New Polson Schools superintendent enthusiastic
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Education is a critical part of a functioning society. Nelson Mandela once said that “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” The task of educating a young person involves many components; there is the teacher who imparts knowledge, the administration that keeps the school in check, the board who makes policy changes, and then there is the superintendent who connects everything and everyone with a vision and a drive to succeed.
This year Polson School District 23 welcomes Rex Weltz as the new interim superintendent. Weltz has worked as the principal at Polson High School for the past four years and will be serving as superintendent for a year with the intent to stay for longer. Weltz credits his new position to the success he and his team of educators has had at the high school and will miss the day to day interactions with the students. “I didn’t come to Polson looking to be a superintendent, I came to be a high school principal,” Weltz said. Growing up in northwest Montana, Weltz returned to the area to be closer to family and chose Polson for the familiarity, community, and size. The superintendent position was a natural step for Weltz to take and is something he always planned on pursuing. “I knew at some point this is where I wanted to be,” he remarked, “but honestly I didn’t expect it to happen this soon.” As the new superintendent, Weltz is extremely excited to serve in this capacity and has ambitious plans for this year and the years to come. His three main focuses for the start of the year are to focus on instruction, assess strengths and weaknesses within the district, and build relationships. Maintaining and building relationships and trust will help him find longevity in a job that has changed hands quite a few times in the recent years. Even though he is only guaranteed one year in the position, Weltz isn’t letting that deter him from dreaming big. “In five years I see us still working as a team and striving to get better,” he said. Weltz is making decisions and plans as if this were a long-term job opportunity, not just a temporary job for a year. Unlike previous superintendents, Weltz has been actively working in the community and already has relationships built with many teachers and administrators. Even some of those he hadn’t previously known already approve of him. Joyce Crosby, a longtime teacher at Cherry Valley, has seen her fair share of superintendents and has a good feeling about Weltz. After only one meeting with him, she and other teachers got the impression that he genuinely wants to bring positive change to the district. “He seems like he really wants to do what is best for kids,” Crosby said. “I get the feeling that he is very approachable.” In his meeting, Weltz emphasized building stronger relationships between kids, families and the community, another thing Crosby said hasn’t been stressed enough in the last few years. Weltz is ecstatic to have the opportunity to grow and learn in this new position and is looking forward to tackling the challenge of bringing the district together and providing a sort of cohesiveness that the schools have been lacking. Along with excitement, Weltz feels a certain amount of nervousness about the task, but in a good way. “We don’t learn when we just sit back,” Weltz said. Weltz already has a reputation as a respected administrator, and he hopes that his energy and ideas will be a positive asset to the district. Scott Wilson, previously the vice principal, will be the new principal at Polson High School.
