ORONO – The six school committee candidates were quizzed at Monday’s candidates night about a variety of topics, but the majority of questions focused on the candidates’ thoughts on the coming budget process.

Two residents are running for a one-year term on the committee, and four, including two incumbents, vying for two three-year terms.

The school committee candidates for the March 14 election are:

. One-year term – James Bird, 57, and Paula Ann Shannon, 35.

. Two, three-year terms – Alan Cobo-Lewis, 48, Fiona Sorensen-Hamilton, 42, and incumbents Stefani Berkey, 50, and Robert Swindlehurst, 49.

The candidates were given two minutes to introduce themselves, followed by a question and answer session with inquiries from residents in attendance and those viewing the meeting at home via the local cable station, who called in or e-mailed questions.

All candidates, regardless of to whom the question was directed, were allowed a chance to respond.

“The candidates being presented tonight, there’s no loser for Orono,” Swindlehurst said. He noted that sustainability for the schools and getting students to work locally and globally were among his priorities.

“I agree with [Swindlehurst] that times are changing here,” Berkey said, noting that the budget process is becoming more complicated. “We have to come up with a totally different strategy now.”

Shannon stated that her experience as a financial analyst would be an asset in sorting through the budget process, which caused some controversy in the town last year.

“Tuition students are very important right now,” she said. “I think that Orono has a lot to offer for them.”

Bird, a department head at Fogler Library at the University of Maine, said that some of the answers to budget constraints lie in developing better relationships with neighboring communities, including the university. He also stressed more communication between existing town and school committees.

“I think it’s really important to have cross-pollination,” Bird said.

Going down the line, Sorensen-Hamilton said she wants to be part of making sure Orono schools stay as good as they are.

“I feel that we really need to support the teaching staff in our schools,” she said, adding later that she’d also like to see Orono schools “presenting a little better face” to the public.

Cobo-Lewis, an associate psychology professor at UM with twins entering kindergarten in Orono next year, agreed with Bird that UM and the town need to reach out more to each other.

“I think a lot of my skills could be helpful in the budget process,” he said.

In addition to budget questions, candidates talked about the importance of attracting tuition students, standards for an appropriate curriculum, and their opinion on contracts between students involved in athletics and clubs and the school.

The consensus was unanimous, in that appropriate curriculum should challenge students to meet their potential, while allowing them to explore their individuality. Each candidate also said that student contracts are important and should be upheld to teach respect and responsibility.

All school committee candidates have submitted bios that are available on the town’s Web site at www.orono.org. Some council candidates also have submitted information.