Libby Public Schools are renewing their search for a high school principal.

Unlike last year when only one candidate was interviewed, this time there are four vying for the job.

The quartet includes Bill Brist, Gerald Choiunard, Heidii Fettinger and Niall Trimble. Trimble was a candidate in 2025 and he was offered the job, but turned it down.

School officials provided a schedule of the candidate tour and interviews, which will begin Thursday, April 16 and conclude Friday, April 17. All of the below mentioned events are open to the public.

Candidates will begin at 7:45 a.m., meeting with the middle high school team, followed by a meeting with students, building secretaries. A tour of the middle high school, with acting principal Scott Beagle, follows before a meeting with elementary school administration and then Superintendent Ron Goodman.

The second candidate of each day will begin at 10:30 a.m. and wrapping up at 12:45 p.m. with Goodman.

Brist is scheduled first Thursday, followed by Choiunard. Friday, Fettinger begins the interview process at 7:45 a.m. followed by Trimble.

The school board will hold two special meetings, one each on Thursday and Friday, at Maki Theatre in Libby. Thursday's meeting begins at 4 p.m. Each candidate will take a tour of the community, then have a formal interview with the board and superintendent.

Friday's special meeting begins at 3 p.m. with community tours, formal interviews as well as a discussion and possible selection of a principal.

Chouinard, the superintendent at Hot Springs in Sanders County, is resigning from his position, effective June 30, after overseeing the district for nearly six years.  

District trustees approved his resignation during a recent board meeting last month. 

Chouinard started his tenure in July 2020, when schools across the country moved to remote learning amid myriad Covid-19 regulations. Hot Springs School District maintained a limited hybrid learning platform, as Chouinard described it, allowing students to return to class with their masks on.  

Five years later, he launched an investigation into one of his employees, former Clerk and Business Manager Carmen Jackson, over suspicions of misconduct. It proved to be an unprecedented time for the school district, Chouinard said.  

A report released in September alleged Jackson embezzled funds from the school, used district credit cards for personal purchases and granted herself unauthorized payroll advances.

According to a Sept. 1, 2023, story in the Fallon County Times, Brist moved to Baker and worked as its activities director and associate principal. He has previous experience as the University of Great Falls cross country track and field coach, 

Brist graduated from Montana State University with a degree in secondary edu­cation. While working for Univer­sal Athletic Service, he also coached at a local high school. He coached at different schools for about 30 years before tak­ing a job in Great Falls teach­ing. Brist also received a second bachelor’s degree in communications and a master’s degree in adminis­tration.

Fettinger, originally from Great Falls, is currently the principal at Plains High School in Sanders County. She was hired in July 2024. According to the Great Falls Public Schools website, she was a member of the English Learners Committee.

According to information on the Nampa School District, Idaho, Trimble is the Director of Federal Programs.

Beagle, the director of curriculum and special services, stepped in to handle principal responsibilities in early January 2025 following the resignation of former principal Jim Germany after he was accused of assaulting a student Dec. 9, 2024, during class.

Germany's case was resolved Feb. 12, 2025, when his attorney Ann German and Deputy County Attorney Jeff Zwang signed a pretrial diversion agreement.

The agreement said Germany will not be tried for the offense during the pretrial diversion, which is in effect for one year. The deal calls for Germany to not violate any laws of Montana, the U.S. and any other state. 

Because Germany did not violate the agreement, the charges were dropped earlier this year. Per the agreement, Germany is not pleading guilty to any offense and is not admitting any of the allegations made against him.