A Note from the Superintendent

Dear Klamath Falls Community,

In our ongoing effort to maintain transparency regarding the district’s labor negotiations, I am sharing an update on our progress with the Klamath Falls Association of Classified Employees (KFACE) bargaining team.

Yesterday, the District engaged in a full day of mediation with KFACE and a state-appointed mediator. Despite a sincere and diligent effort from our side to reach a resolution, I must report that no significant progress was made.

It is important for our parents, taxpayers, and partners to understand the nature of the District’s proposal. Our current offer ensures that our KFACE members receive salary increases that are consistent with those provided to our certified employee group. In several instances, our offers have actually surpassed the raises given to our certified staff.

While we are disappointed that an agreement was not reached during today's session, our goal remains unchanged. We are dedicated to finding a resolution that:

⋅ Honors the vital contributions of our dedicated staff members.

⋅ Maintains our fiduciary responsibility to the taxpayers of this community.

⋅ Ensures a stable and safe environment for our students to learn and grow.

We value the hard work of every employee in our district and remain committed to a fair and sustainable outcome. I will continue to keep you informed as we move forward.

Sincerely,

Dr. Keith Brown

Superintendent of Schools

Photo: Klamath Union High School band members Tommy Biggs, left, and Oliver Case celebrate outstanding performances.

Klamath Union High School's band program is celebrating strong showings from its students at the Southern Oregon Music Educators Association (SOMEA/OMEA District 8) Winds & Percussion Solo and Ensemble Festival, held this past Saturday, February 28, 2026, in Ashland, Oregon. In this district-level contest high school musicians perform prepared solo pieces, receive ratings and feedback from adjudacators, and vie for advancement to the OSAA State Solo Contest.

KUHS standouts brought dedication and skill to the stage:

Seniors Aeris Saindon (bassoon) performed "Bassoon Sonata" by Georg Philipp Telemann, and Elaina Nork (alto saxophone), played a vibrant rendition of the "Sonata" by Lawson Lunde.

Junior Tommy Biggs (trumpet) impressed with his technically demanding performance of Hummel's Trumpet Concerto.

Freshman Oliver Case (trombone) delivered a strong and confident performance of "All 'Antica" by Alphonse Goeyens.

In outstanding news, Tommy Biggs placed first in his instrument category, earning his spot to advance to the prestigious OSAA State Solo Contest on May 2, 2026, at Portland State University. Biggs finished fifth in the 2025 State Solo Contest.

Also gaining valuable experience were talented students from Ponderosa Middle School—the future "Pelican Flight Path" feeders who will soon join the KUHS band program. Showcasing their musical talents were Braedon Henderson (percussion), Jonah Kupitz (trumpet), and Oliver Coslet (trumpet).

Congratulations to all who competed! Your achievements inspire the entire KUHS family and the next generation of Pelicans. Keep practicing; greater stages await!

Photo: Klamath Union senior Elaina Nork plays "Sonata" by Lawson Lunde

Photo: Ponderosa's Braedon Henderson sets up his snare with the help of band director Drew Langley and his parents.

Photo: Klamath Union's Aeris Saindon performing "Bassoon Sonata" by Georg Philipp Teleman

Seven talented musicians from the Klamath Union High School (KUHS) Band Program participated in the Southern Oregon University (SOU) High School Honor Band, delivering an outstanding performance on February 15, 2026, in the SOU Music Recital Hall in Ashland.

Arriving on the SOU campus Friday afternoon, the students dove into an intensive weekend of rehearsals and music classes. They stayed in the SOU dorms, enjoying meals on campus and bonding with floor mates for a fun, immersive college music student experience.

Despite the short timeframe, these young musicians learned and performed four challenging wind band pieces with remarkable skill and precision, showcasing what dedicated high school talent can achieve in just a weekend.

This annual event brings together roughly 60 top instrumentalists from high schools across Southern Oregon (including Ashland, Crater, Grants Pass, Henley, Klamath Union, and others). The KUHS students who performed include: Elaina Nork (saxophone), Daisy Kupitz (bass), Aeris Saindon (bassoon), Lamonte Jefferson (clarinet), Will Graham (trombone), Jay Stewart (trombone), Zahira Rico (clarinet).

These musicians represented the Pelicans with pride, contributing to the collaborative spirit of the Honor Band under the direction of Dr. Alexander Gonzalez. "It is so impressive what they pulled off in such a short amount of time," noted Bonnie Nork, a member of the KUHS Band Boosters.

The KUHS Band Boosters generously provided scholarships to cover the participation costs for all seven students, enabling them to take advantage of this enriching opportunity without financial barriers.

Sky Lakes is partnering with Klamath City and County Schools to offer high school students opportunities to begin their careers in health care before graduating.

Klamath Falls City Schools Superintendent Dr. Keith A. Brown and his wife, Kathy Brown, visited Pelican Elementary School on Wednesday, where they joined students for a fun and memorable activity inspired by the classic children’s book Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? by Dr. Seuss.

During the visit, Kathy Brown invited students in each class to sit together on the carpet and take turns going one by one, sharing their best “moo” impression, which created plenty of laughter throughout the room. After all the students had their turn, four winners from each grade level were selected for their standout cow sounds and received playful “Moo-vellous Award Certificates.”

Kathy Brown also shared Dr. Brown still has the original Dr. Seuss books from his childhood, the very same books he read aloud to students during the visit. As part of the presentation, Kathy Brown also shared interesting facts about Dr. Seuss and his stories, helping make the activity both entertaining and educational for the Pelican students.

Students at Roosevelt Elementary recently put their reading knowledge to the test during this year’s Oregon Battle of the Books competition. A total of 48 students formed 11 teams and spent months preparing for the event by reading a collection of 16 books from the official third- through fifth-grade reading list.

Students began reading the selected books in the fall and worked together in teams to divide and discuss the titles. In February, teams participated in practice battles before competing in three rounds of pool play. The competition concluded with a single-elimination tournament held this week.

During each battle, teams answered 16 questions about the books, including eight “In Which Book” questions and eight detailed content questions based on the reading list. The format challenges students to recall specific details while also demonstrating a broad understanding of the stories.

After several rounds of competition, Page Patriots 2.0 emerged as this year’s Roosevelt Elementary champions. Team members include Quorra Ferguson, Ben Stinnett, Isias Linde, and Luke Smith.

The championship team will represent Roosevelt Elementary at the regional tournament on Saturday, March 14, at Central Point Elementary School.

Another strong-performing team, the Proficient Porcupines, also competed in the tournament. Team members included Stella Klecker, Olivia Ogao, Penelope Wietlisbach, Hazel Brodbeck, and Telle Petersen.

The Oregon Battle of the Books program encourages students to read a variety of books, work collaboratively, and develop comprehension skills through friendly academic competition.

In addition to the elementary program, Ponderosa Middle School also offers a sixth- through eighth-grade Battle of the Books program led by teacher Alexander Hernandez. Students in that program meet on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4–5:30 p.m. to prepare for their competitions. The Ponderosa team will compete in its regional Oregon Battle of the Books tournament Saturday, March 7.

Photo: Page Patriots 2.0 team members (from left to right) included Quorra Ferguson, Ben Stinnett, Isias Linde, and Luke Smith.

Photo: Proficient Porcupines team members (from left to right, back row first) Stella Klecker, Olivia Ogao, Penelope Wietlisbach, Hazel Brodbeck and Telle Petersen.

What do KU students sophomore Maeve Ranger-Burcher and junior Olivia Cruz do in their free time? KU students don’t often find themselves with free time but these two student athletes decided the time was right to start an AAU Club Volleyball team exclusively for city schools athletes. They are focused on developing volleyball talent for the future KU Pels volleyball teams. Over the years they noticed if Ponderosa and KFCS athletes wanted to play club level volleyball, the resources were either limited or financially out of reach.

Ranger-Burcher and Cruz decided to create opportunities for Ponderosa players heading to KU, and city schools elementary players heading to Ponderosa by starting the Klamath Pelicans AAU team. Their kick-off season has been successful with tournaments in Medford, Bend, and Redding planned for the team, as well as local scrimmages. Practicing four times a week has provided an opportunity for players to gain skills and playing time, along with valuable team bonding. Their season runs from December through March and they are already looking ahead to next year. 

This inaugural season includes 8th grade students: Sloan Henderson & Joelyssa Ybarra, 7th grade students: Zaylee Pierson, Savannah Zumwalt, Zoey Barker, Joss’lynne Johnson, Ellison Henderson, & Paloma Allbright, 6th grade students: Alyssa Hatfield, Joelecia Ybarra, & Khloe Greenlesh and 5th grade students: Evalyn Saxon (Roosevelt) & Hailee Salata (Mills) 

Support from the KU Digital Media Department Print Shop and Ponderosa Middle School has made this season affordable, successful, and most importantly, fun. 

Spring sports start Monday, March 2nd.

All student athletes must be fully registered in FinalForms to participate on day one.

Please make sure everything is complete before the first practice.

Let’s go Pels.

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

As we move through the season when respiratory and communicable illnesses are more common—including RSV, Influenza A, strep throat, and other health concerns—we want to share guidance to help keep our students and school community healthy.

When to Keep Your Child Home

Please keep your child home from school if they have:

A fever of 100.4°F or higher (students should be fever-free for at least 24 hours without fever-reducing medication before returning)

Vomiting or diarrhea (students should remain home until symptom-free for at least 48 hours, per local Public Health guidance)

A persistent cough, difficulty breathing, or other symptoms that interfere with learning

A sore throat with fever and/or swollen glands until evaluated by a medical provider

Any illness that prevents them from participating comfortably in school activities

For illnesses such as strep throat, students may return to school after they have been on antibiotics for at least 24 hours, are fever-free, and are feeling well enough to participate.

Helping Prevent the Spread of Illness

Families can help reduce the spread of illness by:

Encouraging frequent handwashing with soap and water

Teaching children to cover coughs and sneezes

Keeping sick children home

Ensuring students get adequate rest and fluids

Keeping vaccinations up to date, when possible

Head Lice Education and Prevention

Head lice are common among school-aged children and are not related to cleanliness. They are spread primarily through direct head-to-head contact.

To help prevent head lice:

Check your child’s hair regularly, especially if they complain of itching

Avoid sharing hats, brushes, hair accessories, headphones, or helmets

Encourage children to avoid head-to-head contact during play

Tie back long hair when possible

If lice are found:

Begin treatment promptly using an approved lice treatment product

Use a fine-toothed nit comb to remove lice and eggs

Check and treat household members as needed

Wash clothing, bedding, and hats worn in the previous 48 hours in hot water and dry on high heat

Per Oregon Department of Education and Oregon Health Authority guidance, students do not need to be excluded from school. Treatment is essential to stop the spread of lice.

Bed Bugs Information

Bed bugs are small insects that may occasionally be found in homes or community settings. They are not related to cleanliness or hygiene and can happen to anyone. Bed bugs do not spread disease. 

Bed bugs are typically a home pest issue. Schools focus on monitoring and maintaining clean environments, but treatment must occur in the home if an infestation is present.

If bed bugs are suspected at home:

Contact a licensed pest control professional for guidance

Wash clothing, bedding, and soft items in hot water and dry on high heat

Reduce clutter where possible

Avoid sending unnecessary fabric items to school

Students are not excluded from school due to bed bugs. Our goal is to support families while maintaining student dignity and privacy.

If you have concerns or need assistance connecting to community resources, please contact your school health staff.

KFCS Board Meeting This Monday, March 9

Monday, March 9, 2026

KFCS Board of Education General 

Monthly Meeting

6:00 pm In-person & 

Via Zoom

To register for Zoom, Click Here

KFCS Board of Education

Andrea Jensen, Zone 1, Roosevelt - andrea.jensen@kfcityschools.org

Andrew Biggs, Zone 2, At-Large - andrew.biggs@kfcityschools.org

Vanessa Bennett, Zone 3, Conger - vanessa.bennett@kfcityschools.org

Kathy Hewitt, Zone 4, Mills - kathy.hewitt@kfcityschools.org

Trina Perez, Zone 5, Pelican - trina.perez@kfcityschools.org

Kelsey Bitzer, Zone 6, At-Large - Bitzerk@kfcityschools.org

Nicole Trejo, Zone 7 At-Large - Trejon@kfcityschools.org