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Lakshmi Sharma
Lakshmi Sharma ran for election for an at-large seat of the Cupertino Union School District Board of Education in California. She lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Sharma completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Lakshmi Sharma earned a bachelor's degree from Delhi University and a graduate degree from Santa Clara University. Her career experience includes working as a executive.[1]
Elections
2024
See also: Cupertino Union School District, California, elections (2024)
General election
General election for Cupertino Union School District Board of Education At-large (2 seats)
The following candidates ran in the general election for Cupertino Union School District Board of Education At-large on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Sylvia Leong (Nonpartisan)  | 35.8 | 29,431 |
| ✔ |  | Long Jiao (Nonpartisan) | 21.1 | 17,316 |
 | Lakshmi Sharma (Nonpartisan) | 19.3 | 15,887 | |
 | Doug Kunz (Nonpartisan) | 17.3 | 14,184 | |
| Nisar Ali (Nonpartisan) | 3.4 | 2,831 | ||
| Rimi Khan (Nonpartisan) | 3.1 | 2,534 | ||
| Total votes: 82,183 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Endorsements
To view Sharma's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here. Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Sharma in this election.
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Lakshmi Sharma completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Sharma's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I am committed to fostering an inclusive environment where schools and families collaborate to help each child reach their full potential by increasing access to relevant resources and opportunities for students, educators, and families.
As a mother of CUSD/FUHSD graduates, and resident of Cupertino, West San Jose, Saratoga over 2 decades, I have seen firsthand the profound impact of the education system on my family. Personally, I am a first generation college graduate and owe everything to education.
With 28 years of experience in technology and community service, including leadership roles in initiatives like TFIN, “Project Cornerstone”, “Destination Imagination”, and “Lynbrook Excellence in Education”, I bring a blend of practical problem-solving and community-focused insights to this role. I will apply my skills as a business leader to drive sustainable growth for the district, with the ultimate goal of keeping our schools open, growing, and thriving.
I am honored to have earned endorsements from parents, community members, and elected officials.
I humbly ask for your vote and commit to ensuring the most fulfilling experience for each CUSD student and family.- Holistic Education: Equitable access to all the resources for educators, students and families including a spectrum of options from STEM, Art, Sports, accessibility needs for special students, communication with non-English speakers, and training and opportunities for growth for educators.
- Increased Safety: Safety for all on all fronts, from in person to cyber, to safe routes to school. Training to handle on-campus bullying, education on digital citizenship, and motivated initiatives to encourage safe routes to school.
- Financial Stewardship: Turn CUSD into a self-sustainable growth organization. I will ask the right questions to understand the data, collaborate with the city to make decisions on affordable housing, and local corporations for opportunities to create new programs for students and teachers.
As our district faces challenges such as declining enrollment, state funding deferrals, school closures, and significant disparities in student populations across schools, I believe my unique blend of decades of volunteer and parental involvement with the district, combined with my extensive business leadership experience, can be invaluable. My background in financial planning, budgeting, and resource allocation equips me to ask the critical questions necessary for informed decision-making.
The board establishes the district's vision, mission, and long-term goals, ensuring they align with the community’s educational priorities and values.
Policy Development:
The board adopts and revises policies that guide the district's operations, including academic standards, student behavior, equity initiatives, and fiscal management.
Budget Oversight:
The board approves the annual budget, ensuring that resources are allocated effectively to support the district’s goals. They monitor financial performance and make adjustments as necessary.
Hiring and Evaluating the Superintendent:
One of the board’s key responsibilities is hiring the Superintendent. The board sets performance expectations, conducts evaluations, and, if necessary, makes decisions regarding the continuation of the Superintendent’s contract.
Curriculum and Instruction Oversight:
The board reviews and approves the curriculum, instructional materials, and assessment programs to ensure they meet state standards and the needs of the students.
Community Engagement:
The board serves as a liaison between the district and the community, ensuring transparency and communication with parents, students, teachers, and other stakeholders.
Facilities and Infrastructure:
The board oversees the maintenance and development of school facilities, ensuring they are safe, accessible, and conducive to learning.
Collective Bargaining:
The board is involved in negotiating contracts with employee unions, such as teachers' associations, ensuring that agreements are fair and sustainable.
Contextualize social-emotional learning: Provide concrete resources and discussions tailored to students’ specific workloads and activities to help them learn the application of mental health tools to daily life.
Increase Mental Health Resources: Invest in additional counselor training and create a referral system where teachers who spend more time with students daily can suggest counseling for students through a strong pipeline between teachers and counselors.
Maintain an Active Lifestyle: Encourage physical activity beyond P.E. by integrating more outdoor activities and movement sessions.
Promote Community and Parental Involvement: Offer workshops for families to support students’ mental health at home.
Develop Peer Support Networks: Establish peer mentoring programs between middle and elementary schools to build community and support.
Regularly Assess and Adapt: Continuously evaluate and adjust programs based on feedback to address evolving student needs.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2024 Elections
External links
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Candidate Cupertino Union School District Board of Education At-large |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on September 2, 2024
