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Voters may get a chance to weigh in on Utah's process for selecting state school board members.
A proposed constitutional amendment received committee approval on Friday and would place the question of state school board elections before voters in 2016.
But if the proposal receives the necessary two-thirds vote of the House and Senate, Utahns would not have a chance to select nonpartisan board elections, which a recent poll shows is the preferred option among voters.
Instead, voters would be asked to choose between partisan elections for the state school board or foregoing elections entirely for a board that is appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate.
"If the people vote 'yes' then we move to an appointed board," Sen. Ann Millner, R-Ogden, said.
Millner sponsored SJR5, which calls for the constitutional amendment, as well as SB195, which establishes partisan elections until the issue of an amendment can be placed before the public.
Both bills received committee approval on Friday and were sent to the full Senate for debate.
Millner, who previously worked as president of Weber State University, said an appointed state school board would put public education in line with Utah's higher education system, which is overseen by an appointed board of regents.
She said the appointment and confirmation system would help educators to work in harmony with the executive and legislative branches while sidestepping the partisan vs nonpartisan debates that have surrounded public education for several years.
"We never seem to be happy and we spend a lot of time on that issue," she said. "I think this moves us in a different direction."
Her bill would also shrink the size of the board over time from its current 15-member structure to a nine-member board.
"The goal is to get to a smaller governing board that can be more nimble (and) make good decisions," she said.
But Utah Eagle Forum spokesman Peter Cannon questioned why the state would move toward a more centralized governance structure for public education.
"I would suggest that a smaller state school board reduces the representation of areas in the state," he said. "If nine is better than 15, then one king is better than many legislators and school board members."
The Senate Education Committee voted 5-1 to approve both bills. Sen. Mark Madsen, R-Saratoga Springs, cast the sole opposing vote.