Klamath County School District leaders and community officials listened to parents and answered questions for nearly two hours Wednesday night at the first of two town halls being hosted this week by Superintendent Glen Szymoniak.
About 170 people attended the outdoor event at Henley High School. As questions were being answered, the meeting was disrupted by members of the crowd. Despite the interruptions, the town hall continued and parents were allowed to provide input and ask questions. After the hour-long event concluded, school and community leaders remained and answered questions for another hour.
Community leaders attending the forum included Sheriff Chris Kaber, Commissioner Derrick DeGroot, and Jennifer Little and Valeree Lane from Klamath County Public Health. KCSD school board members John Rademacher, Jill O’Donnell, and Steve Lowell attended as did the district’s school building principals.
A second town hall will be at 5 p.m. Thursday at Mazama High School. The event will be moderated, and those attending will be expected to follow ground rules that promote respectful participation and exchange of ideas. “I want to thank all of our parents who took the time to talk with us tonight,” Szymoniak said. “We all agree that the best place for children to learn is in the classroom with their teachers. We need to work together in a way that doesn’t jeopardize keeping our schools open.”