Residents hoping to help shape the future of education in Wayne County have less than a month to file paperwork to run for school board seats open in November’s election.
Filing began May 19 at the county’s voter registration office in the courthouse, 301 E. Main St., Richmond. The deadline is noon Thursday, June 18.
School boards make key decisions regarding their district’s future, such as hiring superintendents and approving budgets and policies. Many school districts are bracing for potential budget cuts prompted by property tax reforms that the legislature and Gov. Mike Braun approved.
To ensure smooth transitions, only a portion of each school board’s seats are up for election at one time.
Those interested in running can contact Wayne County’s voter registration office to learn what opportunities are available in their district.
For instance, Richmond Community Schools will have three seats available: two at-large seats and District 3, which represents much of the city’s west side. A map is available at wwn.to/rcsdistricts.
As of press time, most incumbents had not yet announced their plans to run again.
Northeastern board member Kim Claypoole announced May 19 that she has enjoyed her time on the board and appreciates the community’s support, but she isn’t seeking reelection for her at-large seat.
Party affiliation now optional
Indiana General Assembly changed some rules related to school board elections that take effect this year and will affect potential candidates.
Previously, all school board races were nonpartisan. However, candidates now can include their party affiliation (Democratic, Libertarian, Republican or fill in the blank). They also can run as an Independent, elect not to disclose any affiliation with a political party or say they’re neither affiliated with a political party nor identify as an independent.
Those who claim affiliation with the Republican or Democratic Party must have selected that party’s ballot in the last two primary elections in which they voted.
If they can’t meet that affiliation requirement, they must obtain and file a certificate from the appropriate county chair of their preferred political party with their candidate paperwork.
Republican Chair Beth Leisure can be reached at 765-914-0633 or waynecountyrepublicansinfo@gmail.com. Democratic Chair Maggie Thomas can be contacted at 765-676-3367 or info@waynecountydemocrats.com.
There’s no limit as to how many candidates from one party can run for the same seat in the general election. School board candidates will be excluded from straight-party voting, so voters must mark those board candidate(s) on their ballot for those votes to count.
Adam VanOsdol, Indiana School Boards Association’s communication specialist and content strategist, has outlined some pros and cons about declaring party affiliation in a publication called “The New Ballot Landscape.” It’s available at wwn.to/ballotlandscape.
What’s needed to file?
As part of their filing paperwork, candidates must collect signatures from 10 registered voters in the board member district where they live. Tara Pegg, Wayne County clerk of courts, encourages candidates to gather a few more signatures than required in case any would be ineligible.
Prospective candidates complete a petition of nomination and consent (also called a CAN-34 form) and the CAN-12 form (a statement of economic interests) to explain how they earn money. Both are available at in.gov/sos/elections/candidate-information.
Candidates raising or spending more than $500 have to form a candidate’s committee for those transactions. Indiana Secretary of State’s office offers a campaign finance manual at in.gov/sos/elections/files/2026-Campaign-Finance-Manual.FINAL.11-12-25.pdf.
Indiana School Boards Association also offers some advice for future candidates. The organization has planned free webinars at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 10, and 12:30 p.m. Friday, June 12. It also offers responses to some frequently asked questions at www.isba-ind.org/more/candidate-101.
For more information, call Wayne County’s voter registration office at 765-973-9226 or email voters@waynecounty.in.gov.
Other races
There’s still time to join the ballot for other elected offices for the November election as an independent or Libertarian, or to fill a vacancy on a Democratic or Republican ballot.
Political parties can appoint candidates for ballot vacancies until July 3. Democratic and Republican parties must file a certificate of selection by noon Monday, July 6, that notes a ballot vacancy has been filled.
So far, two independent candidates have filed in Wayne County, per Indiana Secretary of State’s office. Jessica Richert is running for judge of Wayne Superior Court 2, and Rex Snyder, a current at-large Dublin town council member, has filed to run again. Snyder is also a contractor for Western Wayne News.
Additional candidate filings will be shared in future editions of WWN.
A version of this article appeared in the May 27 2026 print edition of the Western Wayne News.
