POLSON — The Polson School Board approved the hiring of two new principals at a special meeting on Wednesday, May 23.

Joshua Preiss and Rex Weltz will take the helm at Linderman Elementary and Polson High School, respectively, for the 2012-13 year.

“I believe these two educators will provide the leadership and personal qualities of integrity, professionalism and student-centered vision that we all seek in our site leaders,” Polson interim superintendent Bill Appleton said.

Preiss comes to Linderman with seven years of experience as a fourth grade teacher and two years of experience as a building principal in Whitehall. Supervisors in Whitehall shared that Preiss has a strong reputation in addressing student behavior concerns, as well as providing follow-up action for student support.

Weltz, from Forks, Wash., arrives at Polson High School with 11 years of experience as a high school teacher and seven as an elementary and high school principal. According to Appleton, Weltz is a strong instructional leader and communicator and recommendations on Weltz’s behalf stated he has a strong ability in building relationships and promoting high expectations among students.

Much work has gone into finding the right fits for the positions, including surveys, applications and interviews. The candidates also met with teams, comprised of staff, administration and board members, on multiple occasions to answer questions they had.