OCEAN CITY — Two slates of candidates competing for three seats on the Ocean City Board of Education are a study in contrasts, perhaps most markedly in the place of politics in school board elections.

Kevin Barnes, the current school board president, is seeking a new term along with newcomers Jennifer Cawley-Black and Jennifer Dwyer, under the slogan “Empower All Students.”

On Friday, Barnes said he was reluctant to run as a slate this year. When he ran in 2022, he ran alone, but this time he decided to run as part of a team.

“My aversion to it is it almost makes it sound political. School boards really shouldn’t be political,” Barnes said.

But it sounds like national and statewide politics will play a part in the Ocean City election regardless.

The two other board members up for reel

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