Superintendent's tour reaches midpoint: What we're hearing so far
Sept. 15, 2026 / Klamath County School District Superintendent Melissa Cole’s community listening tour is more than halfway complete, with early conversations reinforcing key priorities: academic rigor, rural program access, educator support, and stronger community ties.
Cole, who took leadership of KCSD on July 1, is conducting the tour as part of her 100-Day "Listen, Learn, Lead Together" Plan. She has hosted sessions at Henley Middle School, Gilchrist, Stearns Elementary, Brixner Junior High, Bonanza, Chiloquin, South County schools, and Keno and Gearhart elementaries. Six sessions remain.
The tour drives Cole’s broader leadership strategy, which prioritizes a visible presence in local communities to ensure frontline feedback shapes district policy.
“Education cannot be done alone. It takes our educators, it takes our families, it takes our community partners,” Cole said.
Throughout the tour, school communities have expressed strong support for elevating academic rigor across all grade levels. Cole said she is empowering school leaders and educators to establish clear district priority standards and map them across the school year, allowing focus on in-depth learning. The goal is to set a baseline definition for academic rigor.
Equitable access emerged as a concern, particularly in smaller, rural communities. Parents and staff highlighted the need for music and band programs, dual-credit options, advanced coursework, middle school electives, athletics, and other extracurriculars to keep students engaged.
Cole committed to finding creative solutions to bridge these gaps, citing technology, regional partnerships, and shared faculty expertise to deliver specialized experiences to remote campuses.
“It doesn’t matter the ZIP code. It doesn’t matter the street you live on. Every kid should have access to high levels of rigor and should be able to master those priority standards,” she told parents. “We should not dictate the path our students take post high school. We should create all the opportunities so that they can select their path.”
That objective anchors Cole’s “four doors” framework for student success, which prepares graduates for four distinct pathways: college, trade school, military service, or immediate career entry.
Tour feedback also underscored a pressing need for student leadership opportunities, specialized support for high-needs students, and proactive measures to handle bullying, school safety, and the pressures of social media. In response, Cole is forming new student, staff, and parent advisory groups to maintain two-way communication after the tour concludes.
Community members also called for greater visibility from district administration and a transparent process for public input. Cole emphasized that the listening tour is only the initial step.
“If I’m going to ask you for input and feedback, I’m going to close the communication loop and come back around,” she said.
The remaining community engagement sessions include:
-- Sept. 15: Ferguson Elementary, 5 p.m.
-- Sept. 16: Peterson Elementary, 5 p.m.
-- Sept. 21: Mazama High, 6 p.m.
-- Sept. 22: Henley Elementary, 5 p.m.
-- Sept. 23: Henley High, 6 p.m.
-- Sept. 24: Shasta Elementary, 5 p.m.
District leadership will use the tour's final findings to align community feedback with upcoming operational goals.
“People want to feel connected, informed, supported, and engaged in the shared work of student success,” Cole said.
