The race to fill three seats on the Dayton School Board has so far elected candidates with close ties to the district.
Community activist Will Smith won a third of the 30,368 ballots cast, with 9,104 votes. Smith is a DPS graduate whose own child attends school in the district.
Gabriela Pickett came in second place, winning 28 percent of the votes at 8,509. The education researcher's children graduated from DPS.
The third place is too close to call with unofficial results showing Joe Lacey with 6,383 votes, to Dion Sampson Sr.'s 6,372.
Lacey is an accountant with children currently attending DPS schools and Sampson is a longtime education advocate.
The newly elected school board members will assume their positions in January.
Current board members John McManus, Sheila Taylor and Robert Walker will remain on the board through the end of the year.
Read more about the election for DPS board.
