Unlike many school districts, Bend-La Pine has a variety of magnet school programs and alternative schools for parents to choose from beginning with kindergarten.

So when it comes to choosing a high school, some parents have already gone through the selection process once if not more.

”Our district is just like that. It’s part of our culture here,” Legacy said. ”Our district wants parents and their children to go where they want to be.”

But who decides where that is?

Kristi Bell, the mother of an eighth-grader at Cascade Middle School, said she left much of the decision to her daughter, Tia Maddox.

”I like to involve my kids in decisions that will affect their lives,” Bell said. ”And this is really going to affect her for four years.”

Tia had a choice between Bend High and Summit. She chose Bend High because her older sister, Candace, graduated from the school last year. And it’s a lot closer to their Deschutes Riverwoods home than Summit.

For some, the decision was as easy as that. Others still aren’t sure.

Deputy Superintendent Ron Wilkinson said families were supposed to have their school choice forms completed by the last week in March. Quite a few, still haven’t been turned in yet.

For those of you still unsure, here’s some help.

BEND HIGH

Like a cool older brother who’s popular with the ladies, a standout athlete and straight-A student, Bend’s oldest high school has a confidence, swagger and way about it that’s difficult to define.

Then again, the students and staff there don’t think they need to define themselves or provide some context for the school’s place in Bend.

They are – as the common sporting event cheer goes – Bend High.

”We have a great deal of tradition and heritage,” said Craig Walker, a P.E. teacher and head coach of the varsity football team. ”Bend High has always been a school with a great work ethic. We don’t need to go around and toot our own horn. We just do our thing.”

Bend High’s ”thing” is offering students what officials describe as a traditional curriculum that focuses on the basics – but with a growing emphasis on classes that teach the skills necessary for the 21st century student.

The school offers about 184 credit options for students, including six advanced placement courses and electives such as ”adventure/sports literature,” ”oceanography” and an art class called ”from Mona Lisa to Marilyn Monroe.”

Next year, the school will become home to a new introductory health services course for students to survey careers and educational requirements related to the health sciences field.

The school next year also is introducing courses in public safety/law enforcement, wildland firefighting, media arts, natural resources ecosystems and technical reading and writing.

It’s also the only high school to offer a teen mom program, Italian and a DECA program, which allows students to use marketing skills in real-life situations.

Forty-six percent of the teachers have a master’s degree or higher, and the teachers have an average of 15 years of experience.

The school is slated for about $3.2 million in renovations over the next few years, including a remodeled cafeteria and new commons area.

Mountain View High School

It’s not the oldest, newest, smallest or biggest, but folks at Mountain View High School say great things are happening on the east side of town.

”There’s something really special about this school,” said Legacy. ”Everyone really wants to be here and there’s an energy in the hallways that’s really positive.”

And it’s likely to get only more positive as new courses are introduced to keep up with demand.

Already considered Bend’s leader in applied technology, Mountain View next year will offer a new class that integrates woods and metals in a setting where students will perform projects throughout the community.

The school also will introduce a pilot program for students to begin seeking a Certificate of Advanced Mastery through the Academy of Agriscience and Natural Resource Systems.

In all, the school has about 186 credit options for students, including six advanced placement courses and electives such as ”sports marketing,” ”wilderness training” and ”caring for your car.”

Fifty-five percent of the teachers have a master’s degree or higher and have an average of 14 years of experience.

Mountain View is planning for about $766,000 in renovations to the main office and the library. A new computer lab also will be constructed.

Principal Bob Jones said Mountain View’s pitch to parents focuses on the idea of ”comprehensive.”

”I believe Mountain View has the most comprehensive program because we offer more specialized electives than other schools,” Jones said.

Summit High School

The only history Summit High School has is in Liz Pennington’s social studies classroom.

Just 8 months old, Summit is still going through the growing pains that come with opening a new high school.

”We’re developing a school pride and that doesn’t happen overnight,” said Pennington.

Said Principal Dave Treick: ”We’re still new, we’re still growing and we’re still trying to find ourselves.

”The thing that we pitch here is an opportunity for involvement.”

Summit’s new, but already offers 18 varsity sports including swimming and skiing and has 23 clubs including roller hockey, board game and sign language.

Officials describe Summit as a ”tech” school because of its emphasis on applied arts such as engineering and design technology.

The school has about 160 credit options for students, including four advanced placement courses and electives such as ”Shakespearean comedy,” ”child development and preschool teaching” and ”technology for the stage.”

And while the school might not have a state reputation and lacks championship banners, Treick said it shouldn’t take long for The Storm to be noticed.

Karen Rosch, the newspaper adviser who helped make Mountain View’s student paper one of the best in the state and nation, moved to Summit this year, giving the ”Eye of the Storm” instant credibility.

Present and incoming students have a responsibility, Pennington said, in creating a name for Summit High School that lasts long beyond their graduation day.

”If they’re going to make this school, they’re going to have to be involved in this school,” she said.

DECISIONS, DECISIONS

All of the principals pointed out that the school district accommodates students who, for example, attend Summit but want to take a class that only Bend High offers.

A shuttle service operates among the schools during the day for those students.

But none of the high school principals or administrators like the idea of telling people why their school is better than the others.

Instead, like politicians, they acknowledge that all the high schools’ programs, activities, facilities and teachers are some of the best in Oregon.

Still, the principals know that for many, in the end, a decision has to be made – Summit, Mountain View or Bend?

”You want to provide the most varied, interesting programs for students,” Jones said. ”If you do that, you’ll be more attractive to families and students.”

Ted Taylor can be reached at 541-383-0375 or ttaylor@bendbulletin.com.