Two candidates have qualified to be on the ballot June 10 to fill a vacant seat on the Portland Board of Public Education: retired PPS music teacher Jayne Sawtelle and building contractor and PPS parent Cassidy LaCroix. They are vying for an at-large seat vacated by Benjamin Grant, who was elected to the City Council this past November.

Grant resigned from his Board seat after the election and the City Council set a special election for the seat at the June 10 municipal election, when voters will also decide on the FY26 school budget. There will be only six months left in the unexpired term for Grant’s former at-large seat at that time, so the winner of the June election will need to run again in November to retain the seat.

The date to return nomination papers for the at-large seat was March 3. Although seven people took out papers, three withdrew before the deadline, and Sawtelle and LaCroix were the only two to return the papers with the required number of signatures by the deadline.

Read a Portland Press Herald story about the candidates.