A retired music teacher and general contractor have signed up to run for an open Portland school board seat in a special election this summer.

Jayne Sawtelle and Cassidy LaCroix are the only two candidates to qualify for the ballot after nomination papers were due Monday afternoon. They’re running for an at-large seat on the Portland Public Schools Board of Education.

The seat opened up in December after Benjamin Grant won election to the Portland City Council. He resigned from the school board when he was sworn in, and the City Council set the special election date as June 10, the same day as the district’s budget vote. The winner will only serve a six-month term, and will have to run again in November, if they wish to stay in the seat.

Sawtelle, 62, said she worked as a music teacher at Portland High School and Rowe Elementary for 32 years before retiring last June. She grew up in rural Maine and moved to Portland in 1984 after graduating from the University of Southern Maine. She said her two adult children attended Portland schools, and her husband worked for the district as well.

“I am running to bring my energy and recent experiences to a group of educators that must focus on the needs of the students in our classrooms right now, including adult education. I worry that we spend too much time and resources on planning for future projects and on policies that do not directly affect our current students,” she said in an email. “I want to encourage all stakeholders to spend more time working with and getting to know the amazing children and adults that are both our “raw materials” and “finished products.”’

LaCroix, 32, is a general contractor who does remodeling and builds single-family homes in Greater Portland. He said he has lived in Portland since 2005, attended King Middle School and Deering High School, and has a daughter who attends Talbot Elementary School. And he said it’s because of her that he’s running for office.

“I want to see that my daughter has the best opportunities to succeed and ensure that Portland Public Schools can provide the best educational opportunities to all the youth of Portland,” LaCroix said.

During the November election, only one of three open school board seats was contested. City records show that seven candidates attempted to qualify for the June race, though all but two withdrew or did not submit paperwork in time. A candidate needs at least 300 signatures to quality for the ballot.