Dear Lutie Lewis Coates Elementary Community,

The Region 5 Leadership Team is pleased to announce that Mr. Paul Basdekis has been named the new principal for Lutie Lewis Coates Elementary School!

Mr. Paul Basdekis holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Mount Saint Mary College and a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from George Mason University. Mr. Basdekis has over 15 years of experience in elementary education. He started his career with Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) as a 6^th-grade teacher at Forest Edge Elementary in 2004 and served as the president of Summer Solutions Inc. for nine years. Mr. Basdekis has ten years of school administration experience, with six of those years serving as the principal of Riverside Elementary School in Region 3 of FCPS.

During his tenure at Riverside Elementary, Mr. Basdekis led School Improvement and Innovation Plan (SIIP) efforts with targeted areas of need in Literacy, Mathematics, and Science. This led to gains in all content areas as evidenced by growth on Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments. Mr. Basdekis also developed and supported Multi-tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) and a comprehensive Positive Behavior Approach (PBA) for the school. He has led Riverside Elementary in expanding its after-school program to enhance the co-curricular and extra-curricular offerings for students. He developed and led a school and community team, which worked to bridge communication, equity, and achievement gaps between home and school.  Before becoming the principal of Riverside Elementary, Mr. Basdekis served as the Assistant Principal of Fort Hunt Elementary School and Woodley Hills Elementary School, which are schools with wonderfully diverse student populations.  

Mr. Basdekis is an experienced, dedicated, and talented school leader. In addition to serving as the principal of Riverside, Mr. Basdekis has served as the President of the Fairfax Association of Elementary School Principals (FAESP). He has also served as a co-lead for the Mount Vernon Pyramid principals and has served on a variety of district committees and workgroups to include Return to School, All-County Principal Meetings Planning Committee, and the Equity Symposium Planning Committee. Mr. Basdekis is a principal who is reflective, collaborative, and has a spirit of enthusiasm, positivity, and intentionality.

Mr. Basdekis is originally from Hartford, Connecticut, and is a Boston Red Sox fan! He currently resides in Round Hill, Virginia with his wife. In his spare time, he enjoys playing golf, fishing, and being outdoors with his friends and family.

Please join me in welcoming Mr. Paul Basdekis as the new principal of Lutie Lewis Coates Elementary School.