Jamestown twins launch back-to-school drive for local students

Two Jamestown High School graduates are turning a shared hometown connection into a back-to-school effort aimed at giving local students a stronger start. Jenny and Jill Kleinknecht, twins who graduated from JHS in 2006, launched Beyond the First Day on June 3 through Briar Road, the literature-inspired clothing brand they run, and the Banned Literary Department, their book club on the Fable reading app.

The effort is built around the items many families need most before the first day of class: backpacks, school supplies, books and other essential items. By pairing the drive with the Jamestown Public School District, the sisters have tied the project directly to the needs of students and classrooms in the county seat of Stutsman County.

Jamestown Public Schools serves four elementary schools, a middle school, a high school, an alternative learning center and a transitional living program for students with disabilities. The district reported 1,939 students for the 2025-26 school year, after opening 2024-25 with 2,033 students across all grade levels, a reminder that even a local supply drive can reach a large number of children.

For the Kleinknechts, the project is meant to do more than hand out one-time donations. Jenny Kleinknecht said the charity arm grew out of a desire to do more than sell branded clothing and to make a meaningful difference for children who need support to succeed in school. The sisters have framed the effort as a sustained giveback rooted in literacy, access and a direct connection to the community where their own school years began.

That local need is sharpened by broader pressure on families. North Dakota increased the income guideline for free and reduced school meals to 225% of the federal poverty level in 2025, and Jamestown district communications continue to encourage families to complete the meal application. School supply costs often sit alongside food and housing expenses, making back-to-school season a difficult stretch for many households.

Jamestown already has a tradition of rallying around that need. Buffalo Mall’s annual Stuff the Bus collection has gathered backpacks and supplies for area children in need and funneled them into local distribution efforts. Beyond the First Day builds on that local habit of helping, with two Jamestown natives using their business and book-club network to invest back into the schools that shaped them.