COEUR d'ALENE - The star of an upcoming NPR program's episode featuring Coeur d'Alene isn't any one person.

It's the local school board.

Tina Antolini, a senior producer for NPR's "State of the Re:Union," spent the last few days in Coeur d'Alene completing interviews for a radio episode that will be broadcast sometime this spring.

"State of the Re:Union" explores America's cities and towns, focusing on what brings people together, what creates community, in different places.

"What we're looking at with this episode is places that have a reputation for having attracted a certain kind of person," Antolini said.

They're examining North Idaho's notoriety as a home for conservatives, and looking at whether there is more to it than meets the eye.

She said the Coeur d'Alene school board serves as a "lens to look at whether the community was sort of wrestling with its political identity and how the politics filter down to everyday life."

Between 2011 and 2013, the Coeur d'Alene School District Board of Trustees went through several changes that eventually resulted in a five-member board seated completely with self-described conservative Republicans. Voters reacted last May by electing three more politically diverse candidates who now control the majority on the board.

Coeur d'Alene will be featured in one quarter of the episode Antolini is working on. That's about 15 minutes of radio fame for the Lake City.

Other communities' reputations will be explored during the show. A health segment features an Arizona town known as a migration point for people with chemical and electromagnetic sensitivities. A growing Hassidic community within an existing New York community will be featured, along with a western Massachusetts town known as lesbian-friendly.

"We look at what it's like when you're in a place that has a reputation for being a particular thing," Antolini said. "What are the dynamics of a place where you're surrounded by people who share your beliefs, your values, your medical conditions? Is it actually really uniform, or does it turn out to be a lot more diverse?"

It's no surprise that Antolini discovered a "spectrum" of Republican ideals within the party in Coeur d'Alene.

"It's not that North Idaho isn't red, it's just a more complicated red than you might think," she said.

Antolini's interviews included present and past school board members including Tom Hamilton, Christa Hazel and Brent Regan. She spoke with representatives of political groups like the Reagan Republicans and Balance North Idaho, and to Coeur d'Alene City Council member Dan Gookin.

The episode will air in April.