Four high schools in the Klamath County School District boasted graduation rates above 93 percent in 2022 — and two of those — Lost River Junior/Senior High School and Chiloquin Junior/Senior High School — had perfect graduation rates of 100 percent.

For Lost River Junior/Senior High School, it was the fourth year in a row that the school graduated 100% of its cohort on time.

"The Secret? Everyone Cares."

"The secret? The secret is everyone cares — the staff, the students, and the parents." — Jamie Ongman, who served as Lost River's principal through 2022 before taking a promotion as KCSD director of school operations

"The 100% not only reflects their graduation rate, but also the amount of effort students, staff, and parents put in from year to year. Staff tirelessly invest in the students, students set goals and work to achieve them, and parents give the school unwavering support."

That formula — staff investment + student goal-setting + parent support — is exactly what produces year-over-year graduation success.

Lost River's New Principal

Lost River Principal Angie Wallin credited the community as well as teachers and students:

"Our teachers and students are committed to achieving graduation. Education is valued by the community, and families partner with the school to see that our students succeed."

That kind of school-community-family three-way partnership is what rural schools at their best look like. The community in Lost River — like the community in Chiloquin — has decided that graduation matters, and they've built the supports to make it happen.

The Full KCSD Picture

The other two KCSD schools with above 93% graduation rates were:

  • Henley High School — 97.01%
  • Mazama High School — 93.53%

Both are larger schools than Lost River or Chiloquin — and hitting these rates at scale is a meaningful accomplishment.

The District-Wide View

Overall, the county school district's four-year on-time graduation rate of 80.40% represents:

  • A 2.41 percentage point increase from 2021
  • Less than 1 percentage point below the state average of 81.3

— according to data released January 26 by the Oregon Department of Education.

KCSD's overall rate includes Falcon Heights — an alternative high school for students who are behind on credits and at risk of dropping out.

That inclusion matters. Alternative schools serve students with the highest risk of not graduating — by definition. The fact that KCSD's overall rate is so close to the state average while including alternative-school students suggests the district is producing better-than-average outcomes for its at-risk students relative to other districts.

Bonanza Junior/Senior High School

Bonanza Junior/Senior High School's 86.11% rate rounds out the strong KCSD performance.

(In subsequent years, Bonanza's class of 2023 went on to achieve a perfect 100% graduation rate — covered in our April 2024 issue.)

Why Rural High Schools Outperform

In Klamath County, smaller rural high schools are consistently hitting higher graduation rates than larger urban schools across Oregon. Why?

1. Every student is known by name

In a school of 200 kids across grades 7-12, every staff member knows every student. When a kid starts struggling, someone notices.

2. The community is small enough that the school IS the community

The local Friday football game, the spring play, the senior graduation — these are community events, not just school events. Students who don't graduate feel that absence acutely.

3. Multiple-year teacher relationships

The English teacher in 9th grade is often the same English teacher in 12th. The longitudinal relationships allow real mentorship to develop.

4. Families know the staff

Parents and teachers see each other at the grocery store, at church, at sports games. The school-family partnership is built on relationships, not just parent-teacher conferences.

5. Local employers are involved

Lost River, Chiloquin, and Bonanza all have strong CTE programs connected to local employers. Students see real career pathways to careers in the community they're growing up in.

What This Means for KCSD's Future

These results are evidence that:

  • The KCSD model is working in the rural schools
  • Investment in CTE, alternative pathways, and student-support services is paying off
  • The smaller school structure is a competitive advantage, not a limitation
  • Community partnership is the foundation everything else is built on

For KCSD families considering school choice across the county, these results matter. For state-level education policy advocates, the KCSD rural-school model is worth studying.

Thank You

To Principal Angie Wallin at Lost River. To the Chiloquin Junior/Senior High School team that hit 100%. To Henley at 97.01%. To Mazama at 93.53%. To Bonanza at 86.11%.

To Director of School Operations Jamie Ongman — who built Lost River's four-year streak before moving into district leadership.

To every teacher, counselor, administrator, family member, and student who contributed to these graduation outcomes — thank you.

To the classes of 2022 at every KCSD high school: you did it. The basin is proud of you.

To the classes still coming: the standard has been set. The schools, the teachers, the families, and the community are all rooting for you.

Graduation rates aren't about statistics. They're about kids' futures. And in Klamath County, more kids are walking into their futures with diplomas in hand than ever before.

Well done, KCSD.