The Ventura County Board of Education has unanimously voted to appoint Arleigh Kidd as the new board member representing trustee area four. The longtime Simi Valley educator will fill the seat that was left vacant when Rob Collins stepped down from the board on October 25 due to health reasons. Kidd assumed his new role immediately after taking the oath of office at the November 29 board meeting in Camarillo.

Growing up in Simi Valley, Kidd attended local public schools. He served in the Marine Corps Reserve before becoming a teacher in the Simi Valley Unified School District (SVUSD). In 2010, Kidd was elected to the SVUSD school board, where he served until 2014.

Kidd says he is honored to be completing the term of Rob Collins, another veteran Simi Valley educator. “I student taught for Rob in 1989 and served with him on the Simi Valley School Board, and he has always been a mentor to me,” Kidd said. Kidd says his priorities as a member of the Ventura County Board of Education will include advocating for the expansion of career education and special education programs.

“We were fortunate to have several well-qualified candidates to fill this vacancy,” said Mike Teasdale, President of the Ventura County Board of Education. “Mr. Kidd’s past experience in the classroom and with school governance will make him an extremely valuable addition to our board.”

“I’m thrilled to welcome Arleigh Kidd to the Ventura County Board of Education,” said Dr. César Morales, Ventura County Superintendent of Schools, who is also the Executive Officer and Secretary of the board. “Mr. Kidd has dedicated his career to public education, and he is an ideal choice to fill the vacancy left by Mr. Collins.”

Kidd was one of three finalists selected from a pool of ten candidates who were vying to fill the board vacancy. The current term for the area four seat expires on December 9, 2022. The seat will be on the ballot in an election to be held on November 8, 2022, and Kidd intends to run. Area four includes Moorpark, Simi Valley, Santa Susana Knolls, Box Canyon, Chatsworth Peak, Home Acres, Sinoloa Lake and Tierra Rejada Valley.

More about the Ventura County Board of Education

The Ventura County Board of Education’s five elected trustees and Executive Officer provide support for educational programs operated by the Ventura County Office of Education as well as the county’s twenty local school districts. The Board also rules on appeals of student expulsions and inter-district transfers. Additional information about the Board is available at www.vcoe.org/boe.