Montville ― There’s not a whole lot of suspense when it comes to elections and the Board of Education this year.

Voters will pick among seven candidates vying for six open spots since members are elected in alternating election years on the nine-member school board.

So what little competition there is comes on the Republican side, where there are three candidates but just two open Republican seats to fill. Because of minority representation rules, the four open four-year term seats on the board must be filled by two Democrats and two Republicans.

As a result, Democrats Carol Burgess and Erika Striebel are assured seats on the board. The two highest vote-getters from among Republican candidates Gil Maffeo, Donna Funk and Robert Mitchell will win seats.

There are also two two-year terms to fill vacancies created when board members left. Those two spots must be filled by a Democrat and a Republican. Democrat Bonnie Bacon and Republican Lisa Terry, as a result, will be elected.

Here are the candidates on the Republican side:

Gil Maffeo, 46, is a former member of the Parks and Recreation Commission and seeking his first term on the board.

Donna Funk, 65, is a former teacher and retired school administrator turned real estate agent with a bachelor’s degree in child development, a master’s degree in special education and a sixth-year degree in leadership and supervision.

Robert Mitchell, 69, is a 22-year Navy veteran who retired as senior chief seeking his fifth full term on the board, chairman of the board of directors of LEARN and past president of the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education.

Lisa Terry, 61, is the former town treasurer, veterans liaison who served as Town Clerk for 19 years and a current member of the board having filled a vacancy. She will fill a two-year term on the board.

The Democrats include:

Bonnie Bacon, 61, is a member of the Montville Conservation Commission and seeking to fill a two-year term on the Board of Education.

Carol Burgess is in her second term on the school board and said she is pleased with the board’s focus on special education.

Erika Striebel, 65, is a retired social worker, who was born and raised in Spain, and is bilingual.