The four leading Salt Lake City mayoral candidates — Ralph Becker, Buhler, Keith Christensen and Jenny Wilson — have extensive education-issue planks on their Web sites, even though as the city's chief executive, the mayor would have little real responsibility for public education.

And a few mention education in their advertising spots.

Only Wilson doesn't list education as her No. 1 priority, although she, too, has a long position paper on the subject.

Becker, an environmental/urban planner and Democratic legislator, has a seven-point plan to help education.

He'd create a senior-level position within his mayor's office to coordinate and forge public-private partnerships in schools.

Buhler says he wants to partner with the city school district, maintain a strong infrastructure and increase opportunities for young people by working closely with the several colleges and universities within the city boundaries.

Wilson says she finds it unacceptable that sometimes teachers are left to "fend for themselves" during times of tight budgets.

She adds that Utah's education system doesn't need to be "revamped, reworked or retooled." Teachers and principals "just need a steward, an advocate, someone to champion" their issues.

Christensen probably goes the furthest of the major candidates. He wants to set up a local program so all children can read by third grade. (The state has had such a program for years.)

On his Web site, Christensen asks rhetorically: "Why should a mayor get involved in education? Isn't that the job of the Legislature and the (local) school board?"

Yes — he answers — but then goes on to say that "these children are not just the governor's children or the Legislature's or the school board's children. They are our kids."

He says that he alone can't ensure all city kids can read by the end of the third grade, "but together, it can be done," he said.

That sounds good to the Utah School Boards Association.

"It tells me that education is on people's minds, and that's good," said USBA President Sarah Meier, also president of the Granite Board of Education. "I think that's encouraging that at least Salt Lake City (residents) can count on city leaders and school leaders will be working together. This just really is going to bode well for the children, and maybe be an example for the state."

Cities have sought to break away from Granite and Jordan school districts and form their own east-side districts. Two measures to split Jordan District from east to west and along West Jordan city lines will come before voters in November; a proposed Granite District split was stymied by the Salt Lake County Council.

Salt Lake City was not involved in any of those actions.