Posted 10:48 AM by Susan Darst Williams

STATE BOARD OF ED, ANYONE?

There's at least one opening on the State Board of Education in the upcoming elections. Steve Scherr's letter of resignation was included in the minutes of the Board's Feb. 5-6 meeting. The Hastings attorney is not running again in District 5, approximately the southeast one-fifth of Nebraska. Scherr is going to oppose Sen. Carroll Burling of Kenesaw for State Legislature.

Omaha's Ann Mactier has said she will run again in District 2. The southern metropolitan Omaha district is represented by Rachel Bone of LaVista; she was unavailable for comment on whether she will seek another term.

To review district boundaries, backgrounds of incumbents, agendas, duties and other considerations:

http://www.nde.state.ne.us/StateBoard/stbdmembers.html

Former State Ed Board member Kathy Wilmot of Beaver City has sent out word encouraging people to run for this important board, and to support good candidates with money and volunteer time. She said, ''Folks, this is your chance to put people on the State Board of Education who are not Nebraska State Education Association puppets. This is a chance to have people who truly represent parents, taxpayers and most importantly . . . CHILDREN!''

Mrs. Wilmot, an eight-year incumbent, was defeated by 115 votes in November 2002 amid dirty campaigning that resulted in a $1,000 fine against Grant High School teacher Diana Tate and a $250 fine against Gering Superintendent of Schools Don Hague, both from the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission. Read more about it on www.kathywilmot.com

The same election saw massive infusions of union cash to help former Nebraska State Education Association president and former NEA official Joe Higgins defeat Omaha's Kathryn Piller.

Mrs. Wilmot, representing Citizen EdWatch, a new grassroots organization aimed at education and political issues in Nebraska and beyond, said she would welcome queries from interested people and would schedule a Candidate Training Seminar for them.

Email kwilmot@atcjet.net or (308) 268-6235.