SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Dr. Todd Cutler will be staying on as the superintendent Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD). The story came out in Las Vegas Wednesday that Cutler had accepted a position as executive director of the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA). It is accurate that the NIAA board approved hiring Cutler by a vote of 7-5, and he did thank the board for voting for him at the time, but he did not accept the position.
The position with NIAA pays less than his current salary in South Lake Tahoe, and it became evident to Cutler on Thursday that they wouldn’t be able to come close to agreeing on a contract that was beneficial to both sides.
When Cutler arrived at LTUSD seven years ago, he thought returning to Tahoe was his dream job. He grew up on the South Shore and attended Whittell High School. He told South Tahoe Now that it is still a dream-come-true position.
He did look at the NIAA job as another dream job, one that combined his leadership experience with his athletic experience, but he is staying with LTUSD and told the local board at 7 p.m. Thursday that he is staying after turning down the NIAA position.
Cutler said the media response in Las Vegas was immediate after the NIAA board vote, and it caught him by surprise. In Nevada, finalist names for public positions are published before votes are made, so the media knew the board would be voting. When the media started asking for quotes and interviews, he said he hadn’t decided about taking the job yet.
The LTUSD board knew Cutler was applying for the job. Once he turned it down, they were the first to know (during their Thursday night board meeting).
“I am still proud and honored to be the LTUSD superintendent,” said Cutler. He said he is looking forward to working through some upcoming challenges, the first of which will be the teachers’ union COLA (cost of living) negotiations.
NIAA voted Wednesday, in case Cutler did not take the job, that the runner-up would be offered the executive director position.