Rhonda Lennon, Joyce Waddell, Eric Davis and Tim Morgan built leads Tuesday evening in results from Tuesday's voting in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board district races.

Meanwhile, a race between Richard McElrath and Kimberly Mitchell-Walker, who withdrew as a candidate last week, was a near-dead heat.

The board's six district seats were up for re-election, with only one race seemingly decided in advance -- in District 4, where incumbent Tom Tate did not face opposition.

Tate and James Ross were the only incumbents running in the six races, although incumbent Mitchell-Walker's name was on the ballot in the District 2 contest. In dropping out of the race race last week, she cited unspecified health problems.

That meant up to five new faces could be seated on the nine-member board next month (the three at-large seats were not up for re-election this year). The board is expected to consider trying to develop a comprehensive policy for assigning students, following a series of disputes this summer and fall about such issues.

The battles began with the school board's decision on how to populate the new high school in Mint Hill, scheduled to open next August. A number of Mint Hill residents lobbied that the school be filled with Mint Hill students, but the board chose to assign many of those students to Independence High School. The new school will be filled largely with students from northeast Charlotte. In addition, several hundred students now at East Mecklenburg High were moved to Butler High.

That touched off another debate, as East Mecklenburg parents lobbied the school board to rebuild their enrollment numbers, which are expected to fall from 2,100 this year to 1,500 next year. The board initially considered moving several hundred Myers Park High students to East Mecklenburg -- which touched off opposition from Myers Park parents.

And another dispute -- over how to alleviate overcrowding at Eastover Elementary -- surfaced this fall.

The East Mecklenburg and Eastover reassignments had not been settled as election day arrived.

DISTRICT 1

With votes counted from 15 of 29 precincts in this northern Mecklenburg district, Lennon had 44 percent of the vote, to 36.8 percent for Robin Bradford, and 18.6 percent for Gail Summerskill.

Incumbent Larry Gauvreau, a frequent and vocal opponent of CMS policy, chose not to seek another term in this north Mecklenburg district.

Lennon, 48, campaigned as a strong supporter of neighborhood schools but said she would work in a more collaborative fashion than did Gauvreau. She also supported strict discipline and moving disruptive students out of regular school settings and into alternative schools.

Bradford, 46, was a political newcomer who said she supported community schools but choice for parents on magnet programs. Her daughter is a Harding University High graduate.

Summerskill, 56, offered a philsophical alternative to Lennon and Bradford. Summerskill said that neighborhood schools are an antiquated concept in a high-tech era. She said the school board needs to do more to support diversity in schools.

DISTRICT 2

Votes counted from 15 of 29 precincts showed a very close race. McElrath had 49.8 percent and Mitchell-Walker 49.4 percent of the more than 7,600 ballots counted.

This southwest Mecklenburg district had been a two-way race between Mitchell-Walker, 41, who was appointed to the board last year to replace Vilma Leake; and McElrath, 67, a retired mathematics teacher who had been on the list of candidates to replace Leake.

Mitchell-Walker, who had resigned from a school secretary's job last year to join the school board, did not comment on her withdrawal. But her brother, Charlotte City Council member James Mitchell, said, "Her health is the No. 1 issue, and she just had to get healthy."

McElrath said he has become less dogmatic in his support of diversity in schools. He said he would allow income levels to be a factor only if high-income and low-income neighborhoods were adjacent. He criticized the effort by Superintendent Peter Gorman and other CMS officials to get top teachers into low-income schools and said he would work with board members from Districts 2, 3 and 4 to form a coalition that would support urban schools.

DISTRICT 3

Joyce Waddell, a veteran CMS teacher and administrator, piled up a big lead in this crowded race -- with nine candidates seeking a single seat. In returns from 12 of 30 precincts, she had 34.9 percent of the vote. That put her far ahead of the next-highest candidate, Nicole Hudson's 16.5 percent. Running third, with 12.6 percent, was Vivian Mitchell.

Incumbent James Ross was fifth, with 9.2 percent of the vote.

Running fourth was W.L. "Pop" Woodard, with 10.9 percent. Rounding out the field, from sixth through ninth place, were Aaron Pomis (5.8 percent), Hans Plotseneder (3.9 percent), Joel Levy (3.3 percent) and Teresa Tudor (2.7 percent).

Ross, 74, was appointed to the board last year as a replacement for George Dunlap. Although he is a Republican in a Democratic-leaning district, Ross said voters told him that they liked his approach. He portrayed himself as a consensus-builder, adding, "If there's any label that's on me, it's consistent common sense."

Hudson, 35, had the endorsement of Dunlap. She said her background, as a single parent, makes her equipped to deal with the problem of high school dropouts. "I understand first-hand the importance of parental involvement," she said. She criticized the school board for not communicating clearly with the community.

Levy, 31, is Charlotte's assistant treasurer and a former congressional intern. He campaigned on the need for the school board to use money more wisely -- and to use the money more to pay high-quality teachers and for additional student supplies.

Mitchell, 46, worried that she would be confused with Kimberly Mitchell-Walker, her sister-in-law, who withdrew from the District 2 race. Mitchell, wife of city council member James Mitchell, said she is very much in the race in District 3. She supports making "major changes" in leadership and spending priorities for CMS, and she said students should have the ability to attend schools that fit with their abilities.

Plotsender, 64, is a teacher at West Mecklenburg High and has run for the board before. He said he wants to eliminate the performance gap between higher-performing and lower-performing students and increase the opportunities for students to take vocational education courses.

Pomis, 35, was program director for Teach for America from 2004 to 2007. He now teaches at a charter school known for its success with at-risk students and said he would strengthen CMS' work to improve math and reading performance by students in District 3's schools.

Tudor, 35, said she is appalled at the bickering among school board members and would work with a more collaborative style. She has a child in second grade and said that separates her from many District 3 candidates who do not have children attending CMS schools.

Waddell, 65, was a teacher and administrator for more than two decades. She said student performance in District 3 schools needs improvement and contended that her experience with the schools would help her solve the problem.

Woodard, 60, said he would appeal to the district's parents to keep their children in schools. "If the parents have the desire to see their kids graduate, they will," he said. His late wife, Valerie, was a Mecklenburg County commissioner.

DISTRICT 4

Tom Tate, 58, had no opposition in his bid for a second term on the school board. His district covers the Plaza-Midwood, Central Avenue, east Charlotte area. Tate has expressed concern over the resegregation of CMS and has pushed to close the achievement gap between white and minority students.

DISTRICT 5

In returns from 32 of 43 precincts, Eric Davis appeared headed for election. He had 63.8 percent of the vote, to 36.1 percent for Susan Walker.

This district, which covers south and southeast Charlotte, currently is represented by board chairman Molly Griffin.

Davis, 48, was supported by Griffin, Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory, mayoral candidate John Lassiter, and former N.C. Gov. Jim Martin. He raised nearly $40,000 in the campaign, about three times the total raised by Walker.

Davis said his background as a business manager and his ability to solve problems without bickering positioned him to win the district race. He also said Walker focuses on the negative, adding, "I start with what is happening right, and let's use that as a launch pad for what we need to change."

Walker, 56, had the support of board member Kaye McGarry, county commissioner Neil Cooksey and state Rep. Ruth Samuelson. She said the school board has misled parents during the pupil assignment issue and said "families have lost trust in the school board status quo." She supported neighborhood schools, closing the achievement gap, and reducing the dropout rate.

DISTRICT 6

The early leader in this district was Tim Morgan, with 49.8 percent of the vote. Trailing were John Ross, with 27.7 percent, and Terri Dickinson, with 22 percent. Votes had been counted from 18 of 32 precincts.

Ken Gjertsen did not seek re-election in this district, which covers Mint Hill, Matthews and southern Mecklenburg County.

Dickinson, 37, portrayed herself as a PTA leader and Scout leader with no political experience. She had not even voted in the last two school board elections but said he entered the race because of parent frustation over the handling of the Mint Hill high school pupil assignment issue. "We've been ignored for a long time," she said of the south suburbs.

Morgan, 41, had the endorsement of mayors in Mint Hill, Matthews and Pineville. He said he shared opinions with Dickinson and Ross -- favoring, generally speaking, neighborhood schools and the push for increased student performance. However, he said his background in construction and real estate would enable him to play a leading role in improving CMS' performance in school construction.

Ross, 33, had the endorsement of school board members Gjertsen and McGarry, and of the Black Political Caucus. He pushed for a "common-sense business approach" to spending, citing his background as a Bank of America senior vice president. He also campaigned on the need to have neighborhood schools and strong discipline, adding, "We need to have our teachers' backs."

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