Moore County voters can question candidates for the Moore County Board of Education at a forum set for Thursday night

The League of Women Voters of Moore County is sponsoring the forum in Sandhills Community College’s Owens Auditorium. The forum starts at 7:30 p.m.

All eight candidates in the school board primary in May are expected to attend the forum, which is free and open to the public.

“This will provide an opportunity for the voters to hear the candidates discuss their views of the needs of Moore County and to question the candidates on specific issues,” a league spokesperson said.

The candidates will give short talks about their goals. The floor will then be open for written questions from the audience, with league Co-President Lee Mahan Evans presiding.

The nonpartisan primary candidates are:For District No. IV: Allan Beck, a First Savings Bank executive, resident of Southern Pines; E. Nathaniel Jackson of Pinehurst, a retired Southern Pines Middle School principal; and incumbent Linda A. McCaskill, a resident of Carthage who is an employee of the payroll department at FirstHealth Moore Regional in Pinehurst and is completing her 12th year on the school board.

For District No. V: Cameron Elementary School Principal Dr. Wiley Barrett, who will retire this year; Aberdeen Police Department employee Michael D. Connor of Aberdeen; Wilbur Cecil “Will” Garner Jr. of Southern Pines, a transportation engineer with the N.C. Department of Transportation; Mary Stancil Hartsell, an Aberdeen resident and parent; and incumbent Diane Buchholz Lawrence of Southern Pines, seeking her fourth term on the board. Lawrence is the mother of four children, three of whom are in the Moore County Schools, with the oldest in college.

All Moore County registered voters can elect school board members, because their elections are nonpartisan and voting is at-large, though candidates must reside in the residential district set aside for a seat up for election.

The top two vote-getters for each seat in the May 2 primary for school board will be on the ballot for the general election in November.

Also in November, voters will elect a school board member representing Districts No. 1 and II, each seat being sought by two candidates.

By holding the forum at Sandhills, the League of Women Voters hopes to get a good attendance from the community.