Eleven candidates are now in the running for Boise school board, as the filing deadline nears.
One of the new filings was expected. Shiva Rajbhandari, a rising senior at Boise High School, made his candidacy official.
Five board incumbents announced their re-election bids last week.
Here’s how the five races shape up:
- Three candidates are vying for two six-year trustee seats: Incumbents Dave Wagers and Beth Oppenheimer, elected in 2016, and challenger Krista Hasler. The top two vote-getters will be elected.
- Andy Hawes and Neil Mercer are running for one four-year seat. Hawes, appointed in April 2021, is hoping to round out a board term.
- Incumbent Elizabeth Langley has three opponents: Dawn King, Todd Kurowski and Jessie McDonald. The winner will complete the final two years of a board term. Langley was appointed in November 2020.
- Incumbent Steve Schmidt and Rajbhandari are running in another race to complete the final two years of a term. Schmidt was appointed in December.
The filing period closes at 5 p.m. Friday.
The board elections will be held on Sept. 6.
While most school districts hold trustee elections in November of odd-numbered years — in conjunction with nonpartisan city elections. But under the Boise district’s unique governing charter, a document that predates statehood, the district holds its trustee elections in September.
