>La Grande Observer | Union and Wallowa Counties' News Leader

The public likely received a first-hand glimpse of the La Grande School District’s future Wednesday night.

A public reception featuring the two finalists for the school superintendent’s position was conducted Wednesday — the first in at least 15 years.

Richard Molitor, associate superintendent of the Wahluke School District in Central Washington, and Marc Thielman, superintendent of the Wallowa School District, were greeted at a public gathering hosted by the La Grande School District.

Both shared their impressions of the district, the community and fielded questions about their backgrounds.

“Personally, this is the type of community my wife and I would like to be a part of,’’ said Molitor.

Molitor has been with the Wahluke School District for seven years, the past three as associate superintendent. He was principal of an intermediate grade school for students in grades 3, 4 and 5 for four years before taking his present position.

The Wahluke School District has about 1,850 students, a total similar to the La Grande district.

“It is a district the size I would like working in,’’ Molitor said.

The finalist said he has a positive overall impression of the district after touring it.

“It is ripe and ready. It is ready to move forward,’’ Molitor said.

He is particularly impressed with the energy and dedication of its employees.

“It is an amazing staff.’’

Molitor said he can understand why the La Grande School District plans to seek a bond for maintenance and construction in November. He said that the condition of its buildings and grounds are definitely in need of improvement.

Molitor is familiar with the challenges of getting bonds passed, having helped get three bonds and levies passed in the Wahluke School District.

Molitor and his wife, Kris, have two children ages 9 and 11.

A story in The (Bend) Bulletin on Wednesday said that Molitor is also a finalist for the superintendent position in Madras.

Thielman is completing his second year as superintendent of the Wallowa School District. He was a principal in the St. John’s School District in Washington’s Whitman County for four years before taking his position in Wallowa.

Thielman toured the La Grande district Wednesday and said he was impressed by many of its innovative features. He noted that the elementary schools have excellent support programs for special needs students and reading. He also was struck by things such as the quality of La Grande High School’s journalism program.

“There are so many innovative things (in the school district). I would be excited to be a part of it,’’ Thielman said.

Like Molitor, Thielman agrees there is a need for the district’s proposed maintenance and construction bond.

“There are definitely (building condition) issues,’’ Thielman said.

He said it is important for people to realize that the proposed bond would support all children in the school district and the community as a whole.

“Everybody benefits (if a bond is passed),’’ Thielman said.

He noted that bond levies are the one form of local funding control school districts still have in Oregon.

Thielman announced in February that he will step down as Wallowa’s superintendent at the end of the school year.

“It was not the right fit in the long run. My family needs and the political playing field were not conducive to what I was trying to accomplish in education,’’ Thielman said.

He emphasized, though, that he thinks highly of those he has worked with in Wallowa.

“The people in Wallowa have been fantastic. The board has been great to work with ... I received the strongest community support I ever experienced as an administrator, and the staff is the best I have ever worked with,’’ Thielman said.

He helped develop a number of new programs in Wallowa. They include a Certificate of Initial Mastery prep program, which assists students struggling to earn their CIM. Another program involves the parents of children faced with special challenges in school. Through it, parents are invited to be part of a school district education team that meets regularly to address how the needs of their child can best be met.

Thielman’s career background includes five years as a teacher and a coach in the Central Valley School District in Eastern Washington’s Spokane Valley. Thielman and his wife, Cindi, are the parents of seven children ages 1-18.

The school district is seeking a successor for Jay Rowell, who resigned last June. Interim Superintendent Irv Nikolai will step down at the end of June.

Four people have served as superintendent of the district since 1995. This is the first time that a public reception has been held in a superintendent search since at least then.

The school board hopes to have a new superintendent named by April 9.