Often in school board elections there are a mass of candidates that few know anything about. Occasionally you might be able to break the candidates into smaller segments, if they are supported by groups, such as occurred with CO$T in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Yet, more often then not, a blurb in a newspaper story, signs in front yards or a newspaper's endorsement may be all that someone has to go on before going behind the curtain and casting their ballot.

This year, the race for the Auburn School Board is more easily defined, at least when it comes to three out of the six candidates who are running. Incumbents Ginny Kent and Michael Stearns are running for re-election (board member Kent Brandstetter chose not to run) and the remaining field includes newcomers Ernest Hyde III, Susan Scheuerman and Ramon Maisonave and former board member Jerry Morgan Sr.

Anyone who has been paying any attention to this race long before it even started knows that Stearns, as board president, and Kent, as vice president, are the defenders of the faith. From comments in this newspaper and last week's televised forum appearance, they have taken great pains, as would any incumbent, to defend the work that they have been involved with over the last six and three years, respectively.

They stand in stark contrast to their chief critic, Morgan, who has been challenging the district, and specifically outgoing superintendent of schools John Plume, for some time. He has challenged the district in regards to spending policies, the issue of the installation of turf and, more recently, the results of reports on the district's dropout rate. He is the un-status quo candidate if you will. If you want change, he is your candidate.

The remaining candidates fall somewhat in the middle of the spectrum or aren't on the radar screen, at this point. Hyde, a father of 10, seems to side with many of the policies of the district. Scheuerman seems to best articulate a vision that builds on the positive work of the district since Plume's hiring, but also identifies with some of the fiscal and programmatic concerns that Morgan has raised. The wild card on the spectrum of unknowns is Maisonave, who was unable to attend last week's televised forum, because of work. It can only be hoped that the local media will profile each of these lesser known candidates to find out where they stand on the issues facing the board.

The bottom line may be that this year's race comes down to a simple referendum: on the whole, are you happy with the way the Auburn School District is running? If the answer is yes, then clearly incumbents Kent and Sterns are the solid choice; if not then Morgan is the one to vote for.

Cosentino is a former mayor of Auburn and can be contacted at cozguytho@aol.com