Since July 2023, Jason Hohnbaum has been one of Lake Oswego High School’s invaluable assistant principals. He previously worked as both the assistant and head principal in the Sheridan School District, as well as a Library and Instructional Technology teacher at Beaverton High School (BHS) and a history teacher in the North Santiam School District, coaching three sports and leading their FIRST Tech Challenge robotics program. He always dreamt of working in an administrative role during the years he spent as a teacher and technology specialist, wanting to be a “bigger agent of change,” as he put it.
Hohnbaum, nicknamed H. Baum by students (an allusion to Edward Teller’s invention of the hydrogen bomb), describes himself as “the weird, eccentric uncle you never knew you wanted.” His current schedule consists of conferencing with students who are struggling to adhere to academic policy—freshmen and sophomores specifically. “My job is to keep you rolling on down the lane,” he said, referencing bowling. “As long as you stay between the bumpers, you’ll be in my good graces.”In November, he became quite the spectacle at LOHS. During a pep rally before the semifinal football game against Central Catholic High School on Nov. 23, Associated Student Body Spirit Director Charlie Crandall shaved Hohnbaum’s head in front of hundreds of students. “I’ve always shaved my own head, so when [Crandall] suggested the idea I was just like, ‘Sure, why not, let’s do it,’” H. Baum said, sporting a t-shirt of the LO logo with a photo of his face taken mid-shave imposed inside the O. “At one point, it looked like Moses had parted his hairline,” remarked junior Owen Goleno, who witnessed the amateur hairdressing. But Hohnbaum took it all in stride, smiling throughout the whole hairstyle setback. His hair has since swiftly regrown, and he no longer sports a baseball cap in the hallways.
Outside of being an assistant principal, he’s also a father of three children. He exists at the intersection of administrative school employment and parenting. One of them, a freshman this year, sees him almost as a kind of “cheat code,” H. Baum said. “She comes to me about any problem she has because she knows I know exactly how to fix it.” Additionally, he loves traveling. He’s been to more than half the states in America, seven different countries, and still, “PDX is the best airport out of any I’ve ever been to,” he said. “When you see that iconic carpet, you know you’ve come home.” He misses leading out-of-country student travel tours over at BHS and encourages students to involve themselves in the Education First tours here at LOHS.
Hohnbaum is deeply committed to ensuring that the school remains a safe, dependable place for students. “He’s an amazing new addition to our staff,” said Registrar Karalee Kyllo, “and his sense of humor is immaculate.” If you see him sometime during the school day, say hi.
