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The Contra Costa County Board of Education has appointed two new high school students to serve as student board members for the 2025–26 academic year. One of them is Keerthi Eraniyan, a rising Junior at California High School in the San Ramon Valley Unified School District.
Eraniyan was chosen alongside Sanvi Panda, who is also a rising junior, from College Park High School in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District.
“As a high school student, I feel that the voices of our community’s youth deserve to be heard when it comes to educational policies,” Eraniyan said in a statement. “As a board member, I want to help amplify youth perspectives, challenge inequities in our society, and build platforms for meaningful dialogue, ultimately improving student life in our schools.”
Aside from this new role, Eraniyan is a student journalist, participating in the Contra Costa Youth Journalism project. She has written a number of articles on topics including youth voter interest and Martin Luther King III. She has also represented her peers as a Teen Council Ambassador for the City of San Ramon.
Both Eraniyan and Panda were chosen from a pool of 54 applicants representing 18 schools in Contra Costa County, according to the press release provided by Contra Costa County Office of Education.
“We are thrilled to welcome Sanvi and Keerthi to the Board,” said CCCBOE President Annette Lewis. “Their voices will bring valuable insight and help ensure that student perspectives are reflected in our decisions.”
As student representatives of the CCCBOE, Eraniyan and Panda will participate in monthly board meetings, where they will collaborate with other members and offer meaningful perspectives on issues that directly impact their peers. They will have a preferential vote, allowing them to formally express their preference on a motion before the rest of the board votes. However, their preferential votes will not count in the final numerical outcome of a motion.
“I am beyond excited to represent the high schoolers across Contra Costa County as their student board member,” said Panda. “I hope to use my position to amplify student voices. This county has thousands of people with thousands of unique perspectives. I hope to bring these unique perspectives to board decisions. To me, this position isn’t just about having a seat at the table—it’s about making space for everyone who hasn’t always been invited to pull up a chair.”
Their first meeting will be held on Aug.13 at 5 p.m. The public can watch the school board meetings in person, via live stream online, or on television. To find out more, visit the Contra Costa County Office of Education’s website, specifically their Agendas and Calendar page.
