Eight local residents filed to run for Mercer Island School District seats in the upcoming election, according to the King County Elections site as of May 23.

With five candidates registering to run for Position 2 and three for Position 4, they will take part in the Aug. 3 primary election first, and then the Nov. 2 general election will feature two candidates in each position.

In the director Position 2 spot, incumbent and Legislative Representative Brian Giannini Upton will run against Dan Glowitz, Janelle Lucero, Elle Nguyen and Bharat Shyam. On May 24, Shyam withdrew from the race, according to the King County Elections site.

In the director Position 4 spot, incumbent and President Deborah Lurie will run against Lacey Aaker and Joanna Sheppard.

* Other current school board members, whose terms expire in December 2023, are David D’Souza, director Position 1; Vice President Maggie Tai Tucker, director Position 3; and Tam Dinh, director Position 5.

The school board’s responsibilities, according to its site, are: Planning, setting and monitoring goals (fundamentals and operational expectations); employing and evaluating the superintendent; setting district policy; adopting an annual operating budget; making decisions about placing levies and bonds before voters; approving the instructional program; and ratifying contracts negotiated with local bargaining units.

School board members are elected to a term of four years.