UMATILLLA — Umatilla High School has a new team of administrative leaders for the 2024-25 school year.

Principal Bob Lorence, Vice Principal April Dirksen and office manager Debbie Tesch announced their joint retirement at the end of the 2023-24 school year, leaving the school with the daunting task of filling these key roles. Recognizing the challenge ahead, Superintendent Heidi Sipe assembled a team to help locate the new leaders of UHS.

“We reached out to students, parents, staff, and community members with a survey to help us understand the strengths and future needs of Umatilla High,” Sipe said Monday, April 29, in a press release from the school district.

The survey results led the team to develop an advertising flyer and to create a part-time culture coordinator on special assignment. This role was to uphold Umatilla High traditions and school pride while providing support to the new principal and vice principal.

The school district shared the flyer with job postings at the state and national level, resulting in 18 applications for the three positions. The team worked for the past two months to consider the pool of applicants and conduct interviews.

“We are pleased to announce the new leadership at Umatilla High,” Sipe said

The district hired Jared Tesch, a Umatilla High alumnus, as principal. Tesch has worked in the Salem-Keizer, Dallas, Pendleton and Central school districts during his 20-year education career. He has worked as a teacher, coach, instructional coach, vice principal and principal.

“He brings a strong mix of leadership experiences from his previous roles coupled with knowledge and appreciation for the community of Umatilla,” according to the school district.

Oscar Contreras is the new vice principal. He worked as the physical education teacher for Clara Brownell Middle School and coach for Umatilla High.

He has participated in leadership committees and in the school district.

And Corinne Funderburk steps into the role of culture coordinator.

She has worked as a teacher and a coach in Umatilla for more than 30.

Lorence, Dirksen and Tesch established a strong legacy of success, according to Sipe, and the new team will build on that and “take Umatilla High into its next phase while maintaining our commitment to enhancing student experiences and ensuring graduation success.”