With the election still more than nine months away, the race for the Fresno Unified School Board seat representing southeast Fresno already is getting crowded.

Former Fresno City Councilman Brad Castillo was first out of the gate, announcing Friday that he would run for the seat representing the newly drawn District 2.

Luis Chavez, who is chief of staff for City Councilman Sal Quintero, is hitting the campaign trail today with an announcement outside Roosevelt High School.

Both men are first-timers in a run for the Fresno Unified board, and both have strong ties to City Hall that could give them an early boost.

Chavez already has lined up endorsements from Quintero and Fresno County Supervisor Susan Anderson, for whom he used to work. Council Members Blong Xiong, Oliver Baines, Clint Olivier and Lee Brand also are expected to attend his 11 a.m. announcement.

The men will challenge incumbent Larry Moore, who said Friday he, too, is preparing for the race.

The winner will join a fractious board, whose minority -- which includes Moore -- has been openly critical recently of Superintendent Michael Hanson, and which is facing a swelling cry from the community for education reform.

Both men are well-versed in politics. Chavez worked under Anderson for about six months before jumping into the 2010 City Council race. After losing the District 5 seat to Quintero, Chavez was tapped as the council member's chief of staff.

He said his time working for city and county officials makes him more qualified to serve on a school board often mired in political divisiveness.

"I'm used to the politics," he said. "It's nothing new to me."

Castillo also has been a regular in City Hall. He served one term representing District 4 but lost to Larry Westerlund in his re-election bid.

On Friday, Castillo didn't put too much stock in the lineup of council members expected at Chavez's announcement today.

"So far, the only one who can vote for him is Sal," he said, meaning that Quintero is the only council member who lives in the Roosevelt area, District 2.

This year marks the second time school board elections will be held by trustee area and not at-large, which means candidates can be elected only by residents in the area and must live in the area.

November marks the first election since school district areas were redrawn following the release of the 2010 Census. The board approved the adjusted trustee areas last year.

District 2 is one of three seats up for grabs this year. The Fresno High area, represented by Trustee Carol Mills, and the Hoover High area, now represented by Trustee Janet Ryan, also are up for election.

District 2 spans much of southeast and central Fresno, from California Avenue north to Clinton Avenue, and Chestnut Street west to Van Ness Avenue. The district is home to more than 55,000 people.

Chavez said he knows the challenges that push students in the Roosevelt neighborhood to drop out and get sucked into poverty. He said his top priority as a trustee would be reducing the dropout rate.

Castillo said he, too, was moved to run because of the district's dropout rate, which he called "embarrassing."

Both men have ideas about how to solve the problem. Chavez wants smaller classes in elementary schools and stronger vocational training programs. He said vocational training should include college preparatory courses so all students can be college-ready by the time they graduate.

"We don't want to pigeonhole students and tell them they are only good enough for career training," he said.

Castillo offers a solution that would likely shake up the education world -- tying administrator pay to the dropout rate. The idea would require legislative approval, and Castillo said he plans to take the idea to lawmakers.