Bear Creek Elementary School Principal Matt Montoya says Bend-La Pine Schools has asked him to resign or face job termination at a meeting scheduled for Monday afternoon.

“It’s been a shock for me,” said Montoya, 34. “I’m just hoping that it’s all been a mistake at this point.”

A district representative declined to comment on Montoya’s statement.

“We can’t comment,” said Lora Nordquist, the Bend-La Pine assistant superintendant for elementary education. “It’s a personnel issue.”

Montoya did not comment on the reason the district gave for his termination, either, but said he was notified Monday by district officials that a termination meeting would be held June 24 at 4 p.m. He said the notification came out of nowhere.

Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Ron Wilkinson was not available Friday for comment. A call to district spokeswoman Julianne Repman was not returned.

Montoya’s wife, Jennifer Montoya, a teacher at Elk Meadow Elementary, said her husband was told the termination is related to his job performance.

“We’re truly hurt by what’s happening,” Jennifer Montoya said. “Matt’s done nothing unethical. He loves the school, and it’s heartbreaking to think that that could be taken away from him.”

Bear Creek Elementary parents Taryn DuBose and Karmen L’Hommedieu say Montoya is popular and respected by students’ parents.

“He’s an amazing person, and it just blows my mind that this is happening,” said DuBose, whose child will be a first-grader at the school this fall.

“He truly cares about students, and they respect him and trust him. It would be such a travesty to lose him,” DuBose said.

Montoya has been the principal at Bear Creek since 2010, and had moved from Arizona to Bend with his family for the position.

During the three years Montoya has been at Bear Creek, the district has implemented a dual-immersion program at the school, which allows native Spanish and English speakers to be immersed in both languages. It’s the only program of its kind in the district and gained popularity in the community. This past year, 30 students were wait-listed for the program.

Parents described Montoya as a very involved principal who would attend most Parent Teacher Organization meetings, act as a crossing guard in the mornings before school and make an effort to know every student’s name.

L’Hommedieu, a Bear Creek PTO member, said that when she first sent her daughter to school there three years ago, she heard only of the school’s bad reputation.Under Montoya’s leadership, Bear Creek has improved by leaps and bounds, and its reputation has taken a 180-degree turn, she said.

“Mr. Montoya’s made that school what it is today,” L’Hommedieu said.

When L’Hommedieu heard the news that Montoya might not be back at Bear Creek next year, she said she was devastated. “It feels like someone’s taking something away from us,” she said. “He’s such a huge part of the school, it would take a lot to get someone in there who’s comparable to him.”

DuBose said she and several other Bear Creek Elementary parents plan a rally outside the district building at 4 p.m. Monday to support Montoya.

Nordquist said she could not confirm whether a meeting will take place Monday. Bend-La Pine School Board Chairman Ron Gallinat, whose district encompasses Bear Creek Elementary, said he would not comment on a personnel matter. “All I can say right now is he has not been terminated,” Gallinat said Friday.

Montoya said he doesn’t want to resign.

“I love being principal here at Bear Creek, and I want to continue,” he said. “We (the staff and I) have been able to do some amazing things together. I have such great respect for district leaders, and I’m just hoping we can get this figured out.”