(January 14, 2002, updated Jan. 15 & 16) -- Elections for LBUSD school board members in April, 2002 will feature contested races in two districts with one race going unopposed.

Much of ELB will get a new school board member as incumbent Karin Polacheck did not file for re-election (school board district 5).

Seeking to represent parents and taxpayers in the sprawling ELB district are Jeannine McManigal-Ball and Florence Wilson, who filed by the original deadline of January 11.

However, because Ms. Polacheck (the incumbent) did not file for re-election by the deadline, the filing period was legally extended until Jan. 16 at 5:00 p.m. During that extended period, three additional candidates surfaced and filed: Beth Hambelton, James Choura and Theresa Burger.

A candidate needs 50% of the votes + 1 to win the seat. Thus, the greater the number of candidates in the race, the greater the likelihood that a June runoff will be necessary.

Ms. McManigal-Ball, a teacher who ran a spirited race against incumbent Polacheck in 1998, told LBReport.com last year she planned to wage a vigorous fight for the seat.

The ELB LBUSD district stretches from Atherton St. (Stearns west of Bellflower Blvd.) in Los Altos through southern parts of the city of Lakewood. It includes El Dorado Park areas as well as Old Lakewood Village.

[In the public interest, we've posted a map of LBUSD's board districts on a link, below, in pdf form.]

Meanwhile in LB's downtown and central city area (board district 3), boardmember Suja Lowenthal (elected in a winner-take-all June 2001 race to fill mother-in-law (and now Councilwoman) Bonnie Lowenthal's unexpired School Board term) is in a three way race against Mary Porterfield (finished third in the June '01 election) and Kurt Bealer.

In Bixby Knolls and NLB (board district 1), incumbent school board member Mary Stanton is running unopposed.

The elections will be held on April 9, 2002.

To view a map of LB's School Board Districts in pdf form, click on LB School Board District Map.