Milind Sohoni (Wayzata School Board At-large, Minnesota, candidate 2025)

Milind Sohoni

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Nonpartisan

Candidate, Wayzata School Board At-large

Elections and appointments

Next election

November 4, 2025

Personal

Religion

Hindu

Profession

Retired

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

Milind Sohoni is running for election to the Wayzata School Board At-large in Minnesota. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 4, 2025.^[source]

Sohoni completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Milind Sohoni provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on October 6, 2025:

• High school: Indian Education Society's English Medium School, Bombay, India
• Graduate: University Dept of Chemical Technology, Bombay, India
• PhD: University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
• Graduate: University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management, Minneapolis, MN
• Gender: Male
• Religion: Hindu
• Profession: Retired
• Prior offices held:
  • Chair, Wayzata school board (2022-Prsnt)
  • Board Director, MSBA (2023-Prsnt)
  • Advisor, Unified Boards Alliance, COSSBA (2024-Prsnt)
  • Board Trustee, MSDLAF (2024-Prsnt)
• Incumbent officeholder: Yes
• Campaign slogan: Putting students first
• Campaign website
• Campaign endorsements
• Campaign Facebook

Elections

General election

The general election will occur on November 4, 2025.

General election for Wayzata School Board At-large (3 seats)

The following candidates are running in the general election for Wayzata School Board At-large on November 4, 2025.

		Candidate
		Laura Conway (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Julie Joseph (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Heidi Kader (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Kate Knight (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Alicia Liddle (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Milind Sohoni (Nonpartisan)

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	Incumbency information for this election was not available.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Endorsements

Sohoni received the following endorsements. To view a full list of Sohoni's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here. To send us additional endorsements, click here.

• Frmr. Plymouth City Council Memb. Ginny Black
• Anoka-Hennepin School Board Memb. Nicole Hayes
• Hopkins School Board Memb. Jen Westmoreland
• 314 Action Fund
• Everytown for Gun Safety
• Moms Demand Action
• Plymouth DEI
• Progressive Plymouth Moms
• Wayzata Education Association

Campaign themes

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Milind Sohoni completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Sohoni's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My name is Dr Milind Sohoni and I am running for reelection to our school board. I am a first-generation immigrant whose family values education above everything else. Our two children graduated from Wayzata, and are currently working in the education space, helping children from marginalized communities. My background as a scientist, business owner, and community leader led me to see the board position. I am data driven, which helps me in my governance role on the board. My business background, and my lived experiences, serves me well on the board. I believe every child in our community deserves the chance to learn, grow, and thrive. After having served on the school board for 4 years, 2 of them as chair, I’ve seen firsthand both the challenges and the incredible potential in our schools. On the board, I’ve worked hard to keep students at the center of every decision. We’ve strengthened academic opportunities, supported our teachers, and been careful stewards of taxpayer dollars. I’m especially proud of our progress in making our schools more welcoming and inclusive, while addressing the real challenges of enrollment and funding. I’m committed to listening, leading with integrity, and making sure every student has the tools to succeed in college, career, and life.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• On the Wayzata School Board, my top priority is keeping students at the heart of every decision. That means striving for academic excellence, practicing transparency, building trust, supporting our educators, managing resources wisely, and fostering equity and belonging—so that every student has the opportunity to thrive. Wayzata is known to be one of the top performing districts in Minnesota. But, there is a section of the student population which shows achievment gaps. If elected, I will continue to work hard to ensure that we take care of eacch and every students, as Wayzata's mission statement reads. It's a long road, but I believe it's achievable.
• Linked to my frist key message is the concern about growing class sizes. Reduced funding in hiring teachers as a result of Covid (Wayzata has needed cost containment, during and post Covid, to maintain a minimum fund balance), which negatively impacts class sizes. Now that the effects of the pandemic are slowly behind us, and enrollment has increased to record levels, there is a shortage of classroom space. This also means bigger classes, which negatively impacts student learning. I will make tough decisions about funding, and wise use of local resources while investing in teachers and staff. A possible referendum next year, to add a couple of school buildings will ease the pressure on class sizes, to make them more manageable.
• The third message I have is about engaging teachers and families in our decision-making process. Listening to constituents is a top priority of mine. There are multiple ways to engage them. As board chair, I have proposed listening sessions with educators and families to ensure their voices are heard. Collaborating with the PTA/PTO groups will help me make sound decisions to ensure student success. The district’s policies must reflect input from those who know the students best – teachers and the families. Trust grows with feedback, guiding choices for student success, and keeping schools strong. I will work collaboratively with educators and Administration to find common ground, and solutions.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Public policy is one of my greatest passions. As a school board member, I am passionate about four areas of public policy: equity and access, support for teachers, responsible funding, and building public trust. Every child deserves opportunities to succeed, regardless of background or ability. Our teachers and staff need fair pay, resources, and professional growth to help students thrive. I will advocate for adequate, equitable funding while ensuring transparency and accountability in how we use community resources. And I believe trust is built through open communication, family engagement, and decisions rooted in what is best for students—not politics.

What legacy would you like to leave?

As I run for re-election, I hope my work is remembered for upholding four values that have guided me throughout my service: trust, inclusion, accountability, and transparency. These are not campaign slogans—they are the principles I have leaned on in every decision and conversation as a school board member.

To me, trust means parents, staff, and students can count on me to listen carefully, speak honestly, and keep students at the center of all decisions. Inclusion means that every student—no matter their background, abilities, or circumstances—deserves to feel valued, supported, and equipped to succeed.

Accountability is about asking the hard questions, making careful and responsible use of taxpayer dollars, and ensuring our district continues to meet the high expectations of this community. Transparency is making sure families know not only what decisions are made, but also why—and how those choices strengthen opportunities for students.

If there’s one legacy I hope to leave, it is a district that feels stronger and more connected: where families believe their voices matter, educators feel respected and supported, and students know they are truly at the center of our work. With your trust, we can continue building schools that reflect the very best of our community—fair, open, and focused on the future.

Who are your constituents?

As a school board member at large, I represent 75,000+ residents of my district. Among them, my constituents are first and foremost our students. They are the reason I ran for office and the reason I serve. Every decision I make comes back to one guiding question: What is best for our kids?

I also represent the students’ families - parents and guardians who place tremendous trust in our schools. I believe families deserve to be heard, respected, and included as partners in shaping the future of their children’s education.
Just as importantly, my constituents include our teachers, staff, and administrators. I have seen firsthand the dedication they bring every day. They deserve strong support, fair policies, and the resources to do what they do best: teach, mentor, and inspire.
But my responsibility goes beyond the classroom. I represent our entire community - neighbors without children in school, seniors, taxpayers, and local businesses. Public schools are the foundation of a thriving community. They strengthen neighborhoods, build opportunity, and prepare the next generation of leaders and workers.
I believe a school board member serves all these groups by listening carefully, bringing people together, and making balanced, thoughtful decisions. That’s the kind of leadership I offer: rooted in values, guided by fairness, and focused on students. I am seated at the board table because of my community – I serve at their pleasure, and they are who I report to.

At the end of the day, I don’t see my role as representing one group over another. I see it as making sure every voice is valued, every student has opportunity, and our public schools remain strong for generations to come. As Wayzata’s vision states “to ensure each and every student receives a world-class education that prepares them to thrive today and excel tomorrow in an ever-changing global society.” I have been elected as a representative to make that happen.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Plymouth DEI, Progressive Plymouth Moms, and the Wayzata Education Association

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.

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