Zelmarine Murphy filed Friday to seek her fourth six-year term on the Vicksburg Warren School District Board of Trustees.

By late that evening, with less than a week before the deadline for filing, the longest-tenured member of the board had no opponent for the District 2 spot.

&#8220This, in my opinion, is a good school district,” said Murphy, who declines to release her age. &#8220There are some brilliant young minds here. That’s why I do it.”

Murphy is a 1962 graduate of Rosa A. Temple High School, and all three of her sons graduated from the Vicksburg Warren School District.

She is a graduate of Alcorn State University and the University of Louisiana at Monroe with a master’s of science in secondary education. Murphy has been teaching in the classroom since 1966. She’s taught home economics in school districts in Tunica, Greenville and Madison Parish, where she has been for 31 years.

She was first elected to the board in 1988 and said her years of experience as a trustee are beneficial to the board.

&#8220I’ve seen the school district through good times and bad times. I’ve seen the ups and downs, but overall, this is a good district and I want to continue to be a part of it,” she said.

Murphy said when her sons were in school, she and her late husband were active in their extra-curricular activities.

&#8220We followed every activity they were involved in,” she said. &#8220I want to continue to offer my community my love of children.”

She decided to run for re-election because she wants to see the benefits of the long-term plans the district has put in place.

&#8220I feel like Dr. (James) Price has some wonderful long-range plans for this district.,” she said. &#8220And I want the chance to better enhance our schools through my experience as an educator and as a senior board member.”

The deadline for filing for the $2,400-year position is 5 p.m. Friday.

Terms for the five members of the board of trustees are staggered, so there’s never a complete new board.

Qualifying papers and instructions are available from the Warren County Circuit Clerk’s Office.

The District 2 seat will be the only school board contest on the Nov. 7 ballot.

Other members of the board are Jerry Boland, District 1; Betty Tolliver, District 3; Jan Daigre, president, District 4; and Tommy Shelton, District 5.