While South Summit and Park City Board of Education candidates are facing election crunch time as Nov. 6 approaches, the North Summit School District Board of Education elections are much calmer. With three seats open, each candidate is running unopposed for their seat. Only one board position will be a new candidate, Susan Richins of Henefer who is vying for current Board Vice President Arlin Ovard's seat.

As Ovard steps down in December, the board will gain Richins as its newest member.

"Whenever you don't have opposition, you interpret it one of two things: people are happy with who is in or there just isn't a lot of interest," said North Summit School District Superintendent Jerre Holmes. "It's a big job. It's a time consuming, because you are always on call, one phone call away from angry parent."

"I think biggest thing I'm taking away from this is that we're moving in a good direction as a district and people are pleased. When people are pleased, there is no sense in disrupting the waters I hope it's a good sign, that people satisfied with who is on the board."

Current Board of Education President Mark Marsh, who is running unopposed for his seat, said sometimes elections can garner a lot of attention, and other years, less so.

"In some districts, the board president runs unopposed and in others it is a fight to make it through the primaries," Marsh said.

"It's not necessarily normal, but it happens," he added. "I will say that this is the first time in North Summit School District history where two women will be on the board at the same time."

With economic issues and new programs ahead for the board, Holmes said there will be big decisions in the future. The current board just approved a one-to-one iPad program which will go into implementation in January, and Holmes said the district is always looking at new programs and ways to work with students. For Marsh, the big issues to come will be budget related or involving teacher retention rates.

The budget has been an ongoing concern for the board, with hopes to create a long-range plan for the next five to 10 years. The current board avoided creating any plans through the recession, Holmes said, because incoming state and local funding was still uncertain.

"I know we would hate to put a long-term plan in place with all of these lofty ideas and hopes if the money won't be there," Holmes said.