In The News: Risen leaving Newberg High School

A year after beginning a transformation at NHS, the principal resigns suddenly due to health concerns

Mark Risen’s tenure at Newberg High School has been cut short after just one year, as the district announced Friday that its lead principal has suddenly resigned for health reasons.

Risen was unavailable for comment and no further explanation was given in a statement released by the district.

In the release, the district credited Risen for uniting and reinvigorating staff, students and parents under the Newberg Nation banner while at the same time making the decision to abandon its small-school model in favor of a more traditional structure. At the same time, Risen worked to retain the sense of personalized attention that had been the hallmark of the small school system.

“Mark’s hard work to return Newberg to a comprehensive high school and restore school pride has been a significant accomplishment,” Superintendent Kym LeBlanc-Esparza said. “We will do what we need to do to ensure Newberg High School has the leadership it needs to continue to move forward in addressing student success.”

During his brief tenure, NHS expanded engineering classes and launched revitalized business-school partnerships. Mandarin Chinese and an AVID program targeting graduation and post-secondary success were also initiated and are underway for the coming school year.

Risen’s departure leaves a leadership vacuum at the school and little time to find a replacement as school begins in about a month. LeBlanc-Esparza said district officials are exploring options for the coming school year and expect to announce further information this week.