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No one has applied to run in four local school board positions for the Nov. 3 elections.
Two positions are open in the Atwater Elementary School District and one remains open at both the Le Grand Elementary and Plainsburg Union Elementary districts.
No one had pulled papers to run for the positions as of 4 p.m. Monday.
And while those positions have seen no interest, seven other races remain open for potential candidates.
The original filing deadline for the 11 elected positions was Friday. The races remain open because the incumbent in each race chose not to run, said Stacey Cotter, Merced County assistant registrar of voters.
According to California Election Code, if filing documents for an incumbent weren't received before 5 p.m. Friday, the deadline would be extended until Wednesday.
Anyone but the incumbent can still pull papers, Cotter said.
All told, eight local school districts still show openings for school board members to be elected next November.
In the event that races remain without candidates after Wednesday, standing school boards will appoint new members to fill the vacancies.
County Superintendent of Schools Lee Andersen said he expected to see new candidates enter the races before the Wednesday deadline.
"People recognize that school board members are qualified and do a good job, so they may not want to run (initially)," Andersen said. "When they see that there is a position open after the deadline, though, they are more interested."
Andersen added that current budget news shouldn't dampen a potential candidate's resolve to enter the race.
"It's highly likely that things will improve in a few years, and that will be a time when board members can decide what programs to start or expand with new sources of money," he said.
The Merced County Office of Education, working with the Merced County School Boards Association, will host a training and information session for any new school board members after the election.
The ballot situation now is substantially better than it was last week, when 17 races were wide open.
Twenty-eight people filed to run for election in the last two days of the original filing period.
A total of 60 school board seats are up for grabs on the ballot.
In another 11 contests, only the incumbent pulled papers to run.
Questions about filing for candidacy should be directed to the Merced County Registrar of Voters at (209) 385-7541.
Reporter Danielle Gaines can be reached at (209) 385-2407 or dgaines@mercedsun-star.com.
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