Voters in Putnam County school districts will decide the school board’s annual budgets and races when they go to the polls on May 18.

In the central school district of Mahopac, six candidates are running for three available seats, all for a three-year term.

Outgoing directors Lucy Massafra and David Furfaro are looking to stay on the seven-member board. Joaquim Mota, Jr., Michael Martin, Roger Duran and Allison Mueller are also on the ballot.

In neighboring Carmel, five candidates will fight for three seats.

Board Chairman Michael Yorio and Trustee Jason Paraskeva are running for re-election, but Trustee Richard Kreps is not.

New arrivals include Melissa Orser and Tamara Harrison, with former administrator John Curzio hoping to gain enough support to represent the Carmel Board of Education again. Curzio, who was on the board for one term, lost his seat in 2019 after running for a second term.

Curzio was the subject of a lot of controversy and infighting that the council went through as the district tried to come up with an $ 85 million bond package that would have resulted in numerous land updates and the construction of ‘a new bus garage in Kent. The proposal was then approved after a third vote and ousting Curzio, but before that the council attempted to fire him claiming he violated state education laws in contentious meetings where the link was discussed.

It was later determined after a disciplinary hearing that Curzio’s actions did not warrant his removal from the board.

Five candidates filed petitions to fill four available seats on the Garrison School Board. Three of the seats are for three-year terms, while one is for a single year to complete the term of former Trustee Jill Lake, who has resigned. The fourth finisher will win the one-year term.

Three incumbents, Courtney McCarthy, David Gelber and Madeline Julian, wish to be re-elected. Kent Schacht and Ned Rauch are also on the ballot.

In the Haldane school district, three candidates are vying for two seats.

Administrator John Hedlund is the sole holder of the race as Margaret Parr retires. The other two prospects are Mark Daisley and Mary (Maggie) Valentine.

In Putnam Valley, longtime trustee Guy Cohen calls for resigning. There are only two candidates on the ballot for two open seats, Trustee Barbara Parmly and Helen Horvitz.

Meanwhile, at Brewster, four seats are up for grabs, but only three candidates submitted the necessary signatures to be on the ballot.

Board Chair Sonia Mesika and Trustee Jason Whitehead are not seeking re-election. Directors Dehisy Jimenez-Vazquez and Erik Grutzner will be back, as will newcomer Cynthia (MacGregor) Fox. The other vacant seat will be occupied by the council at a later date.