Groton ― Voters on Nov. 7 will elect six candidates to the nine-member Board of Education.

Democrats Jay Weitlauf and Matthew Shulman, who are incumbents, and Adrian Johnson, Ian Thomas, and Robb Meade, and Republicans John Scott and Jennifer L. White are running for the five available four-year terms. Shulman and Scott also are running for a two-year term.

Under minority party representation rules, no more than six members of the nine-member board can be from one party. Currently, there are two Republicans and one Democrat on the board whose terms end in 2025.

Johnson, 48, a marine surveyor, said he feels the insight he gained as a Groton parent can be beneficial in helping develop policies that benefit all students.

His priorities are improving literacy success in early education; offering programs to challenge students in grades 4-8 who are ready for more rigorous learning; and helping to improve workplace gratification to recruit and retain school staff.

Meade, 34, a military transition coordinator and retired Navy veteran, said he wants to “ensure our military families have access to the best education possible” and ensure they have a voice.

Meade’s top priorities are military family support, “creating true assistance for homeschooling,” and “ensuring equal access to quality college preparation for all students.”

Scott, 54, an insurance territory manager and former state representative, is on the RTM, chairs the Republican Town Committee and is a board member of Connecticut Paid Family Leave.

Scott said he would “fight to control expenses” and reduce the board’s year-over-year increases, “protect our children from destructive leftist ideology,” and have only “one flag in the classroom, the American flag.”

Shulman, 77, who is retired and a certified hospital chaplain, justice of the peace, and Library Advisory Board member, was elected to a two-year school board term in 2021.

His priorities are helping students recover from the educational, social and emotional effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, improving academic achievement, boosting civics instruction and considering a community service requirement for graduation.

Thomas, 48, is an RTM member, parent who navigated the school system, and teacher with the state Department of Correction.

His priorities are support for students and staff; a facilities maintenance and repair schedule based on “cost effectiveness, environmental resilience and energy sustainability;” improving pathways for students not going to college and ensuring college-bound students are prepared for practical experiences, including by enhancing financial literary.

Weitlauf, 58, a board member since 2015 who switched parties in August from Republican to Democrat, chairs the board’s Finance & Facilities Committee and is a hospitality manager.

His priorities are student achievement, which “means supporting students with individualized instruction” as much as possible, fostering a respectful climate, and prudent financial management in the face of uncertain state and federal funding.

White, 50, works in finance. She said she wants to ensure that “all students have an equal opportunity“ and “manage the budget.”

Her top priorities are the curriculum and budget. She wants to review that the staff composition represents a diverse workforce representing the students. If not, she would work to help establish a 10-year plan to meet that goal.

Forty-two RTM seats are up for election. Candidates for two-year terms on the RTM, to which minority party representation rules applies per district, are as follows:

District 1: Lisa Luck (D), Roscoe Merritt (D), Joe Baril (D), Sheila Perry (D), Joseph Alu (R), Karin Adams (R) and Thomas A. Umrysz (R).

District 2: Doris Pulaski (D), Jackie Massett (D), Sandra Fetters (D), Jean Claude Ambroise (D), Matthew G. Longino (R) and Harry Watson (R).

District 3: Michael Gardiner (D), Autumn Hanscom (D), Christy McElroy (D), Beverly Herbert (D), Neal Gardner (R) and Marie Carmella Robertson (R).

District 4: Chelsea Meade (D), Kristen Powers (D), Shawn Powers (D), Andrew Parrella (D), Lian Obrey (D), Jaime Veazie-Williams (D) and Robert Bailey (R).

District 5: Matt Ivey (D), Gary Welles (D), Mike Whitney (D), Juan Melendez, Jr. (D) and Susan Deane-Shinbrot (R).

District 6: Bill Keep (D), Rachael Franco (D), Paul Fox (D), Alfred Fritzsche (D), Gulshan Soni (R), Emma Gibbs (R), Alexander Antipas (R), and Thomas Frickman (R).

District 7: Clarence Casper (D), Emily Norman (D), Alexis Dudden (D), Sarah Kadden (D) and Lynn Crockett Hubbard (R).

k.drelich@theday.com

Editor’s note: This version corrects Jay Weitlauf’s profession.