Dr. Aakash Ahuja announced Friday that he is running for a seat on the William S. Hart District Governing Board.

Ahuja, a psychiatrist for the California State Prison System and a decade-long resident of Santa Clarita emigrated to the United States in 2001. In 2014, Ahuja and his wife moved to Santa Clarita Valley with their two children in search of prime school districts, including the William S. Hart Union High School District.

“I think it’s a great opportunity to advocate for our students, teachers, community members, and to ensure that the needs and concerns of all are addressed in the most effective manner,” Ahuja said. “I have been going to the Hart Board meetings now for a very long time, very consistently. I know how it functions. I understand the concerns of the parents as a first-hand experience.”

In terms of priorities, Ahuja mentioned that he is very concerned about the mental health of students in the Hart District. As a psychiatrist and father to two children himself, Ahuja has seen for himself the impacts of the Coronavirus lockdown and the importance of mental health care.

“The test scores have plummeted. Kids have been struggling with the mental issues. In fact, based on many research studies done by the CDC and others,  at least one-third of students seem to be having mental health concerns in high school, and the use of cell phones along with social media has contributed to these things,” Ahuja said.

Other areas of concern include academic achievements and communication with law enforcement, students, and families.

Ahuja will be running for the Trustee Area 1 seat, currently held by Linda Storli.

“I think I can increase the transparency and accountability,” Ahuja said. “I think I do have, in my opinion, communication skills to be more effective to talk to parents, students, teachers and administration and our community members.”

The 2024 Election is scheduled for Nov. 5.

Transparency Note: KHTS Radio has endorsed Dr. Ahuja for an unrelated position as a member of the County Central Committee for the 40th Assembly District in the Primary Election.