Klamath Falls, Oregon – Several schools in Klamath County had to stop in-person learning because of a harsh flu season. This shows how widespread illness is putting a strain on both staff and resources.
Three elementary schools in the Klamath Falls City Schools district—Conger, Pelican, and Mills—along with Ponderosa Middle School—were closed on Friday because more than half of the teachers and staff were sick, most of them with flu-like symptoms.
Superintendent Keith Brown told Jefferson Public Radio that the decision was unavoidable. He stated that in more over 20 years in the job, he had only experienced similar shutdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic.
There is a constant lack of teachers and replacements across the country, which makes things even worse. When disease spreads quickly, districts have few options.
The Klamath County School District has also had comparable problems nearby. Gilchrist Elementary and Gilchrist Junior/Senior High have been closed since Wednesday afternoon because there aren’t enough staff members and some of them are sick. These closures come after four more district schools closed the week before, showing how quickly things have changed in the area.
The health statistics shows how bad the season is. Last Monday, federal surveillance showed that Oregon had the most flu activity in the country. State health officials said that 632 people were hospitalized with the flu during the 2025–2026 season. Vaccination rates have stayed approximately the same as last year, at about 30%, offering little additional buffer against the surge.
District authorities want to get back to normal as soon as possible. Brown stated that personnel would spend the holiday weekend carefully cleaning the premises. They expect that staff will be well enough to go back to work on Tuesday. He also said that the break is meant to give workers time to get better so that normal classes may start up again safely.
