BUFFALO, N.Y. -- In Buffalo's North District, incumbent school board member Jason McCarthy was defeated by Hope Jay, an attorney in Erie County Family Court.
“I wish Jay McCarthy well. He ran a great campaign, and I'm very happy the voters spoke,” Jay said.
She has two daughters who have gone through the Buffalo Public Schools system. Based on what she has seen at home, a major issue she would like to address is Common Core testing.
“They would often come home complaining that they were spending so much time preparing for a test, that they weren't actually getting an opportunity to learn,” Jay said.
McCarthy, meanwhile, spent the last six years on the school board. He was emotional as he reflected on his term.
"I've been very fortunate to be able to serve this community and serve my district and my city, and be able to institute policies that I think were so very great for students and kids in the classroom," McCarthy said.
McCarthy said moving forward, he has a lot of faith in the leadership of Superintendent Kriner Cash and hopes the new board does not compromise that.