Attorney Ramya Kasthuri Appointed to Berkeley Heights Board of Education

Kasthuri, a former educator, was appointed to fill the seat left vacant by veteran board member Helen Kirsch's death in June.

FREMONT, CA: During a special meeting on July 22, Indian American attorney Ramya Kasthuri was appointed to the Berkeley Heights Board of Education, bringing the board to full strength. Kasthuri, a former educator, was appointed to fill the seat left vacant by veteran board member Helen Kirsch's death in June. According to sources, she will stay on the board until December 2021, after which the position will be filled by a candidate chosen by voters at the November election.

Kasthuri ran for a place on the board in 2020 but lost, garnering 1,920 votes and finishing fourth out of five candidates. She will be one of seven candidates running for a seat on the board, which has two three-year seats up for grabs on the November ballot, one held by Doug Reinstein and the other by Chris Reilly, as well as Kirsch's one-year expiring term.

Kasthuri will face Sai Bhargavi Akiri for the vacant seat left by Kirsch. Akiri ran for the Bank of England in the 2020 election. With 18 percent of the vote versus Kasthuri's 16 percent, Akiri finished slightly ahead of Kasthuri.