Search for Lake Tahoe School’s Next Head of School

Dear Lake Tahoe School Community,

A little over eight years ago, on a warm and crowded Memorial Day Weekend, I arrived in Incline Village as a candidate for the Interim Head of School position at Lake Tahoe School. Driving onto campus, I maneuvered around the construction site where Duffield Hall now stands and could tell that this was a school planning for the future. Later, as my tour and interview unfolded, I became aware of the genuine love and affection for Lake Tahoe School everyone I met shared. It was that same forward-thinking, love, and affection for Lake Tahoe School and the Bobcat Community that led me to apply for and accept the permanent headship six months later.

Now, as I begin my ninth year at LTS, I am proud of what we have accomplished together. Among the highlights are safely remaining open during most of the COVID pandemic, growing our enrollment by over 100 students and maintaining that increase, helping the school reach a strong financial footing, updating an already beautiful and child-centered campus, and further strengthening our mission to become an even better academic institution with enviable arts, athletics, and outdoor education programs. Most importantly, these experiences for our students are made possible by one of the most professional and caring faculty and staff I have ever had the opportunity to work with.

As I look ahead to the future of LTS and of my family, I have informed the Board of Trustees that I will retire as Head of School from Lake Tahoe School upon the expiration of my contract in June 2029. Though this may seem like a long time away, my announcement now allows for a smooth and systematic leadership transition for the school. The accompanying letter from the Board of Trustees outlines this process.

Just as we have an excellent and caring faculty and staff, so too is our school community. Your support of Lake Tahoe School through the years, alongside that of the Board of Trustees, has made us what we are today. In addition, your ongoing support of my family through Julie’s health issues is something we will never forget. Finally, while I am honest in saying that I will miss each of you when I do leave LTS, I will miss your children most of all. The joy, laughter, tears, and surprises that I experience with them each day will forever be among my fondest and deepest memories. I will always be grateful for that privilege and to all of you for making it possible.

Sincerely,

Bob Graves

Dear Members of the Lake Tahoe School Community,

We are pleased to share an update regarding the Head of School search and the process we will follow over the coming months to identify our next leader.

As we begin this process, we want to recognize and express our deep appreciation for Bob Graves and his leadership of Lake Tahoe School. Bob has guided our school through some extraordinary years, including the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. His steady leadership, commitment to our students and faculty, and dedication to Lake Tahoe School have contributed enormously to the strong and successful school we are today. We are grateful that Bob will continue to lead LTS during this thoughtful transition, and we look forward to celebrating his many contributions to our community in the years ahead.

Lake Tahoe School has retained Carney, Sandoe & Associates (CS&A), led by senior consultants Lisa Parsons and Karen Whitaker. Together this team will partner with us in the search for our next Head of School. Starting early allows for a deliberate, comprehensive search.
The Board of Trustees will next form a Search Committee responsible for overseeing the search process and governance in collaboration with CS&A. The committee will evaluate candidates and deliver a formal recommendation to the Board of Trustees for final decision.

One of the Search Committee's chief responsibilities is to ensure that all community members have a voice in this important process. As we launch the search, we will offer our community opportunities to provide input to assist the Search Committee in understanding the priorities identified by members of our community.

On October 13-14, 2026, Lisa and Karen will visit campus. They look forward to getting to know our community through listening sessions and conversations with parents, students, alumni, trustees, faculty, and staff. More details about their visit will be shared in the coming weeks. Just prior to the visit, members of the LTS community will be asked to share their feedback through a brief, anonymous survey about the work ahead and the leadership profile for our next Head of School. The survey will remain open during and after their visit.

We will continue to communicate as the search process unfolds while maintaining the confidentiality necessary to recruit and interview the most talented leaders.

Throughout the search and transition, we will provide regular updates on the Head of School Search page, which will launch soon under the 'Our School' menu on our website.

Thank you in advance for participating in this process, supporting Bob and our faculty and staff, and sharing our optimism for the future of Lake Tahoe School.

If you have questions, please contact the Board of Trustees at the email address above. Trustees will also join Bob at Wednesday’s 9:00 AM Parent Association meeting in the Bobcat Treehouse.

Sincerely,

The Lake Tahoe School Board of Trustees