SENECA - There will be three candidates running for two open seats in the Seneca School Board election this spring. The candidates are Mark Johnson, the current board president, Shelly Davidson, a challenger, and Britney Joy, a challenger.

Seneca School District Administrator Dave Boland announced the candidates during his report at the Monday night board meeting.

The seats, held by Johnson and Shawn Lenzendorf, were up for election this year. Lenzendorf filed non-candidacy papers with the district, so his name would not appear on the ballot. Mark Johnson filed candidacy papers.

The school board meeting Monday was brief. It covered the short agenda in about 45 minutes. 

The board did approve giving the Seneca Area School District Monthly Recognition Award to the SHARE group led by Diane Jaeger for the delivery of 309 holiday baskets last month. In making the recognition award, the board was quick to point out that creating the holiday gift baskets was truly a community effort that involved local businesses and many individuals–as well as Seneca students.

“I have not talked to anybody who received a basket who did not greatly appreciate it,” board member Larry Kelley said.

In other business, the Seneca Area School Board:

• learned the school district held an unscheduled practice ‘Alert’ to rehearse for potential threatening situations in the building and it worked well

• heard from the district administrator that there were now two bids on replacement furnaces and the lower was around $6,300–in is anticipated that any furnace work will be scheduled after the current heating season

• learned the ag construction class had built new playhouses on the playground to replace the ones built about 25 years ago and they are very popular

• granted a request for early graduation to a student

• approved open enrollment numbers estimating space available for incoming students at 50 standard students and 39 special education students–making those estimates is required by state law