Dr. Garth Lewis, Yolo County Superintendent of Schools, has been named 2026 Superintendent of the Year by the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) Region 3. Photo courtesy of Yolo County Office of Education

WOODLAND, CA (MPG) - Dr. Garth Lewis, Yolo County Superintendent of Schools, has been named 2026 Superintendent of the Year by the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) Region 3, which represents school leaders across Sacramento and Yolo counties. The award recognizes Dr. Lewis’s exceptional leadership, dedication to student success and commitment to strengthening public education across Yolo County.

“Dr. Lewis leads with vision, integrity and a deep commitment to collaboration,” said Board of Education President Elizabeth Esquivel. “By aligning districts and community partners around shared goals, he has strengthened opportunities for students across Yolo County. We are thrilled to see him honored as Superintendent of the Year.”

Lewis has served as Yolo County Superintendent of Schools since 2018 and was re-elected to a second term in 2022. He is the first African American elected to serve in the role in Yolo County.

The county superintendent provides leadership and state-required fiscal and program oversight for the county’s five school districts, which together serve approximately 30,000 students. In addition, the Superintendent serves as chief executive officer of the Yolo County Office of Education (YCOE), leading its educational programs and countywide initiatives that support students, educators and families.

Under his leadership, YCOE launched the countywide Roadmap to the Future initiative in 2022. The initiative brings together schools, public agencies and community partners to improve student outcomes, remove systemic barriers and expand access to academic and career opportunities for children and youth.

In August 2024, following five years of planning, YCOE broke ground on a $4.8 million resiliency and sustainability project. Upon completion, YCOE will become the first county office of education in the nation to advance a plan to operate its own independent microgrid, which allows the agency to generate and manage its own power during outages and emergencies. The project reflects a commitment to innovation, environmental stewardship and long-term fiscal responsibility.

Lewis has also championed the development and alignment of Graduate Profiles across Yolo County. Graduate Profiles define the skills and competencies students should demonstrate by the time they graduate. While each of the county’s five school districts and YCOE has developed a Graduate Profile reflecting local priorities, Lewis has worked to identify shared values and core competencies to better prepare students for college, career and civic life.

Additional milestones under his tenure include establishing the Yolo Center for Language and Literacy to strengthen early reading outcomes and support multilingual learners, launching the Yolo County Youth Civic Initiative with community partners to elevate student voice and civic engagement and expanding school-based mental health partnerships in collaboration with Yolo County Health and Human Services Agency to increase student access to behavioral health services.

Over his 30-year career in public education, Lewis has served as a paraeducator, teacher, principal, district administrator and assistant superintendent at a county office of education. He earned his teaching credential and master’s degree from California State University, Sacramento and a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of California, Davis.

Lewis, along with other regional honorees, will be recognized at an awards gala on April 13 in Elk Grove.

ACSA Region 3 represents educational leaders from 21 school districts across Sacramento and Yolo counties, serving more than 260,000 K-12 students.

The Yolo County Office of Education provides inspiration, leadership, support and advocacy to ensure equity and access to high-quality education for all students. For more information, visit www.ycoe.org.