Gov. Butch Otter is asking anyone interested in the opening on the state Board of Education to apply by Dec. 9, a week from next Monday. The opening comes after Otter appointed board member Ken Edmunds to head the state Department of Labor; the appointee will serve out Edmunds' term, which runs through March 1, 2018. Otter noted that state law says the best applicant must be chosen for the position, without regard to "locality, occupation, party affiliation or religion."

“The goal in all my appointments to the Board is to find members who can view Idaho’s education system holistically, putting aside parochial connections to any single institution and instead focusing on our statewide needs and opportunities for improvement,” Otter said in a statement.  “Our colleges and universities have the responsibility to help prepare Idaho’s workforce for the future. The Board of Education is charged with ensuring those institutions have the tools and the oversight they need to work collaboratively toward our statewide goals.”

Otter's choice to fill the vacancy would be subject to confirmation by the state Senate. To apply for the vacancy, send a resume and a letter of interest to the governor's office, to the attention of Anne Beebe.