Shiva Rajbhandari
From Ballotpedia
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Shiva Rajbhandari was an at-large member of the Boise School District Board of Trustees in Idaho. He assumed office on September 12, 2022. He left office on September 3, 2024.
Rajbhandari ran in a special election for an at-large seat of the Boise School District Board of Trustees in Idaho. He won in the special general election on September 6, 2022.
Rajbhandari completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Shiva Rajbhandari was born in Boise, Idaho. He has been affiliated with BABE VOTE, Youth Salmon Protectors, Reclaim Idaho, and the Idaho Climate Justice League.[1]
Elections
2022
See also: Boise School District, Idaho, elections (2022)
General election
Special general election for Boise School District Board of Trustees At-large
Shiva Rajbhandari defeated incumbent Steve Schmidt in the special general election for Boise School District Board of Trustees At-large on September 6, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Shiva Rajbhandari (Nonpartisan)  | 56.4 | 10,944 |
 | Steve Schmidt (Nonpartisan) | 43.6 | 8,461 | |
| Total votes: 19,405 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Jacob Rowe (Nonpartisan)
Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Shiva Rajbhandari completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Rajbhandari'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 a rising senior at Boise High and a Boise community member and volunteer. I'm running to be the first student elected to the Boise School District Board, and I hope to increase student representation in our district leadership. I was born and raised in Boise, and public schools made me. I'm an advocate for increasing K-12 funding and providing students with the best opportunities to learn. I'm passionate about fighting climate change, addressing student mental health, and empowering students to have a say in their education. I currently work as the Youth Engagement Coordinator for the Idaho Conservation League. In my free time, I enjoy running in the foothills, skiing at Bogus, and fishing in the Snake River Basin. I hope I can earn your vote on August 30 for Boise School Board.
- Students deserve a say in their education. I'm running to be the first student member of the Boise Schools Board of Trustees.
- The pandemic has highlighted the need to address student mental health issues. I'm running to increase counselors and mental health services and have more discussions about mental health in classrooms.
- As one of the city's largest polluters, it's time Boise Schools take action on the climate crisis. We can increase energy efficiency, switch to renewables, and save millions of dollars each year.
As the founder of my school's green club, the director of the Youth Salmon Protectors, and a longtime climate activist, I'm passionate about fighting climate change. Boise is the 13th-fastest warming city in the country. We're facing increased rates of asthma, heat stroke, obesity, and food insecurity, particularly threatening our youth. We must do everything we can do reduce greenhouse gas emissions and stop climate change.
I'm also a voting rights advocate. I believe that voting is the key to a well-functioning democracy, and we must protect the sacred right to vote. As the youth director of BABE VOTE, a nonprofit, nonpartisan voter advocacy organization, I've registered over 2000 Idahoans to vote and I defended the right to vote in and out of the statehouse. I also have served as a judge with Ada County Elections for two years and led voter registration drives at my school.
I look up to all of my teachers and coaches who have challenged me and showed me that hard work pays off. Particularly, I look up to my student council teacher, Monica Church. She put students first in everything she does. She advocates for us when others won't. She's not afraid to speak truth to power. I'm sad she's moving on from teaching to take up a position with the Frank Church Institute, but I'm excited to see the positive change she'll make in our state.
Integrity and accountability are the most important characteristics of an elected official. School board members should answer to students, parents, teachers, and taxpayers.
I'd like to pave the way for more student leadership in our school district and continue Boise Schools' tradition of an equitable, high quality education.
The first historical event I remember was the election of President Obama. I remember my parents took me to caucus until late at night, and how much hope and enthusiasm there was at the time. I believe that, as a country we can bring back this sense of civility and unity. Together, we can heal the divisions in our community and achieve real social progress.
Though I've gig-worked as a tutor, my first and current job was as the Youth Engagement Coordinator for the Idaho Conservation League. I've served in that position since May 2021
The primary job of a school board member is to ensure teachers have the resources they need to teach and students have the resources they need to learn. We deserve school board members who will include students in decision making and work to build school-community relationships that advance civility and inclusivity. School board members should seek to maximize fiscal efficiency and minimize school expenses without compromising the quality of education students recieve.
First and foremost, my constituents are Boise students. We have never had a voice on the BSD Board and we deserve a seat at the table when decisions are being made on our education. Beyond my peers, the Boise School Board serves Boise community members including teachers, parents, and taxpayers. Trustees should seek out diverse opinions and include all concerned parties when making important decisions.
I believe that education works best on the local level. Teachers, local PTO's, and school administrators know what their students and school community need to succeed, and, as a board member, I hope to empower school staff to make the best decisions for their schools.
The Boise School Board is currently disconnected from our communities. As a BSD Trustee, I'll seek out opportunities to take input from students, parents, teachers, and community members to understand the needs of our district.
As a student athlete and a member of student council, I already have deep relationships with my peers and teachers at my school and in high schools across the valley. As a trustee, I hope to work organizations such as the Boise Education Association and Reclaim Idaho to pass the Quality Education Act (Proposition 1) and increase K-12 funding statewide. I also hope to work with the Idaho Legislature, to see past our differences to reduce barriers to public education access and quality instruction and ensure local communities continue to have a say in their local school districts.
Diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice should be top priorities for Boise Schools. Students perform better when with faculty who can relate and validate their life experiences. We deserve educational representation at all levels. To hire and retain diverse qualified educators and administrators, Boise Schools should offer staff with more educational opportunities to attain credentials necessary to become administrators and higher-level faculty. We should work to build teacher communities that feel safe and welcoming to all.
At-home conflicts, mental health challenges, and insecurity limit students' ability to pursue a quality education. Though the responsibility to address these struggles should be community-wide, schools must address these issues. We need to provide students with more counseling staff, mental health professionals, and social workers to identify early signs of home struggles and work to resolve these issues in a way that is empowering for students and parents. This may be difficult on the limited budget upon which our schools operate, but should be a priority. By cutting energy costs and supporting Proposition 1, we can ensure schools have the resources needed to best serve students.
Certain styles of teaching may be effective for different students. Teachers should have the ultimate discretion over how to teach their classes. Boise Schools should provide educators with opportunities to develop and implement new teaching strategies, especially place-based education and intersectional learning.
To measure educational achievement, students should be given end-of-course surveys. Standardized tests are a poor measurement of student educational success, especially state-mandated tests such as ISATs and SBACs.
To measure educational achievement, students should be given end-of-course surveys. Standardized tests are a poor measurement of student educational success, especially state-mandated tests such as ISATs and SBACs.
Climate change is the most important issue facing today's students. We must expand opportunities for intersectional climate education. Students deserve horizontally- and vertically- integrated K-12 climate education to understand the causes, consequences, and solutions to climate change beyond just the science classroom.
College is not for everyone. Boise Schools already has great programs such as the Dennis Technical Education Center, the Gifted and Talented Program, and the Treasure Valley Math and Science Center to cater to students' interests and challenge each student in a unique way. We should continue to embrace these programs and consider more ways to connect students with local industry leaders to promote career readiness. Particularly, I believe that every student should have a base understanding of computer programming. We should partner with companies such as HP, Clearwater, and Micron to make that possible.
College is not for everyone. Boise Schools already has great programs such as the Dennis Technical Education Center, the Gifted and Talented Program, and the Treasure Valley Math and Science Center to cater to students' interests and challenge each student in a unique way. We should continue to embrace these programs and consider more ways to connect students with local industry leaders to promote career readiness. Particularly, I believe that every student should have a base understanding of computer programming. We should partner with companies such as HP, Clearwater, and Micron to make that possible.
Idaho ranks lowest in per-pupil K-12 funding nationally. Boise Schools is one of the best-funded schools in the state, but we still have trouble retaining quality educators and adequately funding student programs. I support 10-year bond initiatives that have improved school infrastructure and teacher pay in our district. We also need statewide funding increases to ensure an equitable education for Idaho's students. That's why I've canvassed for the Quality Education Act and I'm supporting Proposition 1 this November.
Students deserve to feel safe at school. Guns never belong on campus.
We should build inclusive cultures within schools to make students feel welcome as their true selves. I don't support zero-tolerance policies.
We should build inclusive cultures within schools to make students feel welcome as their true selves. I don't support zero-tolerance policies.
Supporting mental health should be a chief priority of the school district. We need to expand counseling and mental health services for students. We also need to destigmatize talking about mental health in classrooms. Students should learn lifelong strategies to maintain healthy minds and bodies.
Around the world, schools are preparing students for the digital workforce. Students should learn computer programming in schools. Online classes should continue to be accepted for accelerated and alternative students.
Boise Schools should continue to adhere to CDC and Central District Health guidelines to ensure that students have a safe and equitable access to quality education.
On the Boise High student council, I served as a delegate for the Brave Parents (Boise High's PTO), and build lasting relationships with parents who care deeply about our school. I believe that school board members should form similar relationships with PTO's across the district. Parents should have the opportunity to voice their thoughts and concerns at Board meetings. I also will seek out the voices of parents who have historically been left out of educational decision-making. I hope to work with refugees and low-income families to increase involvement and better support students' diverse 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
2022 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on May 18, 2022
