Two weeks into the qualifying period, the first person has qualified for a school board seat.

Lucy Shell filed her paperwork Monday for the Brookhaven School District at-large seat. The seat, which is currently held by Stan Patrick, represents those who live in the Brookhaven School District, but outside the city limits.

Shell said her desire to sit on the school board is two-fold: she is a graduate of the Brookhaven School District and she serves on the Chamber of Commerce Industrial Development Foundation board.

“I believe in a strong system for our schools,” she said.

Shell said when the IDF is talking to different industries, the school system is consistently used to help recruit these businesses. Shell believes that BSD is a successful school system, and she sees this an opportunity to help the district continue moving in the right direction.

Shell is employed with Magnolia Electric Power Association. She is married to Matt Shell and has a daughter, Katherine.

The board is made of five seats, two elected and three appointed by the Board of Aldermen. Each member serves a five-year term. Erin Smith holds the other elected position and was elected in 2012. The other members of the board include Willie Harrison, Pat Lowery and James Tillman.

Currently, the Lincoln County School District is working to rectify a couple timeline discrepancies for school board elections. Some records show that the seats are not open for re-election until next year, while others show it should have been last year. LCSD is awaiting an opinion from the Attorney General’s office.