New Lake Tahoe Unified School District superintendent is Whittell High graduate

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Dr. Todd Cutler has been announced as the new superintendent for the Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD). During their closed session meeting Saturday, the Board of Trustees decided to reveal their announcement ahead of the previously announced March 10 date. His contract has now been finalized and he will start work at the end of the school year.

There will be a community Meet and Greet with Dr. Cutler on Tuesday, March March 3 at 5:30 p.m. during a Special Board Meeting at the Education Center Board Room on Al Tahoe Boulevard. Light refreshments will be served.

Dr. Cutler is currently the Winters Joint Unified School District Superintendent where he has served since July 2015. That district serves a diverse student population with nearly 70 percent low-income, 65 percent Latino, and 35 percent English Learners. In 2015, under Dr. Cutler's leadership, the District established a new District Vision and set out on a course to improve student performance, prepare students for career and college, increase stakeholder engagement and improve performance of the diverse student population.

Winter is a town of almost 7,300 (according to 2017 figures) and is located north of Vacaville, Calif.

Dr. Cutler began his career in education teaching and coaching at both the middle school and high school levels in Gardnerville, Nev. He began his school administration career in 1998 and has served in an array of positions. He has been a Dean of Students, Assistant Principal, Principal, School Improvement Analyst, Administrative Coach, Deputy Superintendent, and Superintendent. Besides Winters, Dr. Cutler has also served as superintendent of the Lassen Union High School District and Johnstonville Elementary School District in Susanville, Calif.

The incoming LTUSD superintendent grew up on the Nevada side of the South Shore and attended Zephyr Cove Elementary School, Kingsbury Middle School and graduated from George Whittell High School in 1988.

After graduation from Whittell, he attended New Mexico State University where he was an Academic All-American Football player. He received his B.S. degree in Secondary Education from NMSU and went on to earn his Masters in Education Administration from the University of Phoenix, and earned his Doctorate degree in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University.

The LTUSD board has been involved in an extensive search for Dr. James Tarwater's replacement since he announced his retirement in 2019. For the last six months the board has been involved in the hiring process utilizing the consulting services of Leadership Associates. The LTUSD Board settled on four finalists to interview, with Dr. Cutler standing out as the clear choice, according to a LTUSD press release.

Along with Dr. Cutler's educational and professional experience, he has demonstrated a commitment to be involved with the communities he has lived and worked. Examples include serving as the Mayor of Fernley, Nevada and volunteering as a site director for Inner City Games in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was a member of the Susanville Rotary Board, a member of the Rocklin Education Excellence Foundation, and is currently serving as the Immediate Past President of the Rotary Club of Winters and is on the Winters Chamber of Commerce Board.

"Todd has a philosophy of collaborative leadership. He understands the importance of engaging all stakeholders in the education process. He is committed to doing what is best for students and has a proven track record of improved student achievement under his service," said LTUSD Press Information Officer Shannon Chandler.