City Schools announce Superintendent finalists

The following is a press release from Klamath Falls City Schools.

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. - Dr. Mychal Amos, chair of the Klamath Falls City Schools Board of Education has announced that two finalists have been named in their search for a superintendent. The board, led by consultants from Hazard, Young & Associates began the search in October following the announcement from Superintendent Paul Hillyer that he would retire at the end of the 2020-2021 school year after 11 years leading the district.

During an executive session on January 26th, the consultants presented the slate of applicants to the Board of Education along with detailed background information on each. The board selected five candidates who most closely matched the selection criteria and leadership profile established by the board, district staff and community.

Following two days of interviews the first week of February, the board narrowed the field down to two finalists; Jeff Bullock, Curriculum Director of the KCSD and Keith Brown, retired Superintendent of Taylor Independent School District in Taylor Texas (as of 2/1/2021) and President of KB Consulting, a private firm specializing in primary/secondary education, school district operations, as well as school law and finance.

A graduate of Robert D. Clark Honors College at the University of Oregon, Jeff Bullock obtained his Master of Arts in Teaching from Pacific University, Forest Grove. He has served as the Secondary Curriculum Director for the Klamath County School District since 2014. Prior to his current position he served as the principal of Klamath Union High School for 9 years and as the Assistant Principal of Curriculum for 3 years.

“I am grateful to the board for considering my candidacy for this position, Bullock said when he learned that he was a finalist. “With 19 years of experience in the Klamath Basin, I know our students, families and community well. The city schools face an immediate need to reengage students after a year of COVID restricts. I am excited to work with the staff and administrative team to reignite the excitement and success this district is known for.”

During his time at Klamath Union, Bullock worked with Klamath Community College to create the Advanced Diploma 5th year program and developed the first KU/OIT partnership that put KU seniors on the Oregon Tech campus. As the Secondary Curriculum Director for the KCSD he has been the writer and grant manager of the Measure 98 High School Success Grant and the Student Success Act/Student Investment Account. He implemented Schoology as the district-wide learning management system, developed the STEM&M program with Mazama High School and Oregon Tech, and oversees curriculum and instruction in seven district high schools and two middle schools. When notified that he was a finalist, Keith Brown stated “I am both honored and humbled to be one of the top two candidates for the Klamath Falls City Schools Superintendent position. It is an exceptional district and a wonderful opportunity! I am excited to visit the schools, meet students and staff, interview with the board, and spend time getting to know the community."

Brown obtained his Bachelor’s degree from Mid America Nazarene College in Olathe, Kansas, his Masters of Science from Texas A&M University-Commerce, and is a Doctoral candidate finalizing his dissertation. Brown has been an administrator since 1994 and a superintendent for 16 years. Previous to becoming a superintendent he also served as the Athletic Director and principal at Rivercrest High School. In 2013 he was named the Texas Association of School Boards Superintendent of the Year.

During his tenure at Taylor Independent School District he increased the General Fund balance by almost $2 million, implemented programs that improved the district’s academic ranking and lead the expansion of the CTE program to include over 1,100 students as well as a new partnership with Peterbilt to start a Diesel Mechanics program in the Fall of 2020. As the superintendent with Bay City Independent School District he and his team devised and implemented a vertically aligned curriculum and successfully utilized tools to identify where educational resources needed to be focused to improve academic achievement, resulting in significantly improving student achievement in all schools for all students.

Mr. Bullock and Mr. Brown will meet in person with district staff, community leaders, and others February 17th and 18th. Members of the community are invited to meet both candidates during two virtual public forums on February 18th at 5:30 P:M and 7:00 PM (to join the meeting you will find the link on the front page of the school website at www.kfalls.k12.or.us). On February 19th both candidates will participate in second-round interviews with the Board of Education.

The announcement of the new superintendent will be made on March 8, 2021 at the regular meeting of the Board of Education.