Letter from Superintendent DePaoli

January 11, 2022

Dear Board of Directors, Staff, Students, and the community of Chelan:

After 35 years in the education profession, 22 spent here at the Lake Chelan School District, I am officially announcing my retirement, effective June 30, 2022.

I don’t think this will come as any surprise for those who know me, I have no regrets. I say this because I have been privileged to work with some of the brightest, most compassionate, and highly committed administrators, teachers, staff, families, and students. The opportunity to provide leadership at both the building and the district level has been incredibly rewarding. Getting to know so many young people and having a front row seat watching them grow and reach for their goals was the gift of a lifetime!

A special thank you to both past and present Board members for providing me with the opportunity to develop as a District leader. I sincerely appreciate your insights, advocacy and support throughout my tenure in Lake Chelan.

It has been an honor to collaborate with our District Leadership Team to ensure that our schools continue to move forward in serving students at the highest level. I recognize and appreciate your spirit of goodwill, your work ethic as well as your unwavering commitment to students, staff, and the families you serve. I feel lucky and blessed to have worked with each of you!

No organization can function properly without the dedicated staff members who ensure health and safety, keep the lights on, the busses running, and the bills paid. The team of workers at the Central Office and at the Bus Barn, including our Department Supervisors, are a shining example of integrity and service, for which we can all be very thankful!

In closing I recognize that I have much to be thankful for within the community of Chelan. A community which has been incredibly good to me professionally and personally. Chelan has been a great place for my wife, Jacque, and I to live, raise our daughter and call “home”. We look forward to continuing our support of young people and families in this beautiful valley.

With sincere gratitude,

Barry