New administrators are at the helm of St. Francis of Assisi School in Bend this fall.

Dennis Dempsey is the principal of the parochial school and superintendent of schools for the 66,826-square-mile Diocese of Baker, which stretches from the Cascade Mountains to the eastern border of Oregon. Dempsey joined the parochial school system after retiring this summer as the superintendent of the High Desert Education Service District.

At the school, Lauren Houslet is the newly promoted head teacher. She’s taught middle school math at St. Francis since 2008 and previously taught computer classes at the school.

She’ll continue teaching math, and also have a hand in administrative tasks like coordinating schedules and dealing with any student discipline issues.

“I really like the community that we have here with the families and the students,” Houslet said.

“Everybody knows everybody. The different families are looking out for all the kids. It’s a really tight-knit community.”

The elementary school has nearly 200 students, and class sizes that typically range from 15 to 20 students. The school accepts students from Catholic and non-Catholic religious backgrounds.

Dempsey had a 37-year career in public education before coming to St. Francis. The last 12 of those years were at the High Desert ESD. The ESD provides services, particularly special education, to school districts in Deschutes and Crook counties.

By contrast, the diocese has five elementary schools in Bend, Redmond, La Grande, Ontario and The Dalles, numbering nearly 600 students total.

One difference in parochial education compared to the public sector is working with parishes and their schools, Dempsey said.

“Part of it’s just learning those dynamics,” he said. “They’re integral to the success of the schools.”