Political parties could pick school board members

A powerful House committee Friday decided to hold a controversial bill that would rewrite how state Board of Education members are elected, taking nominating power away from the governor, opening the election up to anyone but injecting partisan politics into the board.

"Some may say this is a tempest in a teapot," Rep. Greg Hughes told fellow members of the House Rules Committee. "But it is really a big deal; and we're being too quick to get this out" to a standing committee for a public hearing.

So Rep. Jim Ferrin's HB61 was taken off the agenda. Hughes said the bill may be considered again by the Rules Committee, which sifts bills for hearings later.

HB61 would be a major change in how the 15-member state board is now picked.

Currently, regional commissions review candidates who file for the four-year state school board terms. Several names are then sent to the governor, who then picks two for the ballot. Citizens then give one a majority vote.

The bill by Ferrin, R-Orem, would junk the nominating commissions and the governor's nomination completely.

But it goes further. The state school board would be a partisan political body, with members running and winning under political party banners, as legislators are elected today.

Under HB61 GOP candidates would go before a county or state Republican Party convention, where one person could win the nomination outright, or the top two vote-getters would go before a closed party primary later.

No other school boards in the state are partisan now. Candidates for the Salt Lake or Granite school boards run as individuals and don't go before county or state political party conventions. If more than two candidates file, all candidates face off in an open primary election, the final two advancing to the general election.

In short, Ferrin's bill would place the selection of state school board members into partisan politics. Hughes, R-Draper, said the changes must be carefully considered.