Revamped State Board of Education meeting for 1st time

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) – The State Board of Education is set to meet for the first time with its revamped membership.

The board’s meeting Wednesday at Purdue University in West Lafayette also comes a day before Democratic state schools Superintendent Glenda Ritz is expected to announce that she’s joining the 2016 governor’s race.

Republican Gov. Mike Pence and GOP legislative leaders last week appointed five new members to the board. Pence also reappointed five previous board members, including some who have clashed with Ritz over control of state education policy.

Ritz remains the board’s chairwoman as the Republican-dominated Legislature delayed a contentious proposal from Pence to allow the board to elect any member as its leader. That change was delayed until after the next state superintendent’s election in 2016.