Dr. James Tarwater says goodbye to Lake Tahoe Unified School District

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Dr. James Tarwater will be bringing his 54-year career in education to a close this month as he passes the torch to the new Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) superintendent June 30.

He has worn many hats during the 15 years he has been in South Lake Tahoe. As superintendent, he was also principal of the Lake Tahoe Environmental Magnet School (LTEMS) for eight years, filled in as the chief financial officer for a while along with being the human resources director. In 2005, Tarwater was superintendent, principal, and CFO at the same time. For the past seven years, he has been in front of South Tahoe Middle School almost every morning, rain, snow, or shine, greeting the kids with a "high five" as they get dropped off at school.

It was those first years that have him so connected with the class of 2020. He was the LTEMS principal, giving those "high-fives" to the new kindergartners, and watching a school bond measure pass that brought them many benefits to their final years at high school.

"You watch as they develop and mature, and academically grow," said Tarwater of the bonding with the class of 2020.

He said he'd like to be remembered by his connection with, and passion for, the kids.

"As you get older, it's more precious," said Tarwater of that connection and start their day off with a smile. "If I can get 80 percent eye contact and a high five and tell them 'go, have a good day' my goal has been accomplished."

He said his passion for the kids has carried him up the ladder. That passion started when he was the assistant superintendent at South Bay Union in Imperial Beach, California. The border city had many children coming across from Mexico on the trolley daily to go to school.

"They saw how important it was to get an education," Tarwater said.

The North Long Beach, New Jersey native said he knew what it was like to be poor. He made it through school with athletics, then did his undergraduate work at Whittier College in Southern California, Masters Degree at the University of Redlands, Northern Arizona for his doctorate in education, then a specialized degree from Point Loma.

After teaching in the elementary and middle school classroom for 12 years, Tarwater moved to be a principal at the same two levels for another eight years, then on to director and, for the last 28 years, a superintendent.

He said the most fun was being a principal as he could support the kids the most.

"But it's fun to be a superintendent too," he said. "Every decision will have some for and some against it."

The fire at Sierra House Elementary in 2018 was a situation that had many parents upset with his handling of the situation, reconstruction and population.

"It was hard when the Sierra House fire happened, then turn around and get the pandemic, and turn around and the governor wants to take $3.7 million from our budget," said Tarwater.

Before school closed in March, he was enjoying visits to all of the classrooms, seeing the students as well as teachers (he'd hired about half of them).

"Relationships with the kids is what keeps you going," said Tarwater. He said he's had a tough time over the last 13 weeks with not having students in the classrooms.

He said he doesn’t want to focus on retirement because of how tough it has been with COVID this year. But the special graduation at Sierra-at-Tahoe is helping to change everything.

"I wanted something special for the kids, and I’m so proud of everyone in the community getting together to support them," said Tarwater of the special graduation for the class of 2020.

"I like how these kids show respect, support one another - they are the high-fivers and huggers with a great attitude," he said of this graduating class. "It will make your heart feel good when you watch the speeches. These kids are driven."

Dr. Tarwater said there are many moments during his tenure that he is proud of leaving as part of his legacy.

2005 - When he starts at LTUSD, Meyers Elementary is reopened as the magnet school. He said kids are committed to school more with a commitment to the environment. Class size reduction was eliminated the year before he started and grades K-3 got to start fresh..."Turn the page and give kids choice," he said.

Tarwater recollects that first year at LTEMS when Bob Comlossy's 5th graders won the 2006 Jiminy Cricket's California Environmentality Challenge awards for their award-winning effort of building boxes for bats (need bats to be protected to eat the mosquitos). The students were treated to tours at Disneyland, meals and recognition. "This let me know I was in the right place," added Tarwater.

2007 - Two Way Immersion (TWI) popped after parents led the efforts to become one of 43 such schools in the nation to offer the program all the way to high school. After that, Sierra House Elementary started a focus on the outdoors and physical education, Tahoe Valley Elementary became performing arts-centered.

Also that year, the old Olympic three-lane track was removed from South Tahoe Middle School. It had been built at the training grounds at the top of Echo Summit for the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, then moved to the middle school for use for the next 39 years. "I told myself, 'I have to make it a project to have a new track," said Tarwater. The community came together and fundraised to get the needed $2.7M. Donations from Park Cattle, Big George, the City of South Lake Tahoe, and others helped build the nine-lane track with a soccer field in the middle. Many donated labor, grading, things that involved the whole community. Students carried an Olympic torch from all schools to the new track as part of the celebration. "It was a win-win for everybody," added Tarwater. "It was community love."

2008 - The first bond measure failed in June, then a new focus was made on matching funds in November. A $64.5M bond measure passes. He said jumping on CTE (Career Technical Education) matching funds created the now-successful programs at South Tahoe High including Sports Medicine, Culinary Arts, Dental, Digital Media Arts, and Photography. The success of the measure passing was the support of STHS graduates who got out to vote.

The construction at South Tahoe High started in 2009 and finished in five years. Students in 2014 got the advantage of those efforts. STHS becomes one of the Top 50 high schools in the nation for beauty, Top 7 in terms of design.

"It now has the 'College on the Hill' feeling," said Tarwater.

Other schools were modernized with bond funds including a new two-story building at Bijou to replace over a dozen portables.

"It's nice to leave a facility that salutes where priorities are," said Tarwater of the District.

He said he is proud of how elementary prepares the kids, the middle school makes them stronger, then the moving into high school, even though scary at first, where there is support and guidance towards the next step.

What the district did in 2011 guided them through successes during the digital education days brought on by the pandemic. LTUSD partnered with AT&T and became the only district in the state to enact full one-to-one technology. He said they knew they had to be prepared so the plan for all students to get free at-home use of Chromebooks for the entire school year began. They were prepared for distance learning and kids were able to continue what they already knew...google docs, shared work, and working together even though apart.

Tarwater said he loved all the plays and music performances in the District, especially the Veteran's Day concert at South Tahoe Middle School. "The pride and the relationship --- you can feel it," he said.

One of his most memorable occasions this school year was the February 7th South Tahoe High-Truckee High basketball game. This emotional game was an extreme case of sportsmanship, team and school spirit, and class demonstrated that night (view film here). Tarwater said he looked around and said "we've done it" -- 150 kids on one side chanting for team manager Tasil Patel, the parents on the other side with tears in their eyes.

Dr. James Tarwater will be wrapping up his time at LTUSD with the Class of 2020 graduation at Sierra-at-Tahoe. "It isn’t just the buildings," he said, "it’s the kids and the learning, the love, and respect, and to hear their accomplishments at graduation."

"Your reward is to watch this," he wants to say to those seniors. "You guys have done a great job."