A big test is looming for the Board of Education: hiring a new leader for the Albuquerque Public Schools. "It's about the most important job the board undertakes," says Leonard DeLayo, a former longtime board member who participated in four superintendent searches. A split has already emerged on the board, with a four-member majority promoting a national search and the three-member minority arguing for homegrown talent. Jay Maharath (above), 12, a seventh-grader at Kennedy Middle School, already has his mind made up. Shown taking a quiz in science class, Maharath says the board should look close to home for the answer to their own big test. "They should get someone from APS, because they know the kids in APS," Maharath said. "In other states, some kids are different."