With eight seats up for grabs, the 13-member Board of Education could look quite different after election season. [ BOARD OF EDUCATION ]
3 incumbents vying
for BOE spots8 seats are in play on the
Board of Education candidates
13-member Board of EducationStar-Bulletin staff
Three incumbents are seeking re-election for at-large seats -- Shannon Ajifu, Karen Knudsen and Keith Sakata -- leaving a minimum of five seats open for newcomers and returnees.
Hoping to unseat the incumbents are social justice worker Carolyn Golojuch, tutor Malcolm Kirkpatrick, retired librarian and teacher Marcia Linville, tax preparer Phil Robertson, counselor Kenneth Segawa, minister Marla Wade and attorney Randall Yee.
The top six vote getters among the at-large candidates in the Sept. 21 primary will advance to the general election.
The resignations of Windward member Winston Sakurai, Maui member Meyer Ueoka and Central member Michael Nakamura have left three district seats open.
With only two candidates vying for the Maui seat -- former board member Kelly King and attorney Mary Cochran -- there is no need for a primary contest.
STAR-BULLETIN / APRIL 2002
It was standing-room-only at an April Board of Education meeting as principals, teachers and students told the board how proposed budget cuts would affect them. Budget is a perennial issue tackled by the school board.
However, three-way primary races for the Windward and Leeward seats will mean one candidate will be eliminated from each before the general.
The candidates in the Windward district are union representative and organizer James Kuroiwa, Laura Thielen and attorney and former state Rep. Terrance Tom.
In Leeward Oahu, the candidates are retired social worker Grace Dixon, former state Rep. Oliver Lunasco, and former Aiea Neighborhood Board member Shirley Robinson.
Breene Harimoto, appointed in May to fill the Leeward seat vacated by Marilyn Harris, would like to remain on the board and has filed to run in the special election. His opponent is Karen James.
The special election for an Oahu at-large seat that opened up last month when Donna Ikeda resigned to run for lieutenant governor will be held during the general election. Former BOE member Garrett Toguchi was appointed to fill the seat until the election, but could not be reached to see if he would seek election.
The filing deadline for the special election is Sept. 16.
