On Tuesday, three seats were available on the Olentangy Schools Board of Education, and a pair of incumbents and one newcomer were elected.

Current board President Kevin O’Brien was elected to his fourth full term, receiving the highest vote total of the five candidates with 18,753 (25.29%) of the 74,155 votes cast. Fellow board member Libby Wallick, who was appointed to fulfill an unexpired term last year, was elected to her first full term with 18,375 votes (24.78%).

Joining them on the board will be newcomer Lizett Schreiber, who received 15,648 votes (21.10%) to earn her first term. Also on the ballot were Ben Weber and Shilpa Sazena, who received 13,626 votes (18.38%) and 7,753 votes (10.46%), respectively.

O’Brien said of his reelection, “I am honored to have the opportunity to serve another term. I’m excited for the future of Olentangy Schools as we have a very strong board. The voters spoke loud and clear that they expect us to stay focused on the mission of facilitating maximum learning for every student.”

Wallick was impressed by the voter turnout, which she said was indicative of the number of people who had strong beliefs about particular issues and candidates.

“Voting is not only a right but also a responsibility,” Wallick said. “Parents made sure that their sons and daughters away at college were able to vote absentee. Neighbors helped one another by providing rides to polling locations.”

Wallick added, “I’m honored and humbled that the community threw their support behind me. I’m thankful to my friends, family, and the many volunteers who helped my campaign through financial contributions and their tireless effort to place signs and distribute literature to educate voters.

“Congratulations to Kevin O’Brien and Lizett Schreiber for running successful campaigns. I look forward to serving alongside both of them for the next four years as we work collaboratively to keep Olentangy as the premier school district in the state of Ohio by facilitating maximum learning for every student.”

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Schreiber said it had been difficult to find the words to describe her awe of the election results. She noted the victory “belongs to everyone who has helped and supported me along the way.”

“I am grateful for the community in placing its trust in me,” she said. “I will not take it for granted and promise to work hard in my term as a representative of the Olentangy Local Schools Board of Education.

“Through this process, I have met many people with a passion for helping our kids and for education. We may not always agree on the path to achieving those goals, but I strongly believe everyone who is taking the time to communicate wants what is best. I promise to continue to hear everyone out to make sound choices for our students, staff, and community.

“So, for today, I am celebrating, but I know tomorrow, the real work begins.”

Reach Dillon Davis at 740-413-0904. Follow him on Twitter @DillonDavis56.