This is no Survivor or Big Brother III, and there is no $1 million paycheck at the end, but those who are voted in during the Nov. 5 elections will be decision-makers for the Campbell Union School District (CUSD) and Campbell Union High School District (CUHSD) school boards over the next four years.

There are currently three open seats on each school board, and 12 community members have stepped up and filed for candidacy for those six seats.

Marshall Lane Elementary in Saratoga and Rolling Hills Middle School in Los Gatos are in the CUSD; in the high school district are Saratoga's Prospect High, Campbell's Westmont High—which has students from Los Gatos, Monte Sereno and Saratoga—and San Jose's Leigh High, with some Los Gatos residents as students.

This year's CUSD candidates include three incumbents: Nejleh T. Abed, John Snelham and Stephen Bevan, as well as a fresh face: Scott Kleinberg, who is the chief financial officer of Lutris Technologies.

Newcomer Kleinberg says he wants to serve on the CUSD board "to foster a school environment that challenges students to achieve the best possible education, builds strong character and rewards students as they achieve goals." Kleinberg, 35, has twin boys at Marshall Lane.

The three CUSD board incumbents all have children who attended the district's schools for a number of years.

Abed, 47, has served on the board for three years and was previously involved with various school volunteer organizations. Abed, a general cosmetic dentist, says her priorities are to promote greater community involvement in education, to provide all children "fundamental learning skills to become productive citizens of our community," and to increase teacher recruitment and retention.

Accountant Snelham has been on the board for seven years. Snelham, 57, says his focus is on keeping art, music and sports programs intact while maintaining student achievement, establishing educational standards and encouraging the community to be "partners in education."

Bevan says the district has accomplished much since he first became a board member two years ago—including rising test scores—successes that Bevan says he wants to continue. Bevan, 47, works in information technology management.

Competition will be stiff for CUHSD candidates this year, however. In 1998 there were four candidates up for two seats, as opposed to this year's eight candidates competing for only three seats.

"This year there are a lot more personalities involved," said Gaylene Hinkle, administrative assistant to the superintendent of the high school district. "I would definitely say it'll be competitive. Many of the candidates are active parent volunteers at the school sites."

The candidates for the high school district also include three incumbents—Tim Hegstrom, Louis J. Marotti and George St. Clair—as well as Mark Holan, an electronics distribution manager; Robert Prieto, a small-business owner; Gregory Grigsby, a technical publications manager; Bob Becklund, a retired engineer; and Pam Parker, an executive administrator.

Now 87 and retired, Marotti spent 31 years teaching in the high school district. Marotti is ending his first term on the governing board and says his experience, connections in the district and free time make him a good candidate for creating programs that meet the needs of every type of student. Marotti says he will "give the district a pat on the back when it is deserved—and a kick in the pants when it is needed."

Having served on the board for the past dozen years, St. Clair, 52, says he still has more to offer for the district. St. Clair says he stands for "meaningful education reform," and that doing so entails listening to the people and amending board policies. St. Clair is currently a tutorial center coordinator at Mountain View High School and has a stepson who attended Westmont.

The third incumbent, Hegstrom, 55, has three children who are either attending or graduated from Westmont. Hegstrom, a San José State University professor and interim associate dean, says his four years on the board have taught him about the three challenges that the district faces: the quality of education, California's financial crisis and the district's communication with parents and citizens.

Grigsby says it was a dissatisfaction with the atmosphere at and around Prospect that prompted him to run for the board. Grigsby, 45, has children at Prospect and is concerned with the district's insufficient increase in salary, paired with rising overhead costs and increases in the state education budget. Grigsby aims to "maintain fiscal responsibility" as well as retain a strong staff and attractive academic programs and activities.

Holan, 45, has similar concerns. He says the district is unresponsive to the community and wants the district to do more outreach to all the households within its boundaries. Holan's priorities are to protect teachers and evaluate standardized testing. The candidate has three children who went through Campbell schools.

Prieto, owner of a tour business, says his top priority is accountability. Prieto, 42, says he chooses to take a "wait and see" attitude instead of formulating further objectives and philosophies to align himself with. "I'd have to see what the state of business is" after elections, he says.

A parent of a Branham High student, Parker, 53, served as the president of Branham's Home & School Club for two years. Parker says her focus as a board member is to ensure that "all students master the basics and can apply them in their lives." Parker says she believes in hiring outstanding teachers, diminishing class sizes and building partnerships among parents, schools and the district.

The last candidate, Bob Becklund, refused to cooperate with the press. As a result, no information is available for his profile.

Gloria Wang contributed to this story.