Nine candidates have filed petitions to run for the Butler School Board. Two current board members are running for second terms and seven new faces are vying for seats in the May 19 primary.

Five seats are open in the November election.

Board members Carmen Bianco, Karen Callihan and Jim Keffalas have terms ending this year and are not running for re-election.

Incumbents Bill Halle and Don Pringle are running again to see the consolidation process through more than anything else.

“There’s still a whole lot to do,” Halle said. “When I ran for office last time, there were some very specific concerns that I had. Honestly, consolidation was one of them.

“I can’t believe that it’s taken so long to get to the point where we’re actually looking at consolidating the schools, but now that we are, I just could not be part of that type of decision … and then all of a sudden disappear.”

Halle also emphasizes improving educational outcomes and transparency as priorities.

Pringle agrees with Halle in seeing the consolidation process through.

“I really feel it’s important that the person that’s going to vote for consolidation of a district to follow the whole process through,” Pringle said. “I’m for this. I don’t want to walk away from it. I want to see it through. I want to have a job well done and completed.”

Consolidation would close five elementary schools and have the remaining elementary schools house students in kindergarten through fourth grade.

Fifth and sixth graders would go the middle school, which is now the junior high.

Seventh, eighth and ninth grade students would go to the intermediate, and 10th, 11th and 12th grade students would go to the high school.

With nearly four years as a board member, and three years as school board president, Pringle said he’s more experienced on the job this time, too.

“I’m a much better board member now than I was four years ago. I now understand the lay of the land. I do believe that right now that I would be a better asset in the district,” he said.

Meanwhile, Nina Teff, a vocal parent who has been at several district consolidation and board meetings this school year, is among the seven others who have decided to run for the board.

“I got involved due to the consolidation discussions,” she said. “From there, my interest in running for the school board flourished.

“I am not running based on one issue. I recognize that being a school board member is multifaceted and a great responsibility and privilege to serve the community and students.”

She said she hopes to bring a fresh, outside perspective to the board, with a willingness to dig into details on issues and listen to what others have to say.

If elected, her biggest priorities, aside from students, relate to finance.

“I will focus on making sound decisions with respect to providing a quality education to students in the district while keeping abreast of the financial constraints of the district,” she said.

“I am interested in reviewing alternate sources of revenue to the district including understanding if there are grants available to supplement programs or needs.”

Teff and Leland Clark, another school board candidate, both have been involved with the Butler Residents for Quality Schools group, which has advocated for a kindergarten through sixth grade elementary school model during the consolidation process. However, they are running as individuals on their own merits.

Clark, a Butler attorney, said the consolidation process played a role in his decision to run.

“I feel called to serve on the school board because there are many serious challenges on the horizon. The district is going through a consolidation and reconfiguration process to save money and improve education,” he said.

“At the same time, the district’s expenses are increasing greatly. The district needs passionate, dedicated, creative board members that will be able to see us through these challenging times.

“As a local businessman, a father, and a taxpayer, I have every motivation to make sure that we provide an excellent public education to our children while at the same time making sure that we stay within our means financially.”

Clark’s priorities, if elected, also will include keeping taxes low, providing a great education to students, serving with integrity, working with the community and planning for the future.

Suzie Bradrick Hammonds, Jennifer Cummings, Timmi Longdon, Arthur Haag and Dan Focht also have filed petitions to run for the school board.

All candidates have cross-filed on both Republican and Democratic ballots, except Haag and Focht, who only will be on the Republican ballot in the primary.

Haag was a member of the school board from 2006 to 2012.