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LUMBERTON — Candidates for the Public Schools of Robeson County Board of Education will have the chance today during a candidates forum to present their ideas on educational issues affecting the Robeson County public schools.

The forum, sponsored by the Robeson Association of Educators, is open to the public. It will be held beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Workforce Development Building on the campus of Robeson Community College at 5160 N. Fayetteville Road.

Robeson County voters on May 8 go to the polls to elect seven members to the county school board. The May 8 election is non-partisan, and the results serve as the General Election for the school board.

Seats up for election this year include Districts 1, 4, 5 and 7, as well as three at-large seats. The newly elected board members will begin their term of office in July.

The candidates are:

n District 1: Loistine DeFreece, incumbent, unopposed.

n District 4: Alton Hagans; and Mitchell “Boscoe” Locklear.

n District 5: Gary C. Strickland Jr.; Larry Brooks; and Royal Travis Bryant.

n District 7: Steve Martin, incumbent, unopposed.

n At-Large: Incumbents JoAnn Chavis-Lowery, Jerry Long and John Campbell; Robert L. Davis; and Randy Lawson

Incumbent board members Randall S. Jones, District 5, and Robert Deese, District 4, are not seeking re-election.

For information about today’s forum, call 910-671-0082.

The Robesonian tried this morning to find out which candidates have committed to attend the forum, but was unable to do so.