Central Noble School Board

What a school board does

A school board is the elected or appointed governing body of a public school corporation, the legal unit that runs a local school district ^{[1, 2]}. The board hires and evaluates the superintendent, adopts policies, and approves the annual budget, while the superintendent and staff run schools day to day ^[3]. Most boards have five or seven members serving staggered four-year terms ^[3]. Starting in 2026, candidates may list a political party, run as independents, or list no affiliation on the ballot, and there is no primary for these seats ^{[2, 4]}.

Term

4 years, with elections staggered so part of the board is chosen every two years ^[3]

Elected

At the November general election (November 3, 2026, or November 2028 for some seats); depending on the local organization plan, members represent the whole school corporation (at large) or a district within it, and some boards are wholly or partly appointed ^[2]

Ballot label

Each candidate chooses a party label, 'Independent', or no affiliation, shown next to the name; no primary and no straight-ticket voting for these races ^{[2, 4]}

Pay

Set by board resolution: an annual amount of no more than 10% of the lowest starting teacher salary in the school corporation, plus a capped per diem ^[5]

On the 2026 ballot

632 races in 276 school corporations; 1,035 candidates, 197 races contested ^[6]

The job in full — what the Indiana Code puts in it, what it pays, and what to ask a candidate.

What has changed in this job lately

Changes in the law the next officeholder will work under, most distant first.

1. 2025

   Senate Enrolled Act 287 allowed school board candidates to declare a party affiliation; the Indiana School Boards Association opposed the change, and a supporter quoted by WNDU, a Noblesville school board member, said it adds transparency ^[17].

2. 2026

   Candidates choose a party, 'Independent' or no affiliation on their nominating petition, and that choice appears on the ballot; a candidate claiming the Democratic or Republican party must have voted in that party's primary in the two most recent primaries they voted in, or have certification from the county party chair, or can be challenged and removed from the ballot ^[2].

3. July 2026

   Chalkbeat reported, citing Indiana School Boards Association data, that 524 of 1,044 candidates chose a party, about 72% of them Republicans ^[18]; the Indiana Election Division's 2026 guidance and the wording of the law differ on the primary-voting test, a question county election boards decide ^[19].

4. February 2026

   Senate Enrolled Act 25 set the order of school board candidates on the ballot, grouped by party, with candidates who list no affiliation placed after the party and independent candidates ^[20].

5. 2025

   Senate Enrolled Act 1, a property tax law, limits how much operating revenue districts can raise through taxes and restricts school referendums to statewide general elections in even-numbered years ^{[21, 22]}.

6. 2025

   The same law requires districts to share operating revenue with brick-and-mortar charter schools that enroll their students, statewide starting in 2028 ^{[21, 22]}.

7. 2025

   The state budget opened Choice Scholarship vouchers to all Indiana families starting in June 2026 ^[16].

8. 2026

   The Indianapolis Public Education Corporation, rather than the Indianapolis Public Schools board, now certifies Indianapolis Public Schools referendum questions for the ballot ^[20].

9. 2023

   Senate Enrolled Act 391 changed the so-called $1 law so the Indiana Department of Education can order districts that lost at least 10% of enrollment over five years to close schools under 60% capacity and offer them to charter schools ^[23].

10. 2023

    House Enrolled Act 1447 required school districts to set up procedures for complaints that library material is obscene or harmful to minors ^[10].

About Central Noble Com School Corp

• The district: Central Noble Community School Corporation is based in Albion in Noble County. Its schools are Central Noble Primary, Central Noble Elementary and Central Noble Jr/Sr High, which is in Albion ^{[24, 25]}. The business manager's August 2026 budget estimates used an enrollment of 1,084 ^[26]. Dr. Barry Younghans became superintendent when the board voted 5-0 on Dec. 15, 2025 to hire him ^[27].
• Board: five members. The seats are Albion Township, Noble Township, Jefferson Township, York Township and one at-large seat ^{[28, 29]}. The 2026 sample ballot shows voters in a York Township precinct voting in all three 2026 races, so voters across the district elect each seat while the township seats are tied to residence ^[30]. In January 2026 the members were Amanda Lock (president), Jared Knipper (vice president), Tyler Schuller (secretary), Brian Geiger and Jason Schoeff ^[25].
• Seats on the 2026 ballot: three seats, one per race, matching the state list's "vote for 1" in each ^{[30, 6]}. Albion Township: Jason Schoeff won it unopposed in 2022 ^[28]. He left the board in May 2026, citing out-of-state work, and on June 15, 2026 the board voted 4-0 to appoint Lisa Anglin ^{[31, 32]}. Anglin is running against Dalton Jellison ^[6]. Noble Township: Brian Geiger won it unopposed in 2022 ^[28]. He is not on the ballot, and Heather Thompson is the only candidate ^{[6, 30]}. At large: Jared Knipper won it in 2022, defeating incumbent Eric Custer ^[28]. He is not on the ballot; Andrew McGill and Bernie Lawson are running ^[6].
• Other board change: on Aug. 17, 2026 the board accepted the resignation of Tyler Schuller (York Township), whose seat is not up until 2028 ^{[26, 29]}. Board president Lock said the seat would be filled by appointment, with a recommendation planned for September ^[26]. The Sept. 14, 2026 agenda listed the seat as vacant and included an item to appoint a board member ^[33]. The district's board-members page now lists five members: Lisa Anglin, Brian Geiger, Jared Knipper, Bernadette Lawson and Amanda Lock (president) ^[34]. No fetched minutes record a September appointment, and no fetched source says which seat Bernadette Lawson holds.
• Party labels: on the state list, Andrew McGill, Bernie Lawson and Heather Thompson are Republican, and Dalton Jellison and Lisa Anglin are Nonpartisan ^[6]. The Noble County sample ballot shows the same labels and says a straight-party vote does not count in these races ^[30].
• Failed referendum (May 2025): on May 6, 2025 voters rejected an operating referendum that would have added 19 cents per $100 of net assessed value ^[35]. The district said it had lost more than $2.4 million in state funding because of declining enrollment and the voucher program ^[35]. It also cited SEA 1 and said staff cuts, school closures and larger classes were possible results ^[35].
• Superintendent turnover: on Nov. 3, 2025 Superintendent Robby Morgan read a letter about the difficulties of the job and resigned effective Dec. 5, 2025; the board accepted the resignation 4-0 on Nov. 10 ^{[36, 37]}. At the Dec. 15 hearing on the new superintendent's contract, a resident asked why the job had not been posted to outside applicants ^[27]. The board then hired Younghans 5-0 ^[27].
• Four-day week: on Nov. 17, 2025 the board voted 5-0 to apply for a state waiver to move to a four-day school week ^[38]. On Feb. 16, 2026 Younghans reported that the state would not consider the district's HEA 1003 waiver, and the board dropped the item ^[39].
• Budget and SEA 1: in March 2026 Younghans told the board that the effects of SB1 [SEA 1] reach every public school in the state ^[40]. He said the last referendum cost the district about $89,000 and that a referendum "isn't a lifesaver, just a help" ^[40]. In June 2026 the business manager put the state's supplemental homestead credit to offset SB1 losses at a maximum of about $77,520 ^[32].
• Building consolidation: at a public work session on March 30, 2026, staff and community groups gave input on consolidating buildings and on a possible referendum ^{[41, 42]}. The district's summary said participants saw community support for a 2026 referendum as "unlikely at this time" ^[42]. On April 27, 2026 the board voted 3-2 to consolidate Central Noble Primary onto the Albion campus by fall 2027 ^[43]. The minutes do not record how each member voted ^[43]. At the same meeting, Knipper moved to pursue a referendum in fall 2026; no member seconded it, so it failed ^[43]. Teachers who spoke at the work session were split: some asked for a phased move or another year at the Primary, and one urged moving ahead ^[44].
• Accountability and other items: in May 2026 Jr/Sr High administrators briefed the board on Indiana's new accountability rules and school grades ^[31]. In 2025-26 the district also worked to replace a school resource officer and dealt with a shortage of bus drivers ^{[25, 39]}.
• Forums: no candidate forum, questionnaire or news profile for the 2026 Central Noble races was found. KPC Media (the local newspaper group) covered board meetings, but no 2026 candidate coverage turned up in searches ^[26].

Albion Township

2 candidates

At Large

2 candidates

Noble Township

Unopposed

Key points

• The district: Central Noble Community School Corporation is based in Albion in Noble County. Its schools are Central Noble Primary, Central Noble Elementary and Central Noble Jr/Sr High, which is in Albion. (Central Noble Community School Corporation)
• Board: five members. The seats are Albion Township, Noble Township, Jefferson Township, York Township and one at-large seat. (Noble County, Indiana)
• Failed referendum (May 2025): on May 6, 2025 voters rejected an operating referendum that would have added 19 cents per $100 of net assessed value. (89.1 WBOI (Northeast Indiana Public Radio))

Sources