FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 13, 2026

Klamath Falls, Ore - With the assistance of an Employee Relations Board Mediator, the Klamath Falls City Schools District and the Klamath Falls Association of Classified Employees (KFACE) are pleased to announce that a tentative agreement was successfully reached on April 13, 2026, following productive and collaborative negotiations.

This agreement reflects the shared commitment of both parties to supporting students, valuing staff, and strengthening the school community. Throughout the bargaining process, representatives from the District and KFACE worked together in a spirit of respect, transparency, and mutual dedication to finding solutions that benefit employees and the broader educational environment.

“We are proud of the collaborative approach taken during these negotiations,” said District leadership. “This tentative agreement represents meaningful progress and underscores our appreciation for the essential contributions of our classified staff.”

Union representatives echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the importance of teamwork and open dialogue. “This agreement is the result of good-faith efforts on both sides. It reflects our shared goal of ensuring that classified employees are supported and recognized for the critical role they play in student success.”

Details of the tentative agreement will be shared with union membership and district stakeholders in the coming days. The agreement is subject to ratification by the union members and approval by the Klamath Falls City Schools Board.

Both the District and KFACE look forward to continuing their partnership in service of students, families, and the Klamath Falls community.

It was another successful year for Mr. Pelican as Klamath Union Associated Student Body and instructor Rhiannon Kerr put together another fun, entertaining and heartwarming showing of Mr. Pelican.

If you missed this year’s Mr. Pelican, you can find the full showing on the YouTube link below, which was recorded by Klamath Union Digital Media.

Winners: 

Mr. Congeniality: Lonmonte Jefferson 

Swimsuit: Lonmonte Jefferson 

Talent: Carter Dahm

Mr. Pelican 2026 

Bronze: Nathan Ferns 

Silver: Jacob Martin 

Gold: Carter Dahm

Proceeds from this year’s pageant benefited K.C., a four-year-old local child at Klamath Falls City Schools. born prematurely at 29 weeks with complex medical needs, including respiratory and developmental challenges. K.C. is autistic and would benefit from a communication device, as well as a quieter nebulizer for daily breathing treatments. His family also faces ongoing travel costs for specialized care in Portland and Eugene.

As a custom, Kerr took a time to thank all her students for the time they took to put together a show such as Mr. Pelican, which involved countless community support.

Without the hard work of the KU ASB students, Mr. Pelican would not have been possible. This year’s contestant pool saw the most students the competition has seen.

“Student government is a critical piece but what you see tonight cannot happen without some incredibly gifted and committed individuals,” Kerr said.

Klamath Union ASB

Talan Chancellor - ASB President

Carter Dahm - ASB Boys Activity Director

Lonmonte Jefferson - ASB Senior

Mr. Pelican Coordinator:

Isabella Amrijo

Stage Managers:

Leona Higgins

Tegan Green

Script Writers:

Maeve Ranger-Butcher

Adalie Giampietri

Riley Rodgers

Dance Choreographer:

Ainsley Garrett

Marketing Director:

Audrianna Moorehouse

A public meeting of the Budget Committee of the Klamath Falls City Schools, Klamath County, State of Oregon, to discuss the budget for the fiscal year July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, will be held at the Lucille O'Neil Education Center, 1336 Avalon Street, Klamath Falls. The meeting will take place on April 29th 2026, at 6:00 p.m.

The purpose of the meeting is to receive the budget message and to receive comments from the public on the budget. This is a public meeting where deliberation of the Budget Committee will take place. Any person may appear at the meeting and discuss the proposed programs with the Budget Committee.

A copy of the budget document may be inspected or obtained on or after April 29th 2026 at the Lucille O'Neil Education Center between the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Budget information is posted on the district website at www.kfalls.k12.or.us.

On Wednesday, April 8th, the Klamath Union High School Orchestra competed at the East Cascades Orchestra Festival in Bend. The students played their hearts out and earned top scores, securing an automatic qualifier for the OSAA orchestra state championships in Corvallis on May 13th. Go Pels!

The KUHS Orchestra is also preparing for an upcoming trip to Seattle on April 23rd. In Seattle, students will participate in a clinic with the University of Washington Director of Orchestral Activities and attend a performance by the Seattle Symphony. KU Orchestra is still fundraising for this experience and would greatly appreciate any support.

The link to donate to KU Orchestra can be found here: https://app.schoolfundr.org/fund/klamathunionorchestra?utm_source=qr&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=oneclick

On Thursday, April 9th, the Ponderosa Middle School Advanced Orchestra also performed at the East Cascades Orchestra Festival in Bend.

"Students had a fantastic experience performing, listening to other middle school ensembles from across Oregon, and growing as musicians," Klamath Union and Ponderosa orchestra instructor Alexis Candy said. "We’re excited to continue building this opportunity in the future."

This is the first time students associated with the Eagle Ridge name have competed at the FBLA State Leadership Conference (SLC) since 2020. The FBLA chapter was reinstated this school year after a six-year hiatus. The chapter was started in 2014 under the leadership of Eagle Ridge business instructor Jackie Lancaster when Eagle Ridge was a charter school. Students in the chapter competed every year at the SLC from 2014-2018.

"FBLA at Eagle Ridge was started in 2014 with EagleRidge charter school," Lancaster said. "It was exciting to get back involved."

This year’s chapter included seniors Silas Perez and Kayleeann McCool, sophomores Noah Clayton, Marcus Estep, William Taylor, Teresita Wright-Jackson and freshman Gabriel Webb and two exchange students, including senior Nafissa Zaki from Morocco and sophomore Shiyrin Kudabaeva from Uzbekistan.

Eagle Ridge placed in the top 10 in five events during the state competition, which was held in Eugene this year. Webb placed eighth in Business Concepts, Estep placed 10th in Business Plan, Clayton placed seventh in Job Interview and was eighth in Customer Service, while Kudabaeva was in sixth place in Career Portfolio.

"Thank you for the support of our administration and our school. In addition, we are grateful for the help from our co-advisors, Patty Case and Gary Clayton," Lancaster said. "We are proud of our students and look forward to building an even stronger team next year."

Eagle Ridge New Tech's Noah Clayton will go to Georgetown for summer camp

Noah Clayton, a sophomore at Eagle Ridge New Tech, has been chosen to attend and will receive a $1000 scholarship for the Education Unlimited Programs in Washington D.C. at Georgetown University this July. Clayton filled one of the 20 spots available for the business camp which will be a week-long intensive training centered around public speaking, leadership, AI and business strategy and more.

By Joaquin Aguilar-Flores, KFCS

This spring, the halls of our schools are a little quieter as third graders trade their pencils for goggles. Throughout April and May, students across Klamath Falls City Schools are participating in a cherished community tradition and participating in the Everyone Swims program at Ella Redkey Municipal Pool.

For one full week, students trade the classroom for the geothermally heated waters of The City of Klamath Falls’ outdoor pool. Under the guidance of devoted community volunteers, the program consists of four intensive, 40-minute sessions which are designed to move beyond simple splashing. 

With drowning still the leading cause of accidental death for children, Conger Elementary School students are gaining critical, life-saving skills that build both confidence and safety in the water. 

At Conger, third grade students recently experienced the program firsthand as instructors Madaline Elliot and Ashley Doty brought their classes to the pool. For Elliot, the impact of the program is clear, not just in what students learn, but in the opportunity it provides.

“It’s an incredible program. We’re really lucky to have it,” Elliot said. “There are volunteers who come out to make sure every kid learns how to swim, and that makes a huge difference for our students.”

The sense of community support is what makes Everyone Swims possible as Ella Redkey staff and volunteers make sure each child receives individualized attention in the water. According to Elliot and Doty, the results are evident as Conger students are learning confidence at their own pace. 

“There are different levels of how the students are taught, from starting at not knowing how to swim, to learning how to float and all the way to having them run laps,” Elliot said.

During Conger’s visit, Hannah Cartlidge, pool manager for the City of Klamath Falls, and Claire McKee, pool supervisor, were on hand serving as lifeguards.

This massive undertaking is made possible through a unique and generous partnership as Sky Lakes Medical Center serves as the primary benefactor, providing the funding necessary to ensure the program remains 100 percent free for every child. Sky Lakes’ support rejuvenated the program in 2022, removing any financial barriers and ensuring zip codes or family income do not dictate a child’s safety in the water.

The program honors the enduring legacy of Ella Redkey, who believed every child in Klamath Falls should be “water safe.” 

Ponderosa Middle School Students Capture School Year with New Cameras Funded by Pelican Education Foundation Grant

Ponderosa Middle School students are gaining valuable experience in storytelling as they lead the creation of this year’s school yearbook.

Under the guidance of instructor Alissa Cruz, students are actively preparing for the end-of-year publication, capturing moments, learning photography skills and bringing their school’s story to life.

Thanks to a grant from the Pelican Education Foundation through the Partner in Education program, Cruz and her students recently purchased new Canon Rebel cameras. Students jumped right in, unboxing the equipment and learning how to use their new tools to elevate their work.

With guidance from Klamath Union High School Digital Media instructor Dan Stearns, the cameras were selected to give the students the opportunity to use higher quality cameras this year and the years to come at Ponderosa. Cruz and her students used cameras donated by Stearns earlier this year but it was time for the Ponderosa students to get their hands on something better.

Ponderosa students are actively capturing photos at sporting events, and recently hosted a sibling photo opportunity in their classroom as they put their new skills to work behind the lens.

"My students KK and Eddy have been busy getting photos and KK took some photos of the Ponderosa versus Ponderosa basketball games at Pel Court," Cruz said. "I took some photos of them unboxing the new cameras and learning about how they work. They have been eager to use everything they have, including new lights and a backdrop we have in my classroom."

Pelican Elementary School students were asked what is their favorite thing about attending their elementary school.

Here was their response in a video put together by Pelican SPED instructor, Kailey Jannicelli.

Ponderosa Middle School has launched a swag store! Currently, 10% of each order is going directly to the Ponderosa track and field team.

Look through the Pondo swag fundraiser shop and check out all the fun Pondo gear. Orders are typically shipped within 24 hours of purchase and can be delivered directly to you. See the link below to access the team shop:I'm a new paragraph block.

Klamath Union track and field head coach Rob Coffman and the KU Track coaches are looking for volunteers to help at our upcoming home track meets. It’s a great way to support KU athletes and spend some time outside cheering on our students.

Meet Dates:

• Thursday, March 19

• Wednesday, April 9 (most help needed)!!!!

• Wednesday, April 29

If you’re willing to help, please reach out to Coach Coffman:

coffmanr@kfalls.k12.or.us

541-281-6466 (call or text)

Thank you for supporting KU Track & Field and our Pelicans!

Monday, April 20, 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