Candidates seeking seats on the Crawfordsville, North Montgomery and South Montgomery school boards filed their necessary paperwork by Thursday’s noon deadline ahead of the Nov. 3 general election.
Indiana school board candidates are now allowed to declare party affiliations on the ballot — a controversial change that ends decades of officially nonpartisan elections.
Under the new law, candidates can choose to affiliate with a major political party, run as independents, or remain nonpartisan. Those who select a party will have that affiliation listed on the ballot, while nonpartisan candidates will appear without a label. Importantly, the law does not introduce primaries for school board races.
The first election impacted by this change is November 2026, with approximately 800 board seats across the state up for grabs. Because Indiana school boards have staggered terms, only some seats will be up for election in any given cycle.
In the Crawfordsville Community School Corporation race, six candidates filed for three at-large seats. Incumbents Kathleen Brown, Independent, J. Kent Minnette, Republican, and James Monte Thompson, Republican, are seeking reelection. They will be joined on the ballot by former board member Ellen Elaine Ball, Democrat, and newcomers, Darren M. Heeke, Independent, and Steven C. Tomamichel, Republican.
The North Montgomery School Corporation race features five candidates for four seats representing Coal Creek, Franklin, Sugar Creek and Wayne townships. The Franklin Township seat is the only contested race, with Bonnie Kallis, American Solidarity Party, facing Clayton Randolph, Republican. Both are newcomers.
Brady Rogers, Republican, filed for the Coal Creek Township seat. Incumbent Gary Bohlander filed for reelection to the Sugar Creek Township seat and did not list a party affiliation. Incumbent Terresa A. Hatke, Republican, filed for reelection to the Wayne Township seat.
In the South Montgomery School Corporation, four candidates filed for four seats. Incumbents Jake Watson, Republican, and David Lee Reeves, Republican, are seeking reelection to the Brown Township and Clark Township seats, respectively. Newcomers Cody Hargis, Republican, and Cody Leatherman, Republican, filed for the at-large and Walnut Township seats.
School board elections will be held as part of the Nov. 3 general election.
