The Rochester School Board wants to add parents to the board's committees, to get their perspectives on school-district policies.

One parent will serve on each of the board's five committees. They'll be able to ask questions and offer advice, but they won't have a vote. Only parents or legal guardians of students currently attending a city school are eligible, and they can't be district employees or vendors.

The Board recently sent a letter to parents and guardians seeking candidates.

The committees - which meet at least once a month and are chaired by a School Board member - examine contracts and budget information, make recommendations for policy changes, and discuss such topics as student suspension. Anyone who wants to learn about the gritty details of the district's operations is apt to find them in these meetings.

District officials say they have been trying to build a productive relationship with parents and parent groups for years, but some parents have charged that the officials don't really want their involvement.

The board's committee meetings are usually held in the late afternoon at the district's central office, 131 West Broad Street, so that district administrators can be on hand to answer questions.

Parents interested in serving on one of the committees should respond by Monday, March 15.