INDReporter

CABL not backing off school boards

by Leslie Turk

The Council for a Better Louisiana, a nonprofit think-tank based in Baton Rouge that has long been an advocate for reforming local school boards, is now hoping to have an inmpact on school board elections. The Council for a Better Louisiana, a nonprofit think-tank based in Baton Rouge that has long been an advocate for reforming local school boards, is now hoping to have an impact on school board elections.

It recently partnered with Red Stick Rep. Steve Carter, a Republican, to push a far-reaching package with provisions ranging from term limits to the micromanagement of superintendents. Now Barry Erwin, president of CABL, says his group is wading into the political side of school boards - meaning elections. As the fall comes more into being, Erwin says his staff will be adding a new section to CABL.org to feature information on every school system's financials, demographics and possibly overall performance. He calls it a work in progress.

While CABL won't get into the business of endorsing candidates, there could be a section dedicated to questionnaires filled out by school board candidates. The project should be rolled out over the next few weeks. "We want to promote a discussion about what makes a good school board member," Erwin says. "This is something every voter in the state should be interested in."