Dr. Jennifer Johnson has outraised her two opponents in the Scottsdale Unified School District Governing Board race, the Scottsdale Independent reported.

Johnson "easily outraised" challengers Jeanne Beasley and Amy Carney during the third quarter, which ran from July 1 through Sept. 30, according to the Independent. Three candidates are competing for two seats on the board, with the election on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

The two seats belong to Carney, who is seeking reelection, and Carine Werner, who is not running again. Werner is a state representative. Over four years, the two have often been on the losing end of 3-2 board votes, the Scottsdale Progress reported.

Voters may pick up to two candidates. The top two win four-year terms.

Who's running

Johnson, a former deputy superintendent for the Arizona Department of Education and former assistant vice president for Grand Canyon University, has stressed her education background, the Progress reported in a separate article.

Carney, the lone incumbent in the race, has pointed to her board experience. "All six of my children have attended SUSD school," she said in a Progress candidate questionnaire.

Beasley describes herself as a longtime Scottsdale resident and community advocate with 20 years of experience as a paralegal. Ballot Math reported that Carney and Beasley are campaigning together.

School closures divide the field

The race plays out against a backdrop of declining enrollment and school closures. Superintendent Scott Menzel told the board at its Oct. 6 meeting that SUSD has lost about 6,000 students over the past decade. Enrollment has dipped below 19,000.

The board voted 3-2 on Oct. 6 to close Copper Ridge and Laguna Prep elementary schools. Pima and Echo Canyon elementary schools closed at the end of the previous school year. Carney and Werner voted against both rounds of closures.

The three candidates split on the issue.

Johnson said closures were fiscally unavoidable. "No one ever wants to close a school, but the fiscal realities make it unavoidable at this time," she wrote in a Progress questionnaire.

Beasley rejected the closure options, calling for "creative alternatives" such as charter school partnerships and specialized campuses, the Progress reported.

Carney said she believed the board "should first ask whether we have exhausted reasonable alternatives to closing another neighborhood school."

Bond and superintendent also at stake

The ballot also includes a $375 million SUSD bond request for capital needs including facilities, technology, safety and transportation. The board voted 5-0 to place it before voters, according to Ballot Math.

Johnson and Carney both support the bond. Beasley declined to endorse it, the only candidate who did not back the request.

The candidates also split on Superintendent Menzel. Johnson praised his leadership.

Carney said she voted in June against extending Menzel's contract through 2029 and increasing his compensation, citing "performance, accountability, and the financial realities facing SUSD."

Ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3. It is too late to mail ballots; voters can drop them at any drop box or vote center by that deadline.