La Grande schools name Justin Lieuallen as Central Elementary principal

Central Elementary is set for a leadership change that will shape staffing, school culture and academic priorities for one of La Grande’s key elementary campuses. La Grande School District said Justin Lieuallen will become the next principal at Central Elementary School, pending board approval, with a target start date of July 1, 2026.

The hire gives the district a leader with Eastern Oregon roots and a mix of classroom and administrative experience. Lieuallen was raised in Milton-Freewater and has worked in Hillsboro, Salem, Silverton and John Day, where he served as both an assistant principal and a high school principal. He currently works as a special education teacher and manager of an Intermediate Learning Center, a background that could matter in a building where principals are expected to handle academics, family communication and day-to-day operations at the same time.

The district had posted the Central Elementary principal job on Feb. 5 with a March 30 closing date, signaling that it was looking well ahead of the 2026-27 school year. The position was listed at $112,526.25 to $134,449.86 on the district’s administrative salary schedule, along with district-paid health, dental and vision premiums and employer-paid PERS for qualified employees. For a small district, that pay package and the summer timing suggest La Grande wanted a steady hand in place before classes resume.

The leadership change lands at a school serving 401 students in grades K-5, according to the Oregon Department of Education’s 2024-25 report card. Central Elementary is a Title I school, with 20% of students identified as having disabilities, 39% experiencing poverty and 8% ever English learners. ODE also reported that 93% of students required childhood vaccinations, and the school had a 93% average teacher retention rate over the past three years, a sign that stability inside the building remains an important issue for families and staff.

Monica West is listed as the current principal on the ODE school profile, continuing the transition that began after Suzy Mayes retired following the 2020-21 school year. West was named to lead Central Elementary starting July 1, 2021. The district’s choice of Lieuallen, who already has Eastern Oregon leadership experience, points to continuity with enough new perspective to address enrollment pressure, staffing stability and the school’s connection with parents.

That matters as districtwide enrollment has slipped to 2,067 students in March 2024, down from 2,230 in October 2020 and 2,179 in October 2021. Central Elementary’s 93.01% December attendance rate, reported in January 2024, shows the school has strengths to build on, but the next principal will inherit expectations that go well beyond routine administration.