Superintendent Dr. Douglas Nelson Announces Retirement

Leader in one of nation's most sought after communities to retire June 2008.

People in Bend say Dr. Douglas Nelson will be sorely missed Photo courtesy: Bend-La Pine Schools

(BEND, Ore.) - Bend-La Pine Schools www.bend.k12.or.us Superintendent Dr. Douglas Nelson announced his plans to retire on June 30, 2008 to a group of more than 60 administrative staff members during a back-to-school training today.

Nelson leads Oregon's seventh largest school district, located in one of the nation's most desirable, livable cities - Bend. Nelson says that he leaves Oregon's Bend-La Pine Schools poised to become the best school district in the state, and a world-class district in which the community can take pride. "In the last eight years, Doug has helped lead Bend-La Pine Schools through tough financial times for Oregon's public schools and helped build a financially, organizationally, and educationally stronger school system," said School Board Chair Nathan Hovekamp. "His success is a testament to his strong work ethic and belief that every child deserves and receives a first class education. "He will leave the district in a better place than it was seven years ago when he started at Bend-La Pine Schools," Hovekamp adds. He says that Nelson has been a champion of reducing class sizes, increasing test scores and student achievement in every subject area, reducing the dropout rate, increasing curricular rigor, adding educational technology to the classroom, and recruiting high-caliber teachers, administrators and staff - to name just a few of his successes. "There is much work to do in the next twelve months and great initiatives to continue," Nelson says. "We are in the midst of tremendous literacy and technology initiatives, the delivery of three new schools and more than 170 much needed improvement projects at our schools, and about to take a look at our current school boundaries - to name of few of the efforts we'll be undertaking this year." Hovekamp says that a national search for Nelson's successor will begin immediately, and the community and staff will be asked to engage in the selection process. Nelson says that he will stay in Bend. He looks forward to spending time enjoying the recreational opportunities that have placed Bend on the top of many national 'best of' lists.