Elected in 2022, Ms. Raeena Lari currently represents Trustee Area 7 on the Santa Clara County Board of Education. With a total population of 277,524 (2020 Census), her area covers: Morgan Hill Unified, Gilroy Unified, Evergreen School Districts, a portion of Oak Grove School District, and a corresponding portion of East Side Union High School District.​​ Santa Clara County has 31 school districts including 20 elementary school districts, 5 high school districts, 6 unified school districts, 406 schools and 236,500 students and Trustee Lari shares governance with 6 other board members.

At the SCCBOE, over the past four years, she has served on the Santa Clara County School Boards Association (SCCSBA) Executive Board, Budget Study Committee, Strong Start Coalition Committee, Head Start Policy Council, and Policy Development Subcommittee.

She wants to continue building an educational system in which academic excellence and student well-being are seen as interconnected priorities, and the interconnections between students' physical health, mental well being, and their ability to succeed in school, are always taken into account. She initiated, gathered support, and helped organize a 3-day Health and Wellness conference at the Santa Clara County Office of Education to place health and wellness at the center of education.

Raeena is a passionate advocate of keeping ICE out of our schools and out of our community. She has gone door to door in Gilroy, distributing red Know Your Rights cards to help families understand their rights and parents to feel safe sending their children to school. With another trustee, she advocated with our superintendent to compile resources for school districts and families, including family preparedness information for safety as well as a resolution to keep ICE out of schools.

She has initiated resolutions to raise awareness and encourage action regarding the health, safety, and well-being of children and families; addressing Responsible AI use in Education, Human trafficking prevention, Adverse childhood experiences, Summer safety, Gun violence, Social media hazards, Child abuse prevention, Stress awareness, Immigration, Parent and caregiver health, Sikh appreciation, Muslim appreciation (joint), Endometriosis, Lyme Disease, and Sustained peace and safety for all children (joint).

With a Bachelors in Economics from Bryn Mawr College, and a Masters in Business Administration in Finance and Economics from the University of Chicago, she has worked professionally as a recognized researcher and economist, both nationally and internationally, for a decade.

Raeena has served on several non-profit boards, including the League of Women Voters Bay Area, where she championed policies to support the health and well-being of children and families, as well as the Family Leadership Council at Pitzer College, supporting a mission to develop socially responsible students. She is currently on the Board of Our City Forest (until recently, she was the Chair of the Board where she helped with transition), VP Policy and the Executive Board of Democratic Activists for Women Now (DAWN),

Ms. Raeena Lari has served as a County Commissioner on the Santa Clara County Health Advisory Commission, with service on committees covering chronic and infectious diseases, and a special focus on school-age children. She brings the perspective and experience of a mom, a parent volunteer, an immigrant, a community and non profit leader, a former health advisory commissioner and a development economist. She and her husband have lived in the same house in the same neighborhood for 27 years with deep roots in the community.

While her public policy and advocacy efforts span locally, statewide, and abroad, her service to our community begins with her family. She was inspired by her son to become an active school volunteer—from pre-school to college.

A passionate advocate for children in the classroom for over two decades, she has led research and funding efforts at the county and federal levels in support of our students.

As a member of the Santa Clara County Board of Education, Raeena supports health and wellness, equity, inclusion, belonging (without othering) and collaboration across all aspects of public education and ensure high-quality learning systems for all students.