Candidates for the Buffalo Board of Education started collecting signatures last week and have to file their petitions by April 9 in order to get on the May 7 ballot.

Here are the candidates known to be running so far:

Ferry District: Sharon Belton-Cottman, incumbent.

North District: Hope Jay, incumbent. Jay could face a challenge from board colleague Larry Quinn, whose at-large term is expiring and is considering a run against Jay for the three-year district seat.

West District: Jennifer Mecozzi, incumbent.

Park District: Lou Petrucci, incumbent.

Central District: Paulette Woods, incumbent.

East District: Patricia Elliott, a vice president with the District Parent Coordinating Council who ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the board in 2016. Two-term incumbent Theresa Harris-Tigg is not seeking re-election for the East District seat.

At-large: This is where the field gets crowded, particularly with newcomers seeking one of the three city-wide seats.