Voters elected April Ferrao, Paul Harper and John Lyman to fill three open seats on the Columbia School Board.
Ferrao was the top vote-getter out of the seven candidates Tuesday evening with 11,521 votes. Harper received the second-highest total with 9,642 votes. Lyman, in third place and the final candidate to win a spot on the board, garnered 8,821.
The elected candidates will replace outgoing board members Helen Wade, David Seamon and Chris Horn.
Four candidates lost the race. Former GOP state representative Chuck Basye received 7,732 votes. Horn, the incumbent candidate, received 7,467 votes; James Gordon received 6,950 and John Potter had 6,580.
Ferrao is the president of the Hickman High School Parent Teacher Student Association. She ran on supporting teachers and improving student achievement.
Harper, a state attorney and former special education teacher, said he wants to bring his combination of legal and educational experience to the board.
Lyman is a loan officer at Veterans United and a lifelong Columbia resident. His campaign focused on listening to the district’s many voices and bringing schools into the future, using the slogan, "Forward. Together."
Basye ran a campaign based on anti-equity education rhetoric as well as increased transparency and accountability.
Horn ran a campaign rooted in previous board experience, governance and unity to foster longterm success.
Gordon, a data analyst and parent, centered his campaign around greater equity, accessibility and trust in the district through political leadership.
Potter, who runs a Facebook group for district parents, wanted schools to return "to the basics." He pushed for districtwide removal of equity education and Standards Referenced Grading in his campaign.
Terms on the board are three years, unpaid.