Principal resigns, Lundberg to call it a career at LHS

In a decision that surprised school officials and district patrons alike, Lovell High School Principal Craig Lundberg submitted his resignation last week, effective at the end of the school year.

A 1995 graduate of the school he now administers, Lundberg is in his fifth year as principal, hired prior to the 2021-22 school year. Prior to that he taught fifth grade at Lovell Elementary School for 10 years and coached the Lovell Bulldogs boys basketball team for eight years.

He plans to stay in Lovell, working for an online gifted and talented school.

Prior to his service in School District Two, Lundberg and wife Tashie lived in Laramie and Idaho for five years before they returned home. He earned an associate degree from Northwest College and a Bachelor of Science in Education degree through Valley City State University in North Dakota in 2010. After teaching third grade in Burlington for a year, he was hired at Lovell Elementary in 2011.

Lundberg delivered his letter of resignation to Superintendent William Hiser last Wednesday, March 4.

In an interview Monday, Lundberg cited weight of the job, tough decisions to make in his hometown and the effects on his family life as reasons behind his resignation.

“I think the biggest thing is kind of just the weight of the job that goes into everything that you do in this position,” he said. “My parents graduated from here. My wife and I graduated from here. All of my kids graduated from here. I’ve been ingrained in the community, and sometimes when you start making decisions that affect others that you have grown up with or have known for a really long time, those decisions start to have an effect on you, even though you know you’re trying to do what’s best for the kids and the students and the staff and the community and everybody else that’s involved.

“Even toward the middle of last year, there was just that feeling like, man, there are some heavy things, some hard things that you have to do, and some difficult things. And like I said, even though you know or you feel like the things that you’re doing are what’s best, it’s still extremely difficult.”

Lundberg said the tough decisions have come in many areas.

“If you think about all the decisions that you have to make, you’re making decisions on programs, you’re making decisions on people, you’re making decisions on extracurriculars and athletics and activities,” he said. “You’re doing all of those things, and when you have to start making decisions that affect all of that, it can be pretty daunting. And for me, it just became to where I was taking a lot of that home with me, and it was affecting how I was at home, how I was with my own family. I was never really present when I was with my family. The job just consumes me, because you always want to respond to people. You always want to do a good job. You always want people to know that you’re listening and that you care.

“When you say something or do something or have an interaction with a parent or a student or even somebody in the community, it’s different, and since I’m from here, I felt like a lot of people feel I’m accessible. A lot of people come over and grab you by the coat sleeve and pull you over, whether that’s in the store or at church, no matter where you are, just to tell you what they think.”

Lundberg said he and Tashie took time to weigh the pros and cons of leaving the job, not wanting people to think he was quitting on the school or community, but an opportunity came along that would be beneficial.

“There was a decision that I had to make, and that Tashie and I had to make for ourselves and for our future,” he said. “And it ended up just kind of falling in my lap, and so I decided to do that and step away from this position.”

Lundberg has taken a position with GT School, a private, online K-8 school for gifted and talented students based in Georgetown, Texas. He will work remotely from home, he said, as an academic advisor.

“I’ve had a lot of people ask me, like, ‘Hey, did you get forced out? Hey, are you guys leaving the community? You guys moving?’ None of that was what happened,” he said. “It was just one of those things where, honestly, for my mental health it was just something that I felt was good.”

Lundberg said he will leave LHS with nothing but positive feelings and memories.

“Lovell High School is an amazing place,” he said. “I sometimes don’t think the community realizes how excellent, how hard working, how diligent, just how amazing the teachers and the staff here are, the amount of time that they put in, the amount of pride that they have in what they do and who they teach and what they represent, who they represent. It’s just amazing.

 “I’m super proud of everything that the staff here has accomplished, with what we’re moving toward and what we’re working on. Whoever comes in is going to be extremely lucky to work with these people. They are unbelievable. I mean, the kids, the community, all that stuff, that’s what makes it hard to leave.”

In his letter of resignation to Hiser and the school board, Lundberg wrote, “The role of principal is both challenging and rewarding, and I am grateful for the trust that has been placed in me to serve in this position. I am proud of the work we have done together and the many ways our school continues to support and grow our students.

“While I am taking time to step back from the demands of this role, my appreciation for Lovell High School and this community will never change. I want nothing but the very best for our students, our staff and the future of Lovell High School.

“Thank you for allowing me the privilege of serving this community. Lovell High School will always hold a special place in my heart. I will always bleed blue, and I will forever be a Bulldog.”

He said his last day at the helm will be June 12, and he will start in his new position on June 15.