The petition process to file to run for a school board position begins relatively late in comparison with other offices. School board elections currently have a shorter campaign cycle, giving the public a shorter period to learn about the candidates they are voting for.

For example, in 2022, the first day a candidate could declare to run as a school board member was July 27, and the last day was Aug. 26. Once the field was set, early voting began on Oct. 12. This gave the public only six weeks to vet candidates and make an informed decision about an important local position.

Senate Bill 177, which unanimously passed in the Senate Elections Committee Monday, would align the filing deadline for school board with other races, making them some time in May and giving people more time to get to know their candidates and not feel rushed in their votes.

“This is not to give anyone an edge but the voters and to give the public more time to study these candidates, to vet these candidates,” said Sen. Eric Koch, R-Bedford. “It also gives the candidates time to be out there with us, at the fairs, at the festivals, at the parades, doing door-to-door when there’s more evening daylight and better weather than the current timetable allows.”

Terry Spradlin, executive director of the Indiana School Boards Association, came forward to tell the committee he supports SB 177.

“We do want our candidates to have an opportunity to be heard, whether they’re the incumbent or the challenger. Adding 60 days post-primary to that campaign cycle is good for voters, that it’s good for our candidates,” said Spradlin.

Gail Zeheralis, director of governmental relations and public affairs at the Indiana State Teachers Association said, “An additional opportunity for candidates to define themselves to the voters is a good thing. And by not putting it all the way back to February, we’ll avoid the confusion that might exist relative to the partisan election.”

Meanwhile, Senate Bill 188, authored by Sen. Jack Sandlin, R-Indianapolis, received pushback from the committee. The bill states that each candidate’s affiliation with a political party or status as an independent candidate must be noted on the ballot even though school board members do not participate in a partisan election. A partisan election is one in which a candidate for public office is required to declare their political party allegiance.

Sandlin said, “One of the complaints about the nonpartisan school board is that these are almost stealth campaigns where it’s very difficult sometimes for people in the community to find out what a candidate’s views are.”

Sen. J.D. Ford, D-Indianapolis, expressed his concern that the hyper-partisan climate of today’s politics could carry over to school board elections.

“Until this point in our state school board elections, they have been nonpartisan,” he said. “And so now we’re making educating our children a political issue. We’re seeing it with people coming out to school boards with COVID policies, mask policies and even curriculum.”

Sen. Andrea Hunley, D-Indianapolis, said, “I think about my district right here in the middle of Marion County, a heavily Democrat district, and I’m worried that if someone had an R behind their name, they wouldn’t get elected. And yet, people sitting on our school boards right now, folks with incredibly valuable input who care deeply about children, who have experience in looking at contracts, for example, wouldn’t get elected because of that letter behind their name.

“I’m worried that it would signal something that really isn’t relevant to the work that school boards do.”

The committee did not vote on the bill.

Editor’s note: This article has been corrected to state that the Senate Elections Committee did not take a vote on SB 188. The article originally reported that a vote was taken, which was an error.