Meet the Board

Meet

Your Trustees

Tuolumne County has a seven-member Board of Education, with each trustee representing one of seven distinct areas within the county. Each trustee serves a four-year term. The County Board of Education is the elected governing body of the County Superintendent of Schools Office. The Board establishes the policies which guide the County Schools Office and approves the annual operating budget. In addition to its policy-making and budgetary functions, the Board approves and confirms changes in school district boundaries, identifies educational needs and services in the county, and serves as an appeal board for such actions as inter-district attendance requests and student expulsions.

April Ritts

Trustee Area One

aritts@tcsos
Geographic Area: Sonora Elementary School District except for a portion south of Highway 108, excluding the Mill Villa, Gibbs Estates, and Valponi Acres area. Her term expires in 2028.

Steven Treat

Trustee Area Two

streat@tcsos.us
Board Clerk
Geographic Area: Columbia and Belleview School Districts. His term expires in 2028.

Jerry Whitehead III

Trustee Area Three

Geographic Area: Summerville Union High District, Summerville Elementary School District, and a portion of Soulsbyville School District south of Highway 108. His term expires in 2028.

Melissa Higgins

Trustee Area Four

mhiggins@tcsos.us
Geographic Area: Big Oak Flat-Groveland Unified School District and a portion of Curtis Creek School District south of Highway 108. Her term expires in 2026.

Nichole Salyers

Trustee Area Five

Geographic Area: Jamestown School District and the Sonora Elementary School District portion within the Mill Villa, Gibbs, and Valponi precincts. Her term expires in 2028.

Rose Wingo

Trustee Area Six

rwingo@tcsos.us
Geographic Area: Twain Harte School District. Her term expires in 2026.

Cyndi Simonson

Trustee Area Seven

csimonson@tcsos.us
Board President
Geographic Area: Portions of Curtis Creek and Soulsbyville Elementary School Districts north of Highway 108. Her term expires in 2026.

Partners

In Leadership

The Tuolumne Board of Education trustees partner with local, state, and federal organizations to keep in touch with the latest educational leadership trends, legislation, and advocacy topics.

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ACCBE

The Association of California County Boards of Education, the ACCBE, was founded in 2024 as a nonprofit corporation to continue the 60-year tradition of CCBE as the voice for all California county boards of education and the unique needs of our students

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CSBA

The California School Boards Association (CSBA) is a nonprofit education association representing elected officials who govern public school districts and county offices of education.