LTUSD Superintendent Dr. Jim Tarwater announces retirement

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Superintendent Dr. James Tarwater of the Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) has announced he'll retire in one year.

Dr. Tarwater has been with LTUSD since 2005.

During their last meeting on June 11, the Board concluded its annual evaluation of Dr. Tarwater's performance. Though details of that evaluation are not available, they extended his contract one extra year until 2022 until they were notified of his notice of retirement.

At their June 25 meeting, the Board is scheduled to accept his retirement.

For the fiscal year 2019/20 the Superintendent's annual base salary was increased by 3.25 percent to $200,948.38 with an additional $3649.00 for an earned Doctorate Stipend for a total of $204,597.38.

It is unknown when a search will begin for Tarwater's replacement.

A letter to Dr. Tarwater and the community of South Lake Tahoe from the Lake Tahoe Unified School District Board of Education:

Change is never something that comes easy. A change in leadership can be
even more difficult. This is because times are defined by the leaders that see
them through. Lake Tahoe Unified School District is distinctly proud and
honored to have been led, through good times and bad, by the steady hand of
Dr. James Tarwater. It can seem incredibly difficult now to imagine our district
without this man. The children of our district have always known a fierce ally
and protector in Dr. Tarwater.

Nothing is more important to Dr. Tarwater than his kids. It shows. It shows in
the way he interacts with them in the Middle School parking lot. In the way he
speaks to them every time he visits every campus and knows all their names. It
shows in the thunderous applause he receives from the students every time he is
present at a school event. Some superintendents hide in their offices and direct
their districts from a distance. Not Jim Tarwater. Dr. Tarwater is a leader in the
trenches. Dr. Tarwater would rather spend the day with the kids than just about
anything. He is the kind of Superintendent that would pay for extra-curricular
activities out of his own pocket to make sure every child could participate. He
supports athletics and equally values the arts. More than anything, his legacy to
the district will be his unwavering devotion to EVERY single child in the
district. Socio-economically disadvantaged youth, English Language Learners,
Foster Youth, Homeless Youth, kids from at-risk backgrounds, all kids, never
had a more passionate ally than Jim Tarwater.

His concern for them defines every action he takes. Never does he show up to
work without these kids on his mind, and it shows. He takes the time to know
their struggles and makes their success his mission. His open door policy is
well known – he never declines a drop-in student or parent seeking his help and
advice. LTUSD is a district that fights for the success of all youth, regardless
of background. That is Jim Tarwater’s legacy. He makes compassion a goal,
empathy a mission, and love as valuable as the bottom line. The district has
never changed, nor grown more, than during Jim Tarwater’s tenure. A boom
time of opening more schools, a recession that saw declining enrollment and
school closures. A devastating wildfire that almost claimed the high school.
Bond funding and CTE grants that made that high school a regional flagship.
Implementing theme schools, the TWBI program at Bijou, and bringing our
graduation rates to record highs. Introducing AVID programs to our schools
and leading them to be national demonstration sites. Establishing a culture of
bringing every child up.

Here is a modest list of Dr. Tarwater’s Accomplishments:
• Innovative approaches to student achievement and recognized that the
social-emotional needs of students were just as important as academics.
• Visionary about technology for all students making LTUSD a leader in technology an 1:1 computing.
• Recognized a need for Meyers School to be rebranded and reopened, and created the
Lake Tahoe Environmental Science Magnet School.
• Embarked on the development of the TWBI Program and committed long-term
resources to students in K-12, changing the culture of Bijou Community School, and
creating a model program and pathway to biliteracy for hundreds of students. By the
year 2022, approximately twenty-five percent of the district's student population will be fluent in both English and Spanish.
• Procured and negotiated 33.6percent in salary increases for all staff, making Lake Tahoe Unified School District more competitive for attracting and retaining highly qualified teachers and classified staff members.
• Family oriented and recognizes that the success of the student relies on the success of the family.
• Equally supportive of all student programs including academic, arts, and athletics.
• Oversaw the reorganization of Mt. Tallac, the Transitional Learning Center, Independent Learning Academy, and the addition of online programs.
• Visionary in allowing the staff to create effective CTE programs before most schools were even thinking about them.
• At the helm of all, the most significant expansion of facilities and programs including TADA, Construction and Transportation, Sports & Conditioning Center, Culinary Arts, and Sports Medicine. Provided for and led the construction of Stadium View, the Student Union, building projects at Bijou Community School, South Tahoe Middle School and renovations at the elementary schools.
• Raised money and led the construction of the STMS Track & Field Stadium. Secured
lighting for that stadium as well as at the high school stadium, bringing Friday Night Lights to our community. Renovated the fields at all other school sites, recognizing the need to support recreation and opportunities for student participation. Took on the responsibility of maintaining and coordinating use of almost all the community fields.
• Fiscally responsive to teachers and administrators to achieve program success and
increase student achievement.
• Realized the need for school nurses at every school site and was formally recognized by the California School Nurses Organization for his support of student health.
• Served simultaneously as the Superintendent of LTUSD and the Principal of the Lake Tahoe Environmental Science Magnet School for 8 years due to budgetary constraints - he would tell you those 8 years were the happiest years of his entire career.
• Led the District through perilous economic downturns, staff reductions, and the Angora Fire.
• Created opportunities for student success at all levels. He remembers the names of countless kids, rejoices in their successes, and does everything possible to help when they fall short.

The Board of Education hereby accepts the retirement of Superintendent, Dr. James R. Tarwater, effective the end of this next school year, June 30, 2020. And as we prepare to move forward in the next chapter of the Lake Tahoe Unified School District, we pause to recognize the indelible mark Jim Tarwater has made on this district. His legacy is cemented. We, the Trustees of the Lake Tahoe Unified School District Board of Education, deeply and profoundly thank Dr. James Tarwater for his service to our schools, our employees, our community, and most importantly, our kids. We wish Jim and his family the best in this next school year, and in the next chapter of their lives. We know we will continue to see Dr. Tarwater for years to come, at school plays, concerts, and athletic events, because of his never-ending love for his kids -- all 3800 of them.

Thank you Jim!