Three of the seven District 186 school board seats are being contested

Editor's note: This is part of a series of articles previewing candidates vying in the April 4 consolidated election.

Three of the seven District 186 board of education seats are being contested in the April 4 consolidated election.

All seven seats are up for election. Early voting continues through April 3.

D186 school board candidates take on teacher shortages, school disparities in forum

In Subdistrict 2, incumbent and vice president Micah Miller takes on challenger Emerson Weed for a two-year term. The subdistrict covers a wide swath of Springfield's north side.

Incumbents in subdistricts 3 and 4 each will go up against two challengers.

Sarah Blissett, who was appointed to the board in early 2021, faces Spurgeon Johnson and Jessica Bandy. Subdistrict 3 covers the northeast part of the city.

Jeff Tucka, who was appointed Nov. 15 to fill out the term of the late Mike Zimmers, will face Ken Gilmore and Donna Hopwood in Subdistrict 4, which covers the city's southwest side.

Both seats have four-year terms.

In Subdistrict 7, Debi Iams emerged as the lone candidate after incumbent Bill Ringer did not file for reelection.

Anthony "Tony" Mares, the board president who represents Subdistrict 1; Buffy Lael-Wolf of Subdistrict 5 and Erica Austin of Subdistrict 6 are running unopposed. Mares and Austin will serve two-year terms.

The Faith Coalition for the Common Good and the Springfield Area League of Women Voters hosts a candidates' forum at Union Baptist Church, 1405 E. Monroe St., at 6 p.m. on March 16.

There will be a voter registration table at the forum.

Contact Steven Spearie: (217) 622-1788, [email protected], twitter.com/@StevenSpearie