Partisan school board election bill amended, passed out of Indiana House committee

Chicago Tribune

12-03-2025

A Senate bill that would make school board races partisan was amended before passing out of the House Elections and Apportionment Committee Wednesday.
Rep. J.D. Prescott, R-Union City, offered an amendment to Senate Bill 287 that mirrors a bill he authored, House Bill 1230, which he did not call for third reading by the House before the bill deadline in the first half of the session.
Senate Bill 287, authored by Sen. Gary Byrne, R-Byrneville, Sen. Chris Garten, R-Charlestown, and Sen. Blake Doriot, R-Goshen, would change the school board election process to that of other elections, which would include a primary and general election. The school board candidates would have to declare a party.
Under Prescott's amendment, which passed 8-4 along party lines, the primary election process was removed from the bill and stated that in the general election, a school board candidate can choose to be listed as a Republican, Democrat, independent or nonpartisan.
The amended bill also states that voting a straight-party ticket doesn't apply to school board races because candidates from multiple parties could run for the school board, Prescott said.
Under the amended bill, if a major party candidate leaves a vacancy on the board, the seat should be filled through caucus, Prescott said. If an independent or nonpartisan candidate leaves a vacancy on the board, the school board can replace that candidate, he said.
Prescott's amendment would maintain the original bill's requirement that school board members be paid up to 10% of the lowest starting salary of a teacher employed in the district, which would shift the current $2,000 payment.
Rep. Sue Errington, D-Muncie, asked Prescott why he chose to substitute his bill for Senate Bill 287. Prescott said the Senate passed its bill, so 'we just made a decision just to consolidate to one bill.'
Rep. Timothy Wesco, R-Osceola, who chairs the committee, said he preferred the Senate version of the bill, but he 'reluctantly' voted in support of Prescott's amendment.
Rep. Pat Boy, D-Michigan City, offered an amendment to the bill that would allow a school board candidate to submit a profile about their qualifications and experience, but couldn't include references to a political party, to be posted on a school district's website.
On the ballot, Boy's amendment would require school board candidates to be listed as nonpartisan on the ballot.
The amendment would also prohibit political action committees from making contributions to school board candidates, Boy said, and individuals could only donate $100 in a calendar year.
'This would eliminate the necessity for a primary election. It would also eliminate undue political influence on candidates, and it would make it very obvious to people who was running and what they were standing for,' Boy said. 'It would eliminate a lot of the problems that we've got with the original bill and with the process.'
Wesco said because the committee first approved Prescott's amendment, approving Boy's amendment 'would create a very conflicted piece of legislation.'
Errington said Boy's amendment addressed many of the concerns raised in testimony last week, including PACs donating to candidates and avoiding conflict with the Hatch Act, which prohibits state and local government employees from running for partisan political office.
Boy's amendment failed 9-4.
Last week, 42 people signed up to testify on the bill. Those against the bill stated it would polarize school boards and discourage people from running for school boards.
Those in favor of the bill stated school board races are already political and requiring school board members to list their political affiliation would be similar to the way county coroners, surveyors and other local candidates list their affiliation.
Juanita Albright, president of the Hamilton Southeastern Schools Board of Trustees, said she supports the bill because it gives voters, who don't always research candidates, more information about who is on the ballot.
'A school board is inherently political, whether we want to admit it or not,' Albright said.
Warsaw Community Schools Board President Heather Reichenbach said board members focus on education and never discuss their party affiliation. The board does a good job, she said, because the board operates as an apolitical body.
The amended bill passed Wednesday 8-5, with Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie, joining all Democrats on the committee in voting against it.
Rep. Cherrish Pryor, D-Indianapolis, said she voted against the bill because it sends the signal that partisanship is more important than educating students.
'The focus needs to be on kids,' Pryor said.
Pressel said he voted against the bill because he's received conflicting information about whether or not the bill would create a conflict with the Hatch Act.
'That concerns me a little bit,' Pressel said. 'I am going to vote no in committee, and I'll reserve the right to change my vote on the floor.'
The bill moves to the House for consideration.