At today’s Idaho High School Redesign Summit, two likely GOP candidates for state superintendent of schools – Tom Luna and Steve Smylie – found themselves at the same table, separated only by House Education Chairman Jack Barraclough, R-Idaho Falls. Yet, nary a word passed between the two political rivals. (In fact, not long after the session started, Luna left the table and stood at the back of the room, though he later returned.)

Word was circulating that Luna stood up a group of local school superintendents in Twin Falls earlier this week, when he was scheduled to speak about alternative teacher certification but didn’t show.

Also in the GOP race for supt is Coeur d’Alene High School Principal Steve Casey, the only one of the three who’s officially announced his candidacy for the post in 2006. Smylie is a four-term state lawmaker and a teacher from Boise – and son of the late Bob Smylie, the well-known former Idaho governor – while Luna is a businessman who ran unsuccessfully for the post in 2002. Current Supt. Marilyn Howard, a Democrat who was greeted with enthusiastic applause at the summit, hasn’t said yet whether she’ll seek a third term.

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