This voter guide was co-published by Chalkbeat Indiana, Mirror Indy and WFYI as part of a collaboration ahead of the 2026 school board elections.
Two of the five school board seats are up for election in the Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township on the northeast side of Marion County.
The new board members will shepherd the district — which last year enrolled roughly 16,700 students — through its massive building improvement plan. They also will guide the district through any potential fiscal challenges incurred by the state’s recent property tax reforms. The district has never asked voters to increase property taxes through an operating referendum, and several of the candidates stress fiscal responsibility and transparency as among their top priorities.
The district’s pay for administrators, which according to self-reported data has been among the highest of Marion County’s 11 school districts in recent years, has been a point of contention recently among board members.
Who is running and how to vote
Two nonpartisan candidates are vying for one at-large seat, which is filled by voters throughout the entire district.
Another two nonpartisan candidates are competing for the District 2 seat, which encompasses the northeast corner of the district.
The new board members will serve through 2030.
Early voting begins Oct. 6. The general election is Nov. 3. You can find out how to register to vote in Marion County here, and you can find polling locations at https://vote.indy.gov/.
Candidate survey responses have been edited lightly for length and clarity.
Maria Bertram Cartagena, at-large candidate
Maria Bertram Cartagena, 49, is running as a nonpartisan for the at-large seat. She has a master’s degree in business administration and has children attending district schools.
Cartagena has previously worked as an engineer and owns a local business advising and capital investing company. She serves as a board member of the Lawrence Township School Foundation.
Her campaign website is https://www.mariabertramcartagena.com/.
Please list your top 3 priorities if elected.
• Creating Opportunities: Empowering every student to flourish through strong schools and diverse academic pathways designed for long-term success.
• Family Engagement: Strengthening the partnership between our families and schools to ensure every child has the community support they need.
• Fiscal Transparency: I will insist on fiscally prudent budgets and make sure that we dedicate sufficient resources to improve classroom learning and student services.
What do you see as the most pressing issue facing your district? What will be your approach to addressing it?
SB 1 & SB 518 Property tax relief results in reduced school district revenue.
I think my approach to addressing this issue is going to be to work side by side with the other board members and to bring to state legislators our concerns with these bills and the ways these bills are affecting our students and district in general. I will work with state legislators on both sides of the aisle to be of influence for our students. My approach is one of collaboration, with our students in mind.
What area of academics do you think the district needs to focus on and why?
32% of the student demographic in MSD of Lawrence Township is of Hispanic origin. ESL is always going to be a challenge for our district. Although we focus on all our students and all levels of academic advancement and achievement, I think additional focus must be placed on our ESL students to help them be successful academically and pass the State exams. I do think we already do a great job helping those students with tutoring and extra support in each school. Our School Vision is “The district of destination where excellence empowers everyone to reach their full potential.”
How will you engage with the community if elected? What role will their feedback have in your decision making?
I would like to create one or more Parent Advocacy groups if elected. For example, I would like to create a forum in Spanish where parents of LT students feel welcome and can ask questions about the district. As another example, I would visit the communities where most of the Hispanics reside in our district to connect with them in that way since some of them lack transportation. Community feedback is something I will bring immediately to our Superintendent and other board members to be evaluated. I will value and consider all feedback.
Administrator pay has often been a point of contention between school board members. What are your thoughts on the amount the district spends on administrators, which includes principals and assistant principals, and how would you strengthen public trust in district administration?
Teachers, administrators, and staff are all important for student success. My parents were teachers first and later became administrators of their own school. They lived and breathed for the profession whether serving as teachers or administrators. I saw firsthand their sacrifice, their hard work, and how that reaped benefits in having great staff and amazing school workers that stood with them for 20+ years. My parents valued loyalty and hard work and because of that they incentivize the employees for it. Great administrators support and develop teachers and staff. If elected as a board member I will work with the other board members to show our community that we have the finances to support our administrators’ raises. Transparency is key at all levels. People need to know. If we don’t, then we need to provide reasons for not passing raises.
Jessica Dunn, at-large candidate
Jessica Dunn, 54, is running as a nonpartisan for the at-large seat. She has a bachelor of arts from Indiana University and a master’s degree from Butler University, and she has children attending district schools. She has served on the board since 2023.
Dunn is the director of English as a new language for Indianapolis Public Schools. Her campaign website is https://www.jessicadunn4msdlt.com/.
Please list your top 3 priorities if elected.
My platform centers on three interconnected priorities:
First, driving academic achievement and investing in our educators. That starts with collaborating with the board and superintendent to set transparent, measurable goals. We must continue strengthening our graduation pathways while ensuring we recruit and retain top-tier teachers to lead our classrooms.
Second, delivering exceptional district programs through responsible fiscal management. I am committed to making sure taxpayer dollars are used efficiently, living within our means while expanding community partnerships, and maintaining robust before- and after-school programming for our families.
Third, supporting the safety, health and well-being, and culture of our schools. We will continue prioritizing safe physical environments, actively measuring the impact of our mental health support systems, and listening to our parents and staff through annual survey feedback to continuously improve school climate.
What do you see as the most pressing issue facing your district? What will be your approach to addressing it?
The most pressing issue facing our district is maintaining long-term financial stability and academic excellence in the face of reduced state educational funding.
My approach is to maintain strict fiduciary oversight so the district lives within its means.
(MSDLT) has done a phenomenal job of balancing the operational budget without asking homeowners for an operating referendum tax increase. I will continue to prioritize strategic budgeting, protect our classroom dollars, and ensure we maximize every state dollar before ever considering turning to our local taxpayers for additional funds.
What area of academics do you think the district needs to focus on and why?
To drive real student achievement, our focus must center on growth at key transitions: building strong early literacy foundations and ensuring 9th-grade pathway completion.
Indiana’s updated accountability model aligns perfectly with this goal by looking beyond single test scores to evaluate continuous progress, attendance, and true post-secondary readiness. By equipping educators with early, data-driven interventions and broadening high school career pathways, we ensure no student falls through the cracks between kindergarten and graduation. With strong existing programs and continued investment in state-of-the-art facilities at the McKenzie Center for Innovation & Technology, MSDLT is primed to lead the way.
How will you engage with the community if elected? What role will their feedback have in your decision making?
I view community engagement as an ongoing conversation. My role is to represent the people who place their trust in our school system, which requires proactive outreach to students, parents, teachers, district staff, and taxpayers.
Feedback from our stakeholders serves as the foundation for the board's three primary responsibilities: maintaining strong fiscal accountability, shaping responsive district policies, and holding district leadership accountable to our shared goals. Before voting on major policy updates or financial decisions, I prioritize seeking out diverse perspectives, especially from those most directly impacted, so our school board reflects the community it serves.
Administrator pay has often been a point of contention between school board members. What are your thoughts on the amount the district spends on administrators, which includes principals and assistant principals, and how would you strengthen public trust in district administration?
When I first joined the school board, I questioned administrative compensation. But through my experience on the board, my perspective has evolved because I've seen the reality: you get what you pay for.
Our principals, assistant principals, and district leaders don't work 40-hour weeks. They are in our buildings long before the first bell, navigating complex student needs, supporting teachers, and spending countless evenings and weekends managing athletics, fine arts, and community events. Compared to executive leadership roles in the private sector requiring similar hours and levels of responsibility, public school administrators earn far less; yet they hold the safety and academic future of thousands of children in their hands.
However, maintaining competitive pay requires maintaining public trust. We strengthen that trust by focusing on radical transparency. We must communicate clearly with taxpayers about how administrative oversight protects our more than $200 million operational budget, keeps our schools safe, and prevents costly operational mistakes; all while maintaining balanced budgets without asking property owners for an operating referendum.
Larry Brown, District 2 candidate
Larry Brown is running as a nonpartisan for the District 2 seat. He has a master’s in business administration from Indiana Wesleyan University, and has children in the district. He works as an implementation coordinator with Elevance Health.
Please list your top 3 priorities if elected.
1. Student Attendance 2. Safety in school 3. Fiscal Transparency
What do you see as the most pressing issue facing your district? What will be your approach to addressing it?
The biggest challenge facing our district is student attendance. When students are not in school, they miss valuable instruction, fall behind academically, and are less likely to reach their full potential. Improving attendance must be a priority because every day in the classroom matters.
As a school board member, I will support policies that focus on identifying and addressing the reasons students are absent. That means strengthening communication with parents, partnering with community organizations to help families overcome barriers such as transportation, health, or other challenges, and ensuring our schools are safe, welcoming, and engaging environments where students want to learn.
I also believe in using attendance data to identify trends, intervene early, and hold ourselves accountable for measurable improvement. The board's role is to provide oversight, support effective strategies, and ensure resources are directed where they will have the greatest impact.
My goal is simple: remove barriers, build stronger partnerships with families, and help every student be present, engaged, and prepared for success.
What area of academics do you think the district needs to focus on and why?
I believe the district's biggest academic priority should be improving literacy while closing the achievement gaps that exist across our schools. In an urban district, many students face challenges outside the classroom that can impact learning, but every child still deserves the opportunity to read, learn, and succeed at a high level.
I will support early literacy programs, targeted academic interventions, and resources that help students who are behind catch up. I also believe we must invest in our teachers by providing quality training and the tools they need to be successful in the classroom.
Academic success doesn't happen by schools alone. We need strong partnerships with parents, community organizations, and local businesses to support students both inside and outside the classroom.
As a school board member, I will advocate for policies that use data to measure progress, invest resources where they are needed most, and hold the district accountable for improving student outcomes. Every student, regardless of their ZIP code or background, should graduate prepared for college, a career, or military service.
How will you engage with the community if elected? What role will their feedback have in your decision making?
If elected, I will make it a priority to be visible, accessible, and engaged throughout the Lawrence Township community—not just at board meetings. I plan to regularly attend school events, PTO meetings, neighborhood association meetings, faith-based gatherings, and community events to hear directly from students, parents, teachers, and residents.
I believe the best decisions are made when leaders listen first. Community feedback will play an important role in my decision-making by helping me better understand the needs, concerns, and ideas of those we serve. While I know every decision may not satisfy everyone, I will always be transparent about how and why decisions are made and ensure every voice is heard and respected.
As a school board member, I will be committed to building trust through consistent communication, visibility, and accountability. My goal is for the community to know they have a representative who is present, approachable, and committed to putting students first.
Administrator pay has often been a point of contention between school board members. What are your thoughts on the amount the district spends on administrators, which includes principals and assistant principals, and how would you strengthen public trust in district administration?
I understand that administrator compensation is an important issue for many taxpayers and families. My understanding is that Lawrence Township's administrator salaries are generally comparable to those of similar school districts in our region. To attract and retain strong principals and district leaders, we must offer competitive compensation while also being responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars.
I believe the focus should not be solely on how much administrators are paid, but on the value they bring to our schools and the results they produce. The board should ensure that compensation is tied to performance, accountability, and the district's goals for student achievement and operational excellence.
To strengthen public trust, I will support greater transparency by clearly communicating how compensation decisions are made, how administrators are evaluated, and how district resources are being used to improve student outcomes. I believe trust is built through openness, accountability, and consistent communication. Taxpayers deserve to know that every dollar is being invested wisely, and I am committed to ensuring that district leadership remains focused on serving students, families, and the community.
Craig J. Willey, District 2 candidate
Craig J. Willey, 46, is running as a nonpartisan for the District 2 seat, and has children attending district schools. He serves as an associate dean and professor for the Indiana University Indianapolis School of Education.
Willey has a bachelor of arts in Spanish and a bachelor of arts in actuarial science from Butler University, as well as a doctorate in curriculum studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Please list your top 3 priorities if elected.
If elected, my priorities would be to 1) continue the work with families to maintain schools that are welcoming and help all kids thrive; 2) advocate for Lawrence schools and community, especially when it comes to educational policy; and 3) sustain Lawrence's efforts to attract and retain exceptional educators and leaders.
What do you see as the most pressing issue facing your district? What will be your approach to addressing it?
The most pressing issue facing school districts today is making sure that there are adequate resources to support the programs and educators that students need to be successful. I would do this by carefully monitoring the implications of SEA 1 on school district budgets and explore solutions to any shortcomings that surface.
The other piece of this is making sure we teachers are properly supported to meet the student achievement standards set by local and state policy.
What area of academics do you think the district needs to focus on and why?
I am confident that the district will continue to lead in compliance with respect to reading and foundational mathematics instruction, as well as providing robust opportunities for STEM learning and career and technical education.
We also must continue to provide focused services for multilingual learners and exceptional learners. This combination of focusing on foundational skills while continuing to update programming to be future-ready will ensure that Lawrence graduates continue to lead in the community and beyond.
How will you engage with the community if elected? What role will their feedback have in your decision making?
I am a person who is available and accessible. I would invite community members to weigh in on the issues facing MSDLT. It is important to me to bring this feedback forward when considering solutions to the challenges that come up.
Administrator pay has often been a point of contention between school board members. What are your thoughts on the amount the district spends on administrators, which includes principals and assistant principals, and how would you strengthen public trust in district administration?
Because of my decades of experience as a teacher and collaborator with school districts, I understand the roles administrators play in leading successful school districts. Attracting and retaining leaders that help keep MSDLT functioning at the highest level is crucial, and this involves appropriate compensation. At the same time, our students deserve the best teachers in front of them on a daily basis.
It is no secret that teachers give endlessly of themselves for our students, and they deserve to be properly compensated and supported. Teacher retention matters. We can do both in MSDLT: pay administrators competitively and provide teachers what they need and deserve.
Amelia Pak-Harvey covers schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.
