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A Doane University education professor and the president of an elementary school parent-teacher organization filed to run for seats on the Lincoln Board of Education on Monday, the first day candidates could enter races in city elections this spring.

Marilyn Johnson-Farr, an education professor at Doane University, filed to run for the District 7 seat in southwest Lincoln held by longtime board member Don Mayhew, who has yet to announce reelection plans. Both Mayhew and Johnson-Farr are Democrats. The Lincoln Board of Education is officially nonpartisan. 

Johnson-Farr, a Lincoln High School graduate, began her career in education at Lincoln Public Schools before spending the past 30 years teaching future educators at Doane. 

If elected, Johnson-Farr said she would use her experience as both a previous student and teacher at LPS to help ensure every student — regardless of race, gender or ability — has the means to succeed. 

"I think the voice that I bring is uniquely different because I've been a student, I've been a staff member, and now you might call me a recruiter and retainer of sorts of people who go into teaching and education," she told the Journal Star.

Mara Krivohlavek, the president of Maxey Elementary School’s parent-teacher organization, is campaigning to fill the District 5 seat in southeast Lincoln held by Lanny Boswell, who announced last August he would not run for reelection. after more than a decade on the board. Krivohlavek is a Democrat and Boswell is nonpartisan.

Krivohlavek, a mother of three boys enrolled at LPS, hopes to bring a younger voice to the board and provide a parent perspective. If elected, she said her main priorities would be to focus on fiscal responsibility, addressing behavioral issues and improving academic outcomes.

"I want to advocate for my children, but for all the children in the district as well," she said.

The District 1 seat held by Kathy Danek and the District 3 seat held by Barb Baier are also both up for election this year, too.

No candidates had filed bids for those seats as of Monday. Danek announced last week she does not plan to seek reelection after serving on the board for nearly 25 years. Baier has not announced any plans for reelection yet.

Incumbents must file by Feb. 17 and nonincumbents by March 3.

The top two candidates in each race advance from the April 8 primary election to the general election on May 6.