KHS Haunted House raises $3,000

KELLOGG — The annual Kellogg High School Haunted House was once again a hit with Silver Valley residents last weekend at the school district's Administrative Annex building. 

Organized by Kellogg High School Leadership students, the haunted attraction drew its largest crowd in several years and raised nearly $3,000 to support school and community events throughout the year. 

This year's haunted house featured eight themed attractions along a new route through the eerie hallways of the former Kellogg Middle School. New additions included The Swine and Stranger Things. Both proved popular with visitors. 

Multiple visitors commented on The Swine's intensity, which featured a real fetal pig on display and an unexpected jump scare involving an unchained chainsaw. The longtime favorite Insane Asylum also stood out for its frightening actors and realistic props. 

“I’ve come to the haunted house for the last couple of years, but this year was definitely the scariest,” said Laine Smith, a sophomore at Kellogg High School. “My friends and I weren’t prepared for The Swine section at all. The decorations made the whole hallway look like a real corn maze, and the actor chasing us with a chainsaw really topped it all off.” 

The Kellogg High School Leadership class has organized the haunted house for five years, introducing new features and improvements each year. This year, students set up an inflatable movie screen outside so guests could watch Halloween films while waiting in line. Actors also interacted with attendees outside before they entered the attraction. 

Much of the credit for the event's success could go to ASB President Porter Lewis, who oversees projects such as the haunted house. However, Lewis preferred to credit his classmates. 

"I'm really proud of how the whole class was able to break into groups and get their jobs done with creativity, quality, and efficiency,” Lewis said. “A lot of brainstorming goes into the beginning of creating the haunted house. Figuring out where each section should be and how to fill all of the space we are given is our main focus during the first weeks of October, then we start bringing the vision to life by ordering our decorations and finding actors for each section. It’s always satisfying to see such a great end result each year, and I hope next year’s haunts will keep getting bigger and better.” 

Proceeds from the haunted house help fund a variety of leadership class activities throughout the school year. The group organizes school dances, including homecoming, the winter formal and the Spring Fling dances, while also promoting school spirit through seasonal activities and monthly pep assemblies. 

Leadership students also give back to the community by visiting Mountain Valley of Cascadia, where they entertain residents with games and stories. 

One of the class's primary goals is raising enough money to attend the Idaho Student Council State Conference every other year. The conference gives students a chance to learn about activities and events at other schools and bring new ideas back to Kellogg High School to strengthen school culture and community involvement.