The Committee to Encourage People to Run for the School Board identified open enrollment, communication, and schools of choice as key issues for school board candidates in the upcoming election.

On Thursday, the committee briefly went over rough drafts of lists presented by subcommittee members.

The drafts cover class size reduction, mandatory cohorts, the Interest Based Agreement Process, and No Child Left Behind and standardized testing.

"I think we've highlighted hot topics at this point," said Marc Smith, a member of the committee and the subgroup.

One goal of the committee is to provide potential candidates with background material to inform them of current issues, said chairman Joe Parrish.

Candidates sometimes run for office with no knowledge of issues or with pet issues they plan to pursue, Parrish continued. It's important for voters to know where potential school board members stand when it comes to being advocates for students.

"When I go to the ballot box this November, I want to be voting for a known product," Parrish said. "I don't want to be voting for a name and face."

Smith said school board members typically deal with the issues chosen for the rough drafts. Providing everyone with some information about those issues can only benefit the community.

"Gosh, it's got to make for a better quality candidate," Smith said.

The committee will continue its work on identifying issues during its July meetings.

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

For more info

*The Committee to Encourage People to Run for the School Board will meet at 11:30 a.m. July 10. Meetings are held at the Wyoming Oil and Gas Commission.

*For more information about meetings or the committee, contact chairman Joe Parrish at (307) 797-1213 or at joeparrish@wyoming.com.