Eight candidates are running for four positions on the Syracuse school board. This comes after an impressive showing by Democrats in the primary.
Tim Carroll, the Syracuse city Democratic chairman, said the race for the board of education started in January when 14 Democratic candidates declared they were running for four positions.
“I think we all are looking for better," Carroll said. "Better graduation rates, better performance in the schools. There’s a lot of issues affecting teachers, coming from the state level. We had a primary in September and four candidates won.”
Those candidates are Dan Romeo, Rita Paniagua, Katie Sojewicz and Mark Muhammad who was appointed by Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner to the school board earlier this year.
Carroll said school board representation is a key component of the elections this year.
"We did receive some news, unofficially, that the graduation rates going up, but people think that there is a lot more work that needs to be done in the schools," Carroll said. "Strong schools mean strong neighborhoods."
No Republicans are running. Two Green Party candidates Raymond Blackwell and Caleb Duncan are on the ballet as are Working Families candidates Maxwell Ruckdeschel and Latoya Allen.
Ruckdeschul is running for re-election and made news last year when he said he no longer supports Superintendent Sharon Contreras’ administrative appointments. The election is on Tuesday, November 3.
