Witnesses accuse school board candidates of ‘hiding’ political affiliations

About 40 witnesses from across the state—including more than a dozen embroiled in contentious Hamilton County elections—weighed in Wednesday on legislation that calls for upending Indiana’s nonpartisan school board system.

The Indiana House Elections and Apportionment Committee conducted the hearing at the Indiana Statehouse.

Senate Bill 287 would require school board candidates to declare a political party and run in primary elections. They’re currently nonpartisan.

Author Sen. Gary Byrne said he aimed to boost transparency for voters.

“It’s already a partisan position, but it’s just hidden,” Byrne, R-Byrneville, said. “… The people that I believe is opposed to this, they want to keep it hidden so they can get their votes in easier.”

Numerous witnesses said board members and candidates conceal their political leanings from constituents, including Dina Ferchmin, who campaigned as a conservative in a recent, unsuccessful bid for Carmel Clay Schools’ board.

“Right now, school board candidates can hide their true beliefs, erase their online history and present themselves as neutral figures with no political leanings,” Ferchmin said.

She accused her opponents of doing just that—but said their campaign materials listed them alongside Democratic candidates and were distributed by Democratic volunteers.

She dismissed calls to “keep politics out of schools,” adding, “That ship has sailed. Politics are already embedded in the curriculum, and they lean left.”

Others from the community rejected such arguments.

“I think you’re getting a false narrative,” Kristina Wheeler, a new member of the Carmel Clay School board said. “And that is that if people had only known what was happening … that the outcomes would have been different.”

“I assure you that the voters in Carmel and throughout Hamilton County know exactly who they voted for. … A lot of this, I think, frankly, comes off as sour grapes,” Wheeler said. She highlighted endorsements from both sides of the aisle.

Jennifer Cashin leads the nonpartisan political action committee Support CCS that backed Wheeler and another candidate over Ferchmin and another opponent. She pushed back when witnesses Wednesday referred to the group as Democrat-aligned.

Cashin said she’s a lifelong Republican and argued that school-related disagreements among Carmel Republicans show how letters behind candidate names won’t “tell you how that person is going to support our school districts.”

Several witnesses said they don’t subscribe to any party.

The legislation “will crush the hopes of people … who want to help but don’t want to get tangled in partisan politics,” said Washington Township Schools board member Steven Thompson. “… I don’t even know what my political party is, to be honest.”

Several working for the judiciary or for federal employers–like the military–said Indiana’s Code of Judicial Conduct and the Hatch Act would bar them from taking partisan elected office, ending their school board service.

Byrne, the bill’s author, said his other goal was to give voters more information and thereby boost turnout.

“They get in (the voting booth), they just may have not seen that information, and they don’t know what to do. It’s best if it’s on the ballot,” Byrne said.

“It’s just one more piece of information,” agreed Rep. Kyle Pierce, R-Anderson. He noted that other specialized elected roles like coroner or surveyor are partisan.

Democratic lawmakers and some witnesses feared Hoosiers would research candidates less, with Carmel resident Jim May accusing supporters of targeting the votes of “wholly uninformed” Hoosiers.

Cecilia Poynter with MadVoters suggested lawmakers address transparency concerns by banning school board candidates from putting partisan indicators on their materials, and help voters by requiring school district websites to include links to candidate information.

Senate Bill 287 would also raise board member pay from the current $2,000 maximum by tying compensation to 10% of starting teacher salaries. The state has a $40,000 minimum—which would double school board pay—but new Gov. Mike Braun wants to land at $45,000.

After about two and a half hours, committee chair Rep. Tim Wesco adjourned the committee.

He expected several amendments to be offered, saying it’s “down to a discussion” between this version of the legislation and a simpler, House-originated take that the chamber killed in a deadline last month. Wesco indicated a preference for that draft.

Asked if the idea would get to the House floor for a vote, Wesco said, “I think it’s possible. We’ll have to see.”

Previous attempts to make school boards partisan have failed.