Three races with incumbents trying to keep their seats and a fourth wide open after an early resignation highlight school board races in Pinellas County.

In the race for the District 4 seat, Robin Wikle's resignation has Beverly Billiris, John Nygren and Ken Peluso vying for her seat.

Only voters in this district will vote in this non-partisan race. The district covers most of northern Pinellas County.

Billiris, 66, is a retired teacher and the former mayor of Tarpon Springs. Billiris, who has garnered Wikle's endorsement, said dealing with budgets as a former mayor, being a business owner and spending 14 years in the classroom, set her apart.

She said her priorities would be to "ensure that your tax dollars are spent wisely, increase graduation rates and success of our students by offering more diversity of choices of education and promote more parent involvement."

Peluso, meanwhile, has raised the most campaign funds ($35,000) and has the backing of the Pinellas Classroom Teacher's Association.

The former chairman of the Early Learning Coalition of Pinellas, Peluso, 57, is a retired chiropractor.

Our community needs a school board member who has shown a history of education advocacy, said Peluso, who lost to Wikle in 2008. "(Someone who) is deeply rooted in our community, has raised a family, fulfilled the obligation of paying local taxes, demonstrated fiscal responsibility both personally and professionally."

Nygren, 70, is a retired math teacher and former small business owner.

He said the county needs to increase vocational and technical opportunities for students and streamline the way the board is run.

"Currently, the superintendent makes the decisions and the board rubber stamps them," Nygren said. "I want to help change that. The taxpayers should be getting the best  school system for their tax dollars."

If one of the candidates in this race gets more than 50 percent of the vote, a winner would be declared. If not, the two top vote getters will have a run-off in the Nov. 4 general election.

The incumbents appear to be the frontrunners in three other school board races.

In District 2, former teacher, principal and current school board member Terry Krassner is being challenged by Chris Tauchnitz, a 46-year-old engineer and parent of public  school children.

"For as long as I can remember we have been talking about the same ills that plague public education (achievement gap, low literacy rates, failing schools, etc...)," Tauchnitz  said. "I will bring a perspective to the table that doesn't currently exist."

Krassner, who was instrumental in the transition from former superintendent Julie Janssen to Mike Grego, said her experience is key.

"As a former teacher, I support stronger professional development offerings for all educators," said Krassner, 62. "As a former principal, I support more school-based decision  making based on individual school needs. (I also will) build on our track record of results."

In District 3, incumbent Peggy O'Shea is running for a third term against USF St. Petersburg professor Kent Curtis.

O'Shea, 64, describes herself as an advocate for parents and a board member who has pushed for career academies and magnet schools to help struggling students.

In addition to teaching, Curtis created the Edible Peace Patch Project, a community garden maintained by Lakewood Elementary students.

"My volunteer activities during the past eight years reveal my belief in public service," said Curtis, 47. "And it is this belief and my deep desire to contribute to positive social change and effective policy actions that has led me to seek this office."    

Meanwhile, in District 6, longtime board member Linda Lerner is running for a seventh term.

Lerner, 71, said that as a school board member, she believes that a strong public education system is the greatest protector of our democracy.

"I will continue to take a leadership role in advocating for valid accountability, adequate funding and a district that continues to be more accessible and accountable to all our stakeholders," said Lerner, first voted ot the board in 1990, making her the longest serving school board member in Pinellas schools history. "It has been a privilege to serve on the Board for many years. I remain committed and motivated to be part of the Board and Superintendent leadership team which recognizes our successes while focusing on improvement."

Her opponent, Maureen Ahern, is a former journalist and the wife of Republican state Rep. Larry Ahern.

Maureen Ahern, 54, who said she is not a carbon copy of her husband's politics, has been a reporter and a substitute teacher at a private school. She said is running for the board because she understands the value of a good education.

"The school board needs to sound the alarm," she said. "And join forces with teachers, parents, businesses, places of worship and city halls to create the right environment for these struggling schools so all students can earn a diploma and be successful."