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

The La Grande School Board will remain in its superintendent search mode another two months.

The board decided Wednesday to conduct a second search for a new superintendent.

The board made its decision about a week after it lost its top choice for superintendent, Richard Molitor of Central Washington, to a Central Oregon school district. Molitor was named superintendent of the Madras-based Jefferson County School District March 25.

Molitor, associate superintendent of the Wahluke School District, had been offered a contract by the La Grande School Board about a week earlier.

Molitor was one of the board’s two finalists. The second finalist, Marc Thielman, superintendent of the Wallowa School District, will not be offered a contract by the school board. 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.

“We thought that Marc was a strong applicant. Our entire search committee felt he was a great candidate,’’ said La Grande School Board chairperson John McKinnon. “Our conclusion was that his lack of experience was the only drawback.’’

McKinnon said the board was impressed with Thielman’s focus on children and teaching.

“We feel he will make a fine superintendent after he gets more years of experience,’’ McKinnon said. “We can say only positive things about him. He will be a real asset to any school district.’’

Thielman announced in February that he will step down as Wallowa’s superintendent at the end of June. He told The Observer in March that he was stepping down because his position in Wallowa was not the right fit for him and his family in the long run.

The La Grande School Board opened its second search today. The board will accept applications through April 21.

A tentative timeline adopted by the board calls for a screening committee to begin evaluating applicants April 23 and for interviews to be conducted May 2-3. The board hopes to announce the selection of a new superintendent by May 28.

The board is seeking a successor for Jay Rowell, who resigned in June of 2007 after five years as superintendent. Interim Superintendent Irv Nikolai plans to step down at the end of June.