AMERICAN FALLS — William Thomas Middle School Principal Randy Jensen said Friday that he has filed notice with the state that a campaign treasurer has been appointed, and he will likely challenge Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna in the May Republican primary.

    An official campaign announcement will take place in Boise next week.

    Jensen, originally from Pocatello, has served as the principal at William Thomas Middle School for 25 years, and he said concern about the future of Idaho students led him to consider his bid for the state office.

    “It’s an important position, important for children and important for Idaho,” Jensen said.     

    Jensen said he has met with school and business leaders across the state to gauge support for a possible bid at filling the state’s highest education post.

    “We’re at a critical time,” Jensen said about his decision. “All the groups are willing to come together to improve Idaho’s education system.”

    Currently, Idaho ranks dead last students that go on to earn a college degree, eight in 10 Idaho high school students graduate, four in 10 go on to college and only one in 10 actually earns a degree.

    Programs at William Thomas Middle School put students on Idaho State University campus throughout the year, and Jensen said American Falls High School has more students that are dual enrolled — earning college credits while in high school — than almost any other school in the state.

    “Everyone wants to go to college, it’s that step from applying to actually going that we need to focus on,” Jensen said. “We rely on parents to do that, but if the parents didn’t go to college, that’s hard to do.”

    Jensen, who obtained his master’s degree in education from Idaho State University and has school administrator and superintendent certification, was named National Principal of the Year in 2005. William Thomas Middle School was recognized as one of the top schools in the country three of the past five years. The middle school was selected as a national showcase school by the Center for Secondary School Redesign and the National Association of Secondary School Principals and has been featured in a number of education publications.

    Jensen said he has considered the idea of making a run for the state superintendent’s position for several years, but said he and his wife, Kristen, were committed to raising their family in American Falls.

    “My youngest son is a senior this year,” Randy said.

    Kristen is currently serving her 23rd year on the American Falls City Council.

    The couple have four children.

    Their daughter, Whitney Lankford, is an Idaho State University graduate and a former ISU student body vice president. She also served an internship with U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo in his Washington office. Whitney and her husband, Connor Lankford, live in American Falls and both work in the agricultural industry.

    Their son, Jaxson, is a junior studying mass communication at ISU, and he works as a broadcaster for the athletic department. Daughter Cassidy is serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Kirkland, Ohio. She also studied mass communication and political science at Chapman University in Orange, Calif. The couple’s youngest son, Colin, is a senior at American Falls High School, where he is student body vice president and plays basketball and baseball.

    Randy directed the local Little League for 10 years and has been a member of the American Falls Lions Club International for 25 years.

    His parents, Charles and Nelda Jensen, owned Vogts Inc. in Pocatello and as a teenager, Randy worked as a chimney sweep. The youngest of seven children, three of his sisters are also educators. Karen Ruchti and Karlene Dance both work for the Pocatello-Chubbuck School District, and Kris Guzman is a second-grade teacher in Ventura, Calif.

    Jensen’s brother, Robert, still operates the family business in Pocatello.

    “What I bring to this office is trust and confidence,” Jensen said about his bid for state superintendent. “This is a critical time for education in Idaho.”