Idahoans interested in helping set school policy have until Dec. 9 to apply for an open seat on the State Board of Education.

A seat on the board opened up after former member Ken Edmunds became director of the Idaho Department of Labor on Monday. Edmunds, of Twin Falls, had served on the eight-member board since 2008.

After Dec. 9, Otter will make an appointment to the board, which the Idaho Senate must confirm.

“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 news release. “Our colleges and universities have the responsibility to help prepare Idaho’s work force 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.”

There are seven appointed board members, along with Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna.

The new appointee must be willing to serve the balance of Edmunds’ term, which does not expire until 2018.

Anyone interested may fill out an application online, and submit a resume and references to Otter’s office.

Applicants’ political party affiliation, job, religion and location will not be a factor, according to Idaho Code.

The State Board of Education serves as trustees of Idaho’s state-sponsored four-year colleges and universities and set policy for K-12.