KELLOGG – Cultists, clowns, and zombies. Oh my! Or something like that... 

Students in Kellogg High School’s leadership class are deep in preparation for their annual haunted house, set to open this weekend at the Kellogg School District Administrative Annex. 

The annex offers a sprawling space, perfect for transforming into a labyrinth of fear. Each room inside the haunted house is designed with its own chilling theme. This year’s lineup includes evil clowns, haunted hospitals, creepy dolls, cannibals, cults, the purge, zombies, and a pitch-black room where the only thing you can hear is your own heartbeat. Many of the scares bleed into one another as brave souls venture from one nightmare to the next. 

The cult room is the newest addition, and one that the students are especially excited to unleash. 

“We had kind of been doing cult with our cannibal room,” said leadership student Abigayle Gosline. “So, we just decided to split them up.” 

“It’s going to be really scary, with people wearing masks and lots of strange symbols,” added student Owen Roach. 

Now in its third year, Kellogg High School’s haunted house has grown in popularity, drawing more students to participate. This year, members of the drama and JROTC classes are joining forces with the leadership team, along with students from the National Honor Society. 

While the haunted house is a fright-filled fundraiser, it also serves a greater purpose, helping shape future community leaders. Proceeds from the event support the students’ annual trip to the student council conference in Boise. 

“It’s our biggest fundraiser,” said junior Porter Lewis. “We make around $3,000 each year and we use it to go to our leadership conference. We learn how to make student events better, improve our team building, and a lot of other things that benefit our school.” 

KHS was recently honored with an Outstanding Student Council (OSC) designation for its efforts in recent years. The leadership class credits this achievement to their hard work and the dedication of ASB President Kelsie Dechand. 

To earn the OSC title, the class had to meet a long list of criteria and submit their work to the Idaho Association of Student Councils. Initially, they thought they had come up short until Dechand reviewed the previous year’s efforts, compiled a video, and submitted it. The school was awarded the OSC shortly after. 

“Kelsie went through everything and realized they had done a lot of the stuff on the list,” said leadership teacher Hollie Yrjana. “She sent them a really awesome email and they fixed it.” 

Gosline, who also participates in the school’s drama class, says her favorite part of the haunted house is learning new, and often grotesque, special effects makeup techniques. 

Tickets are $10, and the students aim to provide an affordable, immersive experience that’s perfect for families and groups looking for a spooky night out. 

Each trip through the haunted house is expected to take 15 to 20 minutes. Organizers recommend that children under 10 be accompanied by an adult. 

Kellogg High School’s Haunted House runs Saturday, Oct. 25, from 7 to 10 p.m. at the KSD Administrative Annex.