Cascade School District names new high school principal

LEAVENWORTH —  Cascade School District has appointed Jon Gasbar as the incoming principal for Cascade High School.

According to the district, Gasbar is a bilingual school administrator with nearly two decades in education, which includes ten years as a school leader. Most recently, Gasbar spent the last five years serving as TK-12 principal, Associated Student Body (ASB) advisor, and interim Career and Technical Education (CTE) director in Waterville. Prior to that, Gasbar worked as a Seattle-area administrator at bilingual, blended learning, and project-based learning schools.

Earlier in his career, he taught at bilingual schools in New York City and Bogota, Colombia. He also worked in Indonesia training university and high school students, as well as English professors, while developing curriculum for educators to use in their own classrooms. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from the University of Washington, a master’s degree in Bilingual Education from Hunter College, and an administrative certificate from the University of Washington Danforth Educational Leadership Program. 

“I'm just looking to get as involved as I can, meet as many people [as I can], and listen to the community, the students, and the staff to see the areas that I can support in,” Gasbar told Ward Media.

According to the district, Gasbar is committed to continuous student improvement through personalized learning experiences, equitable education, and strong community partnerships. He believes all students can meet their greatest potential when they learn in a safe and welcoming environment with high-quality educational opportunities.  

“We have a “Leader in Me” program up in Waterville, and it's all about creating student leaders and helping kids build habits to be lifelong learners and highly successful people. I think a lot of those skills can be transferable and brought here and tweaked to meet the needs of the student population,” said Gasbar.

Gasbar grew up in Cashmere, where he currently lives with his wife, Laura, and his two sons, James and Jackson. Outside of work, Gasbar and his family love getting outside as much as possible and enjoy hiking, mountain biking, paddling, and skiing.

“I've always thought highly of the Cascade School District. I'm drawn to their strategic plan and continuous student improvement. I really love outdoor education and the arts, and so I'm excited to support that,” said Gasbar.

Gasbar will replace CHS Principal James Swanson. Swanson served as the high school principal for the past two school years after spending two years as principal of Icicle River Middle School. Swanson told Ward Media he and his wife will move to Turkmenistan this fall, where she will provide medical care for the Foreign Service.

“I absolutely love my job. I always have, and I'm going to miss that. I'm going to miss the kids, the staff, and the community,” said Swanson, expressing heartfelt gratitude for the community’s support.

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media