With La Pine High School’s principal moving to a district office job, four candidates for the opening appeared during a public forum Wednesday afternoon.

Jay Mathisen, the outgoing principal, will take over as Bend-La Pine Schools’ human resources director on July 1. Matt Montgomery, the school’s current assistant principal, was the only finalist from within the district.

The other three finalists are Lisa Petersen, principal of Siuslaw Middle School in Florence; Colfax (Wash.) High School Principal Gary Weitz; and Wade Pilloud, a high school principal in the Marsing (Idaho) Joint School District.

In the coming weeks, the district hopes to fill the position that will pay between $105,050 and $114,003, including retirement benefits.

More than 20 staff and community members attended the forum at the school, asking questions of each candidate.

Among the questioners, Bend High School Principal H.D. Weddel asked what the finalists would focus on to continue La Pine High’s improvement.

The school should put more emphasis on science, math and post-secondary education, Petersen said.

“Just finishing high school is not enough now,” said Petersen, adding that La Pine High must find ways to prepare students for anything from vocational school to a four-year university.

Since 2007, Petersen has been principal at Siuslaw Middle School. Petersen has also worked in that district as Siuslaw High School assistant principal and as a high school teacher in Junction City.

Petersen holds a bachelor’s degree in social sciences and secondary education, as well as a master’s degree in counseling, from Oregon State University.

At La Pine High since 2010, Montgomery has also been dean of students at Poynter Middle School in Hillsboro, where he taught several subjects, including physical education, health and math. Montgomery also taught at Glencoe High School.

Montgomery graduated from the University of Oregon with a bachelor’s degree in physical education and health, and he holds a master’s degree in instructional leadership from Concordia University.

Not only should the school improve how it prepares graduates for college or jobs, it should also help students find role models, Montgomery said.

“We need to find more opportunities — and it’s challenging when we’re cutting programs — for students to foster and build relationships with adult figures in the community,” Montgomery said.

Pilloud began his current job in 2007, and has also worked in the South Koochiching/Rainy River (Minn.) School District, and as both superintendent and principal at the Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig (Minn.) School.

Pilloud has two bachelor’s degrees – in social studies and history – and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Bemidji State University in Minnesota.

Though he had researched the school, Pilloud said he was in no position to pick a focus yet. That would come after he’d met with staff about La Pine High’s needs.

“I can’t tell you exactly what we need to do. There’s lots of different directions we can go,” he said.

Weitz became Colfax High principal in 2006, and before that was a principal in Pateros (Wash.) School District. Additionally, he has been a middle school principal in Washington and, in Umatilla, a high school vice-principal and athletic director.

Additionally, Weitz taught high school in Milton-Freewater.

Weitz has a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in teacher education from Eastern Oregon University.

Weitz said he would work to connect with parents and community members.

“You must operate a collegial and congenial climate out of your building. That positive climate, that positive learning environment is where it starts.”