The Natrona County school board remains undecided on whether or not "neighborhood schools" should become an enrollment preference for families.

At a retreat on Saturday, board members spent nearly five hours debating certain enrollment preferences, including offering preference to siblings of students already enrolled in a school, a preference for children of staff and teachers.

Trustees decided they needed more data about why families choose schools before they could offer a "choice preference'" which might include an enrollment preference to attend the school nearest to a family's home.

"What I'm really hearing is that there's more data needed," said superintendent Joel Dvorak at the retreat's close. "Getting something together before January might not be doable."

Board members also wanted more information before moving forward with discussing enrollment preferences for children of staff and teachers.

"We realize in the organizational assessment that morale is down," said chairman Shannon Jackett. "This could be a morale booster."

Some trustees expressed concern that offering preference could be viewed as unfair, and that the definition of "staff member" wasn't clear.

Trustee Elizabeth Horsch, a former teacher, said having her children attend the school she taught at made it possible for her to be an active staff member.

"It made a huge difference in time I could put in," she said. "I didn't put in that kind of when I didn't have them where I was."

Anne LaPlante, the director of organizational development, was given the go-ahead to create a group that will look more closely at the issue, including how to define which staff members would have preference.

The one thing all board members agreed on was to offer preference to siblings of currently enrolled students. That preference would be extended to kindergarteners, sixth and seventh-graders, and ninth and tenth-graders.

For example, if a student wants to attend kindergarten at University Park Elementary and has an older sibling attending that school, he would be given enrollment preference.

The board plans to continue its work around enrollment preferences, with the idea that some changes would be implemented for the 2009-2010 school year. No official action was taken at Saturday's retreat.

Reach education reporter Jasa Santos at (307) 266-0593 or at Jasa.Santos@trib.com