Voters elected incumbent Mike Cooper and newcomers Tuyet Dorau and Sarah Swisher to the Iowa City School Board during record-breaking turnout at the polls on Tuesday.

Swisher earned 54 percent of the total votes, Dorau received 50 percent, and Cooper received 47 percent, said Johnson County Auditor Tom Slockett.

In the Iowa City area, 4,392 voters turned out in masses to the nine designated precincts. This is the highest voter turnout for a School Board election in Iowa City since 1995, when an important bond issue was at stake, Slockett said.

Gary Burge, a precinct rover who travels among the polling sites to ensure things run smoothly, said several issues on the ballot — including plans for a third high school — may have attracted voters.

Dorau and Swisher will replace Tim Krumm and Jan Leff on the board. Cooper was re-elected for his second term.

After the final votes were tallied, Dorau said she was excited to set an example for kids in the district — hers included — by presenting positive methods to address issues. The high voter turnout indicates people are ready for a positive change, she said.

“I think our district said, ‘We are ready to heal,’ ” she said. “We’re going to catapult our district to No. 1 in the state.”

Swisher, who works for the Service Employees International Union, told The Daily Iowan last week that she wants to promote socioeconomic equality in elementary schools in the district.

“I know what it’s like to tackle problems as a team,” she said, noting that she’s served on 23 boards, commissions, and task forces.

Cooper plans to focus on improving district budget concerns, he told the DI before the election. In addition to holding a position on the School Board, he is the vice president of national services for Pearson.

“I’ve kind of looked at this as test-driving a car,” Cooper said, noting he spent his first term trying to show the community he’s a valuable board member.

Across the city, poll workers said citizens were voting in record numbers.

Precinct election chairwoman Karen Williams said the polls were busier than previous years at West High, where she was stationed.

Economic issues are a primary concern for many voters, she said.

“Most people are very concerned in how their money is spent,” she said, then noted good weather often means good turnout.

Slockett emphasized that “an awful lot of credit has to go to the candidates” for the high turnout.