New London - Voters returned three incumbents to the Board of Education, and chose three newcomers and one candidate who had previously served, from a field of 17 candidates and gave Democrats a 5-2 majority on the panel.

"I'm back," said Democrat Margaret Mary Curtin, the top voter-getter, a former mayor and city councilor who will be new to the board. "But I don't think I ever left city politics. I'm excited to be on the board. With five Democrats we can get something done without bickering."

Along with incumbents Bill Morse, a Democrat, and Barbara Major and Jason Catala, both Republicans, voters tapped Democrat Elizabeth Garcia Gonzalez, who previously served on the board, and Democratic newcomers Delanna Muse and Sylvia Potter to fill out the seven-member panel.

"I'm just ready to work with the rest of the board members so we can turn New London schools around and bring more people into this beautiful city," said Muse.

In recent months the board has been facing scrutiny from the state that is likely to pose unique challenges for the incoming group. The board has come under criticism for its leadership of a school system with some of the lowest test scores in Connecticut, and state officials have warned the board to end contentious and unproductive sparring and focus on improving the system, or risk increased state involvement and even a state takeover.

Though the field of candidates was large, signs of the kind of vigorous election day campaigning that characterized the other city contests were scarce in the school board race. Few of the 17 candidates or their volunteers could be found at the three polling places among the dozens representing City Council and mayoral candidates and one side of the Riverside Park question.

"The mayoral race has overshadowed the other races," Green Party incumbent candidate Ronna Stuller, who lost her bid for a second term, said outside Nathan Hale School Tuesday afternoon, holding signs for Green Party council candidate Joan Sullivan Cooper and against the park sale. "I'm not even holding a sign for myself. I figure if people don't know me by now, well ... "

j.benson@theday.com