This story was updated Sept. 9, 2024.
More than 30 seats across Marion County school boards are on the ballot in the Nov. 5 general election.
School boards don't oversee the day-to-day operations of districts, instead they have four core duties: adopting policies, such as creation of the student handbook and integration of state and federal regulations; approval of the annual budget and overall fiscal oversight; setting goals; and hiring and evaluating the superintendent.
The organization of school boards and the election of board members differ across districts. Candidates for at-large seats represent all residents within the corporation's boundaries. Board members can receive up to $2,000 annually, in addition to meeting stipends.
School board members are non-partisan elected positions. The deadline for candidates to declare their candidacy with the Marion County Election Board was June 20. Candidates have until noon July 15 to withdraw from the general election. Winning candidates will start their term in January.
Members of the board for Speedway Schools are appointed by the town board, not elected.
Here's the list of candidates:
Beech Grove Schools
At-large — four open seats
April McManus (incumbent)
Beth Prindle (incumbent)
April Rinks
Dennis Wilson II
Tara Wolf (incumbent)
Franklin Township Community School Corp.
Northwest
Elizabeth Yoder
Southwest
Ryan Donovan
Indianapolis Public Schools
At-large — one open seat
Kenneth Allen (incumbent)
Carrie Harris
Deandra (Dee) Thompson
District 1
Alan Schoff
Ashley Thomas
District 2
Gayle Cosby
Hasaan Rashid
District 4
Allissa Impink
MSD of Decatur Township
At-large — two open seats
Larry Taylor (incumbent)
Estella Vandeventer (incumbent)
MSD of Lawrence Township
At-large — one open seat
Crystal Puckett (incumbent)
Eric Young
District 1
Shaila Mulholland
District 3
Amy Norman (incumbent)
MSD of Pike Township
At-large — four open seats
Angela Barnes (incumbent)
Stephen Hoofer
Matthew Hopp (incumbent)
Nichole Kelley (incumbent)
Toni Wilson
MSD of Warren Township
At-large — four open seats
Howard Dorsey Jr. (incumbent)
Julie French (incumbent)
Candace Hopkins
LaShauna Triplett (incumbent)
Gloria Williams (incumbent)
MSD of Washington Township
At-Large — one open seat
Tracy Krueger (incumbent)
District 1
Deirdre George Davis (incumbent)
District 3
Steven Thompson
MSD of Wayne Township
At-large — three open seats
Karen Burke (incumbent)
Susan Graves (incumbent)
Walter Miller
Cheri O'Day Marcotte
Perry Township Schools
At-large — four open seats
Emily Hartman (incumbent)
James Hernandez (incumbent)
Astin Vick (write-in candidate, will not appear on the ballot)
Update: This story was updated Sept. 9, 2024 to note changes on Marion County ballots for the general election: Bradley Gunter withdrew as a candidate for Beech Grove Schools; Terrencio Davis was removed from the Marion County Election Board as a candidate for Indianapolis Public Schools District 2; John Fencl withdrew as a candidate for Washington Township School Board District 3; Astin Vick filed to be a write-in candidate for Perry Township Schools.
Contact WFYI education editor Eric Weddle at eweddle@wfyi.org.
