This is an even-numbered year with no presidential election, so it is called an “off-year” election by national pundits. There is a U.S. Senate race in Indiana receiving national attention and a few other state-wide races. There are a number of local elections to be decided in November.
But there is one election where you do not see the identification of the candidates as Republicans or Democrats. In Indiana, school board elections are nonpartisan. It is possible locally that a candidate may be known as a supporter in a particular political party, but the election itself is not to be partisan.
The Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Corporation takes-in all of the City of Fishers, plus unincorporated areas of Fall Creek & Delaware Townships. All of Wayne Township is also part of the HSE Schools.
The HSE Schools are governed by a seven-member school board. The board members are elected to four-year terms. Elections are staggered and held every two years.
In 2016, HSE had what is called an at-large election. There are three races, with each candidate required to reside within her/his township (Fall Creek, Delaware or Wayne) but the entire school district votes on all three township races. Mike Bottorf won the Fall Creek Township seat in 2016, Amanda Shera was the winner in Delaware Township and Sylvia Shepler won re-election in Wayne Township.
In 2018, four board seats are up for grabs, but the election process is a little different. Each candidate must live within her/his district and only the voters within the district cast a ballot for their school board member.
A map of the four districts is shown above. There could be as many as three seats open in this upcoming November school board election.
In District 1, Matt Burke is the incumbent but cannot run again in that district because he has moved since the 2014 election. But Mr. Burke told me days ago that he is leaning heavily toward not running in his new district (District 4).
John Delucia is finishing up his second term in District 2 and has been saying for some time he will not run for a third term.
In District 3, Michelle Fullhart is the only incumbent clearly gearing-up for a re-election campaign.
In District 4, Terry Tolle informed me he will not seek re-election.
Candidates do not officially begin filing for office at the Hamilton County Election Office, located in Noblesville, until Wednesday, July 25th. The deadline to file your candidacy is noon, Friday, August 24th.
So, why am I writing about this so early? I am letting everyone in the local community know that there will likely to be at least two open seats, possibly as many as 3 open seats, in this year’s HSE School Board election.
If you have a desire to serve your local community in a nonpartisan but very important way, consider running for the local school board. After covering school boards off-and-on since the mid-1970s, I won’t sugar coat this challenge…it is a tough job that will demand a lot of you time. But it is important work that will have a major impact on your local schools.
If you have an inclination to become a candidate, talk to one or more of the current board members, or request a meeting with HSE School Superintendent Allen Bourff. There are technicalities in becoming a candidate and handling all the reports required, but there are people willing to assist with that.
When you talk with real estate agents locally, and ask them what attracts home buyers to the Fishers area, most of them will tell you it is the solid reputation of the HSE Schools. Having a school system with prestige impacts not just the students, but has a positive impact on the quality of the community overall. It also keeps property values high.
So, if you are interested, or know someone that may be a good candidate, consider the Hamilton Southeastern School Board in the 2018 election. Now is the time to start your campaign.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was updated at 7:00am, Monday, June 18th…Terry Tolle contacted me and confirmed he will not seek re-election in District 4.