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Posts Tagged ‘Dan Berard’

“She has been leading with vision and heart”

Posted in Administration, tagged , , , , on May 8, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Becky Cays

New year, new title.

Becky Cays, who was hired as Coupeville Middle School Principal and High School/Middle School Athletic Director before the start of the 2025-2026 school year, is getting an official promotion.

She will be the new High School/Middle School Principal, in a move announced Friday by Superintendent Shannon Leatherwood.

Cays new gig becomes official once approved by the school board.

She will be the third CHS Principal in as many years, as her predecessors, Geoff Kappes and Dan Berard, were both placed on administrative leave by Leatherwood, then later resigned.

Cays has been the acting principal for both schools since Berard’s departure.

“If your student attends either school, you may already know Mrs. Cays,” Leatherwood said in a community newsletter. “She has been a steady, caring, and highly capable presence in both buildings.

“Over the past several months, Mrs. Cays stepped forward to lead both campuses at the same time.

“During that period, she has built strong leadership teams, supported students through positive behavior frameworks, ensured every teacher received a formal evaluation, and kept both schools moving forward without missing a beat.

“She did not just fill a role. She has been leading with vision and heart.”

Prior to arriving in Coupeville, Cays, who is a Washington state native, most recently worked as the K-12 Assistant Principal at the International Schools Group in Jubail, Saudi Arabia.

Her education career has taken her to areas as diverse as Redmond and Indonesia.

With Cays officially becoming principal of two Coupeville schools, there are two other tweaks planned for the administration moving forward.

Former longtime Athletic Director Willie Smith, who has been covering the position since Cays stepped in for Berard, will work next year as a Teacher on Special Assignment and once again be the guiding hand behind Wolf athletics.

Meanwhile, counselor Lori Atlas will complete her principal internship, while adding additional leadership presence across both campuses.

“Together, this team ensures that both the middle school and the high school have visible, accessible, and caring adults who know your students by name,” Leatherwood said.

“We know stability matters to families. We know you want to see leadership that is present in the hallways, at events, and engaged with the life of the school.

“That is exactly what this team is built to deliver.”

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Principal/CTE Director resigns

Posted in Administration, tagged , , , , on April 25, 2026| Leave a Comment »

The agenda for next Thursday’s school board meeting includes approval of the resignation of Coupeville High School Principal/CTE Director Dan Berard.

Berard, who has held those positions since April 2025, announced in February he was stepping down at the end of the school year.

At the time, he said he would be transitioning to a different, as yet to be named, position within the district.

Instead, on March 16, Superintendent Shannon Leatherwood announced that Berard had been placed on “paid administrative leave while the district conducted a review process.”

Berard, who came to Coupeville after working 27 years in the Mount Vernon school district, replaced Geoff Kappes, who resigned as high school and middle school principal in April 2025.

Kappes was placed on “non-disciplinary leave pending an investigation” by Leatherwood in December 2024.

Saturday morning the Superintendent released the following statement:

Principal Dan Berard has been on approved medical leave and has submitted his resignation effective at the end of his contract.

He will remain on medical leave through the end of his employment with the district.

We are grateful for Dan’s service to our students and community and wish him well.

I will be sharing information about our leadership transition and search process in the coming weeks. Thank you for your continued support of Coupeville schools.

The latest move comes on the heels of the results of a union survey being released which shows low support for Berard, Leatherwood, and the School Board.

You can read a story about that survey, conducted by the Coupeville Education Association and the Coupeville Educational Support Association, here:

Survey paints troubling picture of leadership, morale in Coupeville schools

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Another CHS principal placed on administrative leave

Posted in Administration, tagged , , , , on March 16, 2026| Leave a Comment »

For the second time in as many years, the Coupeville School District has placed a high-ranking administrator on paid leave pending an investigation or review.

Dan Berard, who has been the high school principal and Career and Technical Education Director since April 2025, announced in February he was stepping down from those positions at the end of the school year.

At the time, he said he would be transitioning to a different, as yet to be named, position within the district.

Monday, Coupeville Schools Superintendent Shannon Leatherwood released the following statement:

Berard replaced Geoff Kappes, who resigned as high school and middle school principal in April 2025.

He was placed on “non-disciplinary leave pending an investigation” by Leatherwood in Dec. 2024.

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CHS Principal changing jobs

Posted in Administration, tagged , , , , on February 27, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Dan Berard

Coupeville High School will have its third principal in as many years when the 2026-2027 school year begins.

Dan Berard, who is in his first year in the district after a 27-year education career in Mount Vernon, is stepping down as CHS Principal and Career and Technical Education Director.

But he’s not leaving the prairie.

In a letter sent to students and families, Berard said “due to changing family health needs, I will be stepping away from my role as principal at the end of this school year to accept a different position within the Coupeville School District beginning next year.”

“This has been a thoughtful and personal decision,” he added.

“Serving as principal of Coupeville High School has been one of the greatest honors of my career.”

Berard’s new position has not been publicly revealed yet, with his letter saying, “in the coming weeks, the district will share more information about leadership transition plans.”

In that letter, Berard spoke glowingly of his time as Principal/CTE Director.

“I am deeply proud of our students, grateful for our dedicated staff, and appreciative of the partnership we share with families and this community,” he said.

“While my role will change, my commitment to our students and to Coupeville remains strong.

“I am thankful to continue serving within the district in a capacity that allows me to support my family while remaining part of this incredible school community.”

With four months remaining in this school year, Berard intends to keep things moving along smoothly.

“Please know that I am fully committed to finishing this school year strong,” he said.

“Our focus remains on supporting students academically, socially, and emotionally as we move toward graduation, spring activities, and all the important milestones ahead.”

Berard replaced Geoff Kappes after he resigned as Coupeville’s high school and middle school principal, while also picking up the CTE duties.

Becky Cays was hired as CMS Principal and CHS/CMS Athletic Director and remains in those positions.

Before coming to Whidbey, Berard was most recently the Executive Director of Operations for the Mount Vernon School District.

He previously worked as a teacher, middle school principal, assistant principal, dean of students, and athletic director, starting in Mount Vernon schools in 1998.

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CHS tabs new principal

Posted in Administration, tagged , , , , on April 27, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Dan Berard

Less than two weeks after the resignation of Coupeville High School/Middle School Principal Geoff Kappes, Superintendent Shannon Leatherwood has announced the tentative hiring of Dan Berard as his replacement.

The hire is not official until approved by the school board.

Because of a recent restructuring of job duties, the new hire is not a straight replacement for Kappes.

Instead, Berard, who has spent the last 27 years in the Mount Vernon School District, is being hired as the high school principal and Career and Technical Education Director.

A second new hire, yet to be announced, will come on as middle school principal and CHS/CMS Athletic Director.

Pending board approval, Berard is set to start July 1.

“Mr. Berard was selected through a comprehensive process that included a panel interview with 11 staff members, a student-led tour with questions developed by our students, and opportunities for staff observation and feedback,” Leatherwood said in a community newsletter sent out Sunday afternoon.

“This thorough approach helped us identify a candidate who closely aligns with the qualities our community indicated were most important in our principal search survey.”

Berard is currently the Executive Director of Operations for the Mount Vernon School District, a role he has held for the past 10 months.

He has previously worked as a teacher, middle school principal, assistant principal, dean of students, and athletic director, starting in Mount Vernon schools in 1998.

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