PORTLAND (AP) – No candidates have come forward to run for two of the three open seats on the Portland School Committee.

That means the seats will be filled by write-in votes in the city election this November.

City officials confirmed that no one had filed candidate papers for the seats by Tuesday’s deadline. Current and former School Committee members expressed surprise and disappointment at the scarcity of candidates.

State Rep. Herb Adams, who was elected to the panel in the late 1990s, said recent controversies, including a budget shortfall and the issue of birth control at King Middle School, may have scared away some would-be candidates.