By Ayla Ozturk
On Tuesday, November 8, 2022, Former Superintendent Dr. Todd Oto was elected to the Visalia Unified School District [VUSD] Board of Education, representing Trustee Area 4.
VISALIA, CA – Dr. Todd Oto was recently elected to the VUSD Board of Education. Dr. Oto served as VUSD Superintendent from 2016-2019.
He says, “[Winning] feels pretty good. I had a lot of folks help out with the campaign, I got a lot of support. Unfortunately, somebody has to win, somebody has to lose in contests like this.”
Dr. Oto looks forward to working with the Board and hopes to “gain a lot of insight about things the board is focused on at this point.”
“I have pretty good knowledge of the way that the district does work, I look forward to helping the district become better for kids,” Dr. Oto says.
Dr. Oto is also looking forward to working with a team. “A board is composed of individual members, but there are seven folks who make decisions. No board member does anything or can do anything by himself or herself,” he says.
The Board did a national search for a new superintendent last year. Superintendent Kirk Shrum was hired back in March of 2022.
One of the Board’s major responsibilities is supervising and working with the superintendent. The superintendent also serves as Board Secretary.
Dr. Oto says, “The Board recently has become a better team [with the addition of Shrum], and I’m hoping to take part in continuing that.”
Ayla Ozturk
Ayla Ozturk, class of 2024, is a fourth-year journalism student passionate about leading the News section. She is dedicated to informing students and amplifying their voices through Government and Politics writing.
You can reach her at ayla.oz3769@vusd.us.
Tags: board election winners, rangers, Redwood, redwood gigantea, redwood high school, redwood journalism, redwood rangers, rhs, todd oto, trustee area 4, visalia ca, visalia unified school district, vusd, vusd board elections 2022