In Remem­brance of Paul Arnold
1955 – 2025

Paul Arnold ded­i­cat­ed his life to edu­ca­tion, ser­vice, and the well-being of chil­dren and fam­i­lies in Butte Coun­ty. Over a remark­able 38-year career, he served as a teacher, coach, prin­ci­pal, super­in­ten­dent, admin­is­tra­tor, and men­tor, always lead­ing with integri­ty, com­pas­sion, and a deep com­mit­ment to students.

Through­out his career, Paul worked across school com­mu­ni­ties large and small, earn­ing respect for his steady lead­er­ship and thought­ful approach. His lat­er work in ele­men­tary and mid­dle schools strength­ened his belief in the impor­tance of ear­ly inter­ven­tion, includ­ing his role in secur­ing a grant to estab­lish a preschool pro­gram in south­ern Butte Coun­ty — an invest­ment that con­tin­ues to sup­port young chil­dren and fam­i­lies today.

Paul’s ded­i­ca­tion to the com­mu­ni­ty extend­ed well beyond his for­mal career in edu­ca­tion. Shaped by per­son­al hard­ship, includ­ing sur­viv­ing the Camp Fire, he car­ried a deep empa­thy for fam­i­lies fac­ing trau­ma and loss. Even in retire­ment, Paul con­tin­ued to serve — tak­ing on inter­im and sub­sti­tute admin­is­tra­tive roles, advo­cat­ing for dis­as­ter sur­vivors, sup­port­ing chil­dren as a Court Appoint­ed Spe­cial Advo­cate (CASA), and remain­ing engaged in caus­es that strength­ened com­mu­ni­ty resilience. His lived expe­ri­ences as a par­ent and sur­vivor informed his thought­ful, steady approach to ser­vice and rein­forced his life­long com­mit­ment to care, con­nec­tion, and ear­ly sup­port for chil­dren and families.

As a First 5 Com­mis­sion­er, Paul brought lived expe­ri­ence, wis­dom, and an unwa­ver­ing focus on the needs of chil­dren and fam­i­lies. His con­tri­bu­tions helped guide the work with care and pur­pose, and his pres­ence will be deeply missed. Paul Arnold’s lega­cy lives on through the many lives he touched and the com­mu­ni­ty he served so faithfully.