OAKLAND — Three candidates are vying for a seat on the Regional School Unit 18 board of directors, including incumbent Laura Tracy, who serves as chair of the board.

Tracy, the director of primary care for MaineGeneral Medical Center, a faces opposition from Mary Denise Ferguson, a retired business manager, and Lori Sheive, a teacher.

RSU 18 enrolls students from Oakland, Sidney, Belgrade, Rome and China, and its board members earn $10 per school board meeting.

Voters are set to cast ballots Tuesday, Nov. 5, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Oakland Fire Department at 15 Fairfield St.

Tracy said her biggest motivation in running for reelection is to continue to support all students in the district. Every student, she says, deserves the best education the district can provide.

“We have one of the best school systems in the state,” she said, “and it is my desire to see us continue to uphold the same standards of excellence and provide quality educational experiences.”

Sheive said she is running for a seat on the RSU 18 board because she wants to provide the opportunity to offer change to the voters in the district.

“The board seems to accept the status quo on how it implements policies, budget decisions and other needs addressed by the board,” Sheive said. “I want to make sure students, parents and employees feel heard and are treated fairly.”

Ferguson said she is running for the board to serve the district in which she and her family have lived for more than 24 years, and to give back to the community. Retired after having worked for 25 years as the business manger at her husband’s dental practice, Ferguson said she hopes to bring a new perspective to the board.

“I’m coming in fresh, I’m coming in business-minded, I’m coming from self-employment and being aware that it’s other people’s money, and asking, how, consciously, can we spend it wisely?” she said.

Tracy has served on the school board for nearly 24 years, about 10 as chair. A Messalonskee High School graduate, she said she entered college much better prepared than many of her college classmates from other school systems. She attributes this to “wonderful teachers and staff supporting me throughout my time in our school system.”

“My own kids had the same experience,” she said, “as did many of our family members, neighbors and friends.”

Sheive worked in various capacities for the Messalonskee School District for more than 20 years, including 17 as a bus driver and time as a janitor. She returned to  school at age 40 and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and then became a teacher.

While a bus driver, Sheive worked during the day with children who were unable to attend school due to medical or behavioral issues. She is now the lead teacher for special education at Albert S. Hall School in Waterville, where she also manages 10 support staff members.

Tracy said if she is reelected, she hopes to continue to focus on the district’s overarching goals: academic excellence, providing a safe environment for learning and building strong relationships.

“Every student should have the opportunity to thrive in school and to learn in a safe, nurturing environment,” she said. “I hope to continue to foster a positive and collaborative culture in our schools, as well as in our boardroom, and to balance that with a fair and stable budget that supports a high performing school system.”

Sheive said she was approached by residents of the district to run for the RSU 18 board. She said she wants to see people come together and work as a team, rather than being divided.

“I’m seeing a lot of dysfunction within the whole dynamic of the school board, employees, parents,” she said.

Ferguson said that in her capacity as manager of her husband’s dental practice, it was important to the success of the business to help create a positive work environment and empower each team member, a philosophy she hopes to bring to the RSU 18 board.

The primary reason for a school board, she said, is to ensure a quality education for each student, while being mindful of the taxpaying residents of the district.