By Michael D. Clark
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Officially it's not official, but Mason's top school official is acting as if it is.

Votes from last Tuesday's Mason Board of Education race have not been certified by the Warren County Board of Elections, but school board President Eric Kantor, who appears to have lost his seat on the district's governing board by 18 votes, said he is preparing to move ahead with the change. "As the vote stands now, I have to accept that Kevin Wise and Deborah Delp are the winners of the election," Kantor said of fellow Mason school board incumbent Wise and challenger Delp.

There were four candidates for Mason's two open seats. Unofficially, Wise tallied 18 more votes than Delp and Delp garnered 18 more than Kantor, according to Susan Johnson, director of the Warren County Board of Elections.

Johnson said votes for the county elections will be officially tallied Tuesday, when a recount might be initiated if the totals are less than one-half of 1 percent apart. Still to be included are any provisional or walk-in votes being checked for legitimacy.

Regardless of the recount possibility, Kantor has decided to proceed as if Delp has replaced him on the five-member school board

"I do not believe the board would be acting in the best interests of the district if we did not prepare to lay the foundation for a smooth transition in the event the vote stays the same after the provisional votes are counted," Kantor said.

Shelly Benesh Hausman, spokeswoman for Mason schools, said that if a recount is required, it would be the first in memory of Mason school officials.

Hausman said, however, the unclear status of the board race will not affect district business. "We are assuming that the results as posted on election night stand. It is business as usual."

E-mail mclark@enquirer.com