If you haven't yet done so, you can watch the recent Wake County school board candidate forums that were sponsored by WakeUP Wake County and the League of Women Voters of Wake County.

The N.C. Center for Voter Education recorded the candidate forums and have posted them online. The one exception is District 4, where Venita Peyton's boycott of the forum meant only Keith Sutton was in attendance.

Click here to view the District 3 forum. Click here to view the District 5 forum. Click here to view the District 6 forum. Click here to view the District 8 forum.

Wake County school board chairman Ron Margiotta will go head-to-head with Susan Evans at tonight's forum sponsored by WakeUP Wake County and the League of Women Voters of Wake County.

Both District 8 candidates have agreed to attend the forum that starts at 7 p.m. at the Cary C. Jones Community Building, 309 Holleman Street in Apex. Tonight's forum should be lively considering the two candidates involved.

It's time for the Wake County school board candidates in District 5 to go head-to-head tonight.

Jim Martin and Cynthia Matson have both agreed to attend the forum, which is sponsored by WakeUP Wake County and the League of Women Voters of Wake County. Organizers said Matson told them she may be running late tonight.

The forum is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. at Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh, 3313 Wade Avenue, Raleigh. It's an interesting choice considering how Unitarian Universalist Fellowship has been active in supporting the old diversity policy.

There was grumbling about last week's forum being held at Church of the Nativity, located on the edges of District 3's boundaries. Organizers said it's hard finding a place that has the space and is willing to let them use it for a reasonable fee.

Tonight's Wake County school board District 3 candidate forum should be a lively one.

Incumbent Kevin Hill and challengers Heather Losurdo and Jennifer Mansfield have all confirmed they'll attend. Eric Squires has indicated he'll try to attend.

The forum starts at 7 p.m. at Church of the Nativity, 8849 Ray Road in Raleigh. It's sponsored by WakeUP Wake County and the League of Women Voters of Wake County.

For those who can't attend, you might want to see if WRAL will stream the forum live online.

It looks like Wake County school board candidate Venita Peyton is going to have to rely on an online campaign in the absence of much campaign cash.

In a post today on her Outside The Box blog, Peyton writes that "the 2011 School Board race is shaping up to be a choice between two types of candidates: those for children and those for power." She rips into NCAE, the old school board and prior superintendents for "low student achievement and high dropouts for the past decade."

On her campaign website, Peyton explains her decision to not attend Thursday's District 4 forum sponsored by WakeUP Wake County, the League of Women Voters of Wake County and the Southeast Raleigh Assembly:

It will be a two-sided debate at tonight's Wake County District 6 school board candidate forum.

Donna Williams said she's juggled her schedule so that she can attend the forum sponsored by WakeUP Wake County and the League of Women Voters of Wake County. Previously, only Christine Kushner and Mary Ann Weathers, both critics of the school board majority, were slated to attend.

The forum, which is open to the public, starts at 7 p.m. at Hudson Memorial Presbyterian Church, 4921 Six Forks Road in Raleigh.

UPDATE

George Morgan has now also confirmed he will attend.

The campaigns for the Wake County school board races should heat up this week.

As noted in today's article, you've got two fairly significant events over the next five days. You'll have the release of updated campaign finance reports and the first of the five candidate forums sponsored by WakeUP Wake County and the League of Women Voters of Wake County.

All school board candidates who intend to raise more than $1,000 and any groups expecting to spend money on the school board races must file a 35-day pre-election report. This report, which must be postmarked no later than Tuesday, will show how much has been raised through Aug. 30.

UPDATE

Inserted the words pre-election to make the wording more clear.

Candidates won't officially begin filing for Wake County school board until Monday but candidate forums have already been scheduled.

WakeUP Wake County and the League of Women Voters of Wake County has already announced the dates, times and locations for forums that will be held for each of the five school board races.

The District 3 forum will be at 7 p.m. on Sept. 14 at Church of the Nativity, 8849 Ray Road, Raleigh. The District 4 forum will be 7 p.m. on Sept. 15 at Walnut Creek Wetland Center, 950 Peterson St, Raleigh.

Should the Wake County school board have requested an additional redistricting map to review before approving the lines that will be used for elections over the next 10 years?

As noted in today's article, the issue of only having one map split the board in the 5-3 vote. Kevin Hill, Anne McLaurin and Keith Sutton unsuccessfully urged the board to ask Kieran Shanahan to come up with an additional map to consider before holding a final vote.

The other school board members said they were reasonably satisfied with the map and felt there was not a need to draw up any other options.

Opposition is forming to the proposed Wake County school board redistricting maps.

As noted in today's article, Democratic school board member Anne McLaurin, Wake County Democratic Party Chairman Mack Paul, the Great Schools in Wake Coalition and the League of Women Voters of Wake County are all upset about the maps.

Much of the concerns seems to revolve around McLaurin's District 5. Despite some speculation that McLaurin won't seek a second term, she said she's leaning toward running again.

UPDATE

Only two speakers registered online in advance of the hearing. You can begin registering in person at the hearing site at 4:45 p.m. There are a total of nine speakers this evening.