FUSD’s newest board trustee, Rinu Nair

How her experience, plans, and goals can bring a new perspective to the Board of Education

Staff Writer

In November 2024, recent Irvington High School graduate Rinu Nair was elected to FUSD’s Board, representing District 4. The high school attendance and trustee districts do not match completely, but Nair’s district mainly consists of Kennedy High School and Irvington High School.

“It’s truly an honor to have been elected, and I’m incredibly grateful for the trust the community has placed in me. I hope that my involvement in the board can inspire more students to get involved in the school district and to speak up about their perspectives on matters regarding the district,” said Trustee Nair.

Nair received endorsements from many high-ranking members of the FUSD and Fremont community, including former mayor Lily Mei, FUSD Board of Education President Yanjing Zhang, Board Vice President Lary Sweeney, and many city council members.

FUSD Board trustee Sharon Coco was one of the trustees who endorsed Ms. Nair over her candidate for the seat, Ganesh Balamitran. Discussing Ms. Nair’s priorities if elected, Ms. Coco said, “Trustee Nair and I met to discuss her goals and areas of focus prior to my endorsement. Her principles of student wellness, campus safety and a quality education are all areas of importance that happen to align with some of the goals of the Board.”

Trustee Nair has many ambitious and progressive goals that she believes are informed by her experience as a student in the FUSD school system. Ms. Nair said, “[As] a recent graduate, I am well aware of the student experience and that can provide better insight into the impact of the policies we pass on the students at our sites. My vision for Fremont Unified would be to ensure that all of our students can have access to the courses and resources necessary to fulfill their paths to education. I have heard that students at American have to drop all Advanced Placement classes if they choose to drop one. Working to bring such issues to the Board and address those is something I plan to do. Additionally, I hope to expand partnerships with local education groups such as the Fremont Education Foundation to provide the resources our students need.”

Ms. Nair also seeks to prioritize students’ mental health. “Mental health is also an area I want to focus on. I want to expand mental health resources for our students after witnessing many of my classmates experiencing stress and anxiety throughout campuses [and] to address other factors regarding stress and anxiety on campus such as peer pressure and [to make] resources more visible. As a student, it was only after consulting with my counselor [that] I learned that our school had paid for a wellness app at that time,” Trustee Nair said.

In terms of Trustee Nair’s process to achieve her goals, she said, “ I would like to work on streamlining processes such as course selection to be more efficient and utilizing technology and media to make information about FUSD more accessible to the public.”

“I have been meeting with constituents and hearing their input on what changes they want to see in our district, asking to receive updates [at board meetings] to see if students are receiving their grades in a timely manner and about the AP situation at American, [and] enrolling in various training programs and reaching out to trustees from other school districts to understand how they navigate their district’s challenges.”