Jodi Grahne of Harbeson is the mother of two Cape students, one at Rehoboth Elementary and one at Beacon Middle School. Grahne has lived in the district for 19 years and has volunteered in schools for nine of them.

She and her husband are active in the Sussex County YMCA and support local soccer and lacrosse programs. Grahne is active in the Rehoboth Elementary Parent-Teacher Organization, serving as president this year in a co-op capacity; she previously was treasurer for three years and chairwoman for fundraising for six years. Grahne is on the steering committee to revive Cape’s gifted and talented program for elementary schools. She’s also an active mentor in Rehoboth’s Help One Student to Succeed (HOSTS) program, which primarily serves children who are not performing at grade level. She said she’s running for school board in part so she can play a greater role in decision-making on school programs.

Grahne and her husband Mark own Atlantic Homes in Lewes, where she manages budgeting and bookkeeping. She said she’s interested in participating in the board’s budget-review process.

So far active at the elementary and middle school levels, Grahne said, “I feel making improvements early in a child’s schooling makes the kids better prepared when they reach the high school.”

Grahne attended the school board meeting Feb. 18 and said the support for Cape Principal John Yore generated by parents and students was phenomenal. “I thought it was fantastic,” she said. “I’m not running to run against anyone. I’m very passionate and I want to be involved. I have committed myself to education, and I have experience that I believe can make a difference.”

Also running for the open at-large seat is Milton resident Sandi Minard. She and her family have lived in the area since 2004.

Minard has a son who graduated from Cape, a daughter who is currently a junior and a younger son who is a fifth-grader at Milton Elementary School. Minard said she has been active in Cape education, seving on the technology committee and routinely attending school board meetings as well as town-hall meetings concerning children.

She said she is a member of the Delaware Family Policy Council and has served on the Delaware Parent Advisory Committee. Minard is also active with parent-teacher and booster groups, including as co-president with her husband and then president of boys lacrosse boosters. She also chairs the education concerns committee for the 9-12 Delaware Patriots, “I have advocated for the educational, safety and well-being needs of our community’s children as ‘just’ a mom, taxpayer and community member,” Minard wrote in an email. “ Serving as a board member will allow me to continue that service with greater insight.”

Minard is a webmaster for Jack Lingo Realtor and said she previously worked for more than 20 years as a payroll tax manager. “All of these positions in life have given me the experience I feel is needed to make a great school board member,” she wrote.

“Encouraging an open dialogue that will foster a responsive and receptive school board for parents, teachers, staff and students will be a top priority,” she wrote. “Board members are trustees of the community that has elected them. They must be available, approachable and willing to communicate with all members of the district. Parents, teachers, staff or students that come before the board have a right to be heard and their involvement is vital in the development of the educational processes and programs.”

Candidates must file by 4:30 p.m., Friday, March 5, for the Tuesday, May 11 election. Filing forms may be found online at electionssc.delaware.gov, by calling the Department of Elections at 302-856-5367, or visiting the department at 119 N. Race St. in Georgetown.