The 19 members of Ohio's state Board of Education don't actually create any education-related laws, but they do make some pretty important decisions regarding the state's education policies--things like setting education operating standards and teacher license requirements. And this Election Day, there are seven contested races across the state looking to fill open seats on the board.Eleven BOE members are elected, while eight additional members are appointed by Gov. Kasich. Each member's four-year term is staggered, meaning about half of the board must run for re-election or be re-appointed every two years.This fall, we asked each of the 22 candidates to submit a headshot and a few words about why they're running.Not all of the candidates responded, but read below to check out the unedited responses of the 13 who did. While the election is non-partisan, we've also noted the candidates' party leanings based on voting records and published reports.Before scanning the breakdown of each race in each district, find out what district you live in by looking at the map above, checking out this map on the Secretary of State's website, or using this feature on the Ohio Department of Education's website. Click on the district's name to learn more about its candidates.RACES:
- District 2: Kathleen McGervey (incumbent), Kim Redfern, Raymond Young
- District 3: A.J. Wagner (incumbent), Charlotte McGuire, Mary Pritchard, Sarah Roberts
- District 4: Patricia Bruns, Zac Haines
- District 5: Brad Lamb (incumbent), Michael Grusenmeyer, Roslyn Painter-Goffi, Chris Sawicki
- District 7: Sarah Fowler (incumbent), Michael Charney, Sarah Freeman, David Spencer
- District 8: Representative Bob Hagan, Kathleen Purdy, Ida Ross-Freeman
- District 10: Ron Rudduck (incumbent), Michael Kinnamon