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2026 General Election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

Frankfort School Board

4 seats on the Community Schools of Frankfort's board are on this year's ballot, with 7 names on them. Which seats appear on your ballot depends on where in the corporation you live.

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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]
What the law puts in this job (12)
  • Hires, evaluates and can dismiss the superintendent, and approves the hiring and firing of principals, teachers and other staff recommended by the superintendent [1, 7, 3].
  • Adopts the annual budget, appropriates funds and oversees school finances [1, 3].
  • Decides whether to ask voters to approve an operating referendum (an extra property tax levy); the board adopts the resolution and the Department of Local Government Finance reviews the ballot language for compliance with state law [8].
  • Approves contracts, buys and sells property, and decides on construction, repair and demolition of school buildings [1].
  • Bargains with the teachers' union over salary, wages and wage-related benefits such as health insurance and retirement; state law excludes teacher evaluation procedures from those bargaining subjects [9].
  • Writes and updates policies and rules for schools, often in a policy handbook, including the student handbook [1, 3].
  • Buys curricular materials, provides them to students without charge, and runs programs such as student transportation and school lunch [1].
  • Must adopt a process for parents and residents to ask that library material be removed as obscene or harmful to minors, review requests at public meetings and keep a public catalog of library materials [10].
  • Hears written appeals of student expulsions, unless the board has voted not to hear them [11].
  • Must take official action openly; Indiana's Open Door Law says public agencies' official action is to be conducted openly so the people may be fully informed [12, 13].
  • A school board member must have lived in the school corporation (and, for a district seat, the district) for at least one year before the election, and a teacher or other employee of the school corporation may not serve on its board [2].
  • What the board does not control: the State Board of Education adopts statewide academic standards [14], the General Assembly sets the state school funding formula in the state budget [15], and voucher (Choice Scholarship) eligibility is set by state law [16].

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 Community Schools of Frankfort

  • The 'Frankfort Community School Board' seats belong to Community Schools of Frankfort, the public school district for Frankfort, the Clinton County seat [24, 25]. Its seven residence districts cover the city's five wards, Center Township outside the city and Union Township [25]. Federal data list five schools and 2,972 students in 2024-25 [26]. Dr. Matthew (Matt) Rhoda has been superintendent since July 1, 2022, after serving as assistant superintendent [24, 27].
  • The Board of School Trustees has seven members, one living in each of seven districts, but every voter in the school corporation votes for every seat on the ballot; members serve four-year terms, Districts 1-3 are elected in 2024, 2028 and so on, and Districts 4-7 in 2022, 2026 and so on [25]. So each 2026 race elects one member, matching the state list's 'vote for 1' [25, 6]. Current members are Sandra Miller (president), Robert Marcum (vice president), James McQuade (secretary), Kristen Beardsley, Mandi Mitchell, Joel Tatum and Mark Sanders [28].
  • Who holds the seats now: all four were filled without opposition in 2022, when Kristen Beardsley won District 4, Amanda 'Mandi' Mitchell District 5, Joel Tatum District 6 and Sandra Miller District 7 [29]. Beardsley is not on the 2026 ballot, so District 4 will have a new member [29, 6]. Mitchell (District 5) and Tatum (District 6) are unopposed, and Miller faces two challengers in District 7 [6].
  • Party labels: 2026 is the first year Indiana school board candidates could list a party [30]. The state list shows Edward H Niehaus and Sandra Miller as Republicans, Jennifer Fitch as a Democrat, and the other candidates as Nonpartisan [6]. Candidates filed by petition with at least 10 voter signatures; filing closed at noon June 18, 2026, and there was no school board primary [31].
  • Staffing and enrollment (2026): Superintendent Rhoda announced a reduction of 16 teaching positions for 2026-27, saying in a March 2026 video that the cuts align staffing with enrollment, which has declined over the past decade [32]. At a February 2026 board meeting, Brenda Buckingham-Ehrmann, speaking for the Frankfort Education Association, urged the board to reconsider the reductions [33].
  • Budget and property taxes: this guide found no reporting on how the 2025 property-tax law (SEA 1) affects the district's budget, and no operating or safety referendum. The board's 2026-27 meetings are scheduled for Oct. 20, Nov. 17 and Dec. 15, 2026 [28].
  • Facilities: a renovation of Frankfort Middle School gave the school a newly built secure main entrance and front office, a performing arts center and dedicated band, orchestra and choir classrooms for the 2025-26 school year [34].
  • Policies and safety: in summer 2025 the board approved a revised attendance policy (Policy 3101) reflecting language recommended by the Indiana School Boards Association; parent-written notes for student illness are no longer accepted as excused absences [35]. Frankfort police officers serve as school resource officers under a 2022 agreement with the city [36].
  • Academics: the board recognized Frankfort High School's Gem City University early college program in August 2026 after it won a Change-Maker Award at the Early College Summit [37]. This guide did not check the district's state accountability grades.
  • Forums: this guide found no 2026 candidate forum, questionnaire or news coverage of the candidates' views. The Clinton County Democratic Party announced a public meet-and-greet for Oct. 13, 2026; the announcement did not name which candidates would attend [38].

Frankfort Community School Board, District 4

2 candidates

Jennifer Fitch

Democratic

Candidate for the open District 4 seat, listed with the Democratic label; little public information about her campaign was found [6].

How Fitch got on the ballot

  • Filed for the District 4 seat as a Democrat; there was no school board primary [31, 6].

What we could not find about Fitch

  • No website, questionnaire, forum remarks or news coverage of her campaign were found.
  • Occupation and ties to the schools could not be confirmed.
  • Clinton County does not post candidate lists or campaign finance reports online; these were not checked.
  • No campaign biography was found; see gaps.
  • No statement on the current board's record was found.
  • No endorsements or campaign finance reports were found.

Sources for Fitch

Edward H Niehaus

Republican

Candidate for the open District 4 seat, listed with the Republican label; little public information about his campaign was found [6].

How Niehaus got on the ballot

  • Filed for the District 4 seat as a Republican; there was no school board primary [31, 6]. The incumbent, Kristen Beardsley, is not on the ballot [29, 6].

What we could not find about Niehaus

  • Possible match, not confirmed: an Ed Niehaus has worked at Frankfort High School as a math teacher and athletic director; this guide could not confirm from freely available sources that he is the candidate.
  • No website, questionnaire, forum remarks or news coverage of his campaign were found.
  • Clinton County does not post candidate lists or campaign finance reports online; these were not checked.
  • No campaign biography was found; see gaps.
  • No statement on the current board's record was found.
  • No endorsements or campaign finance reports were found.

Sources for Niehaus

Frankfort Community School Board, District 5

Unopposed

Amanda Mitchell

Nonpartisan

Incumbent, unopposed; appointed to the board in 2019 and elected to the District 5 seat without opposition in 2022 [39, 29, 6].

Mitchell's background

  • Known as Mandi Mitchell; a Frankfort native and Frankfort graduate [39, 29].
  • When appointed in May 2019 she was treasurer of the Clinton Prairie School Corporation; then-superintendent Don DeWeese said the board believed she could bring 'some expertise on school funding' [39].

Mitchell on the current officeholder

  • Is a current board member. In 2019 she said she wanted to serve on a board that prepares students to pursue whatever goals they choose [39]. No 2026 statement on the board's record was found.

How Mitchell got on the ballot

  • Sworn in in May 2019 to replace Jeff Tatum, who had resigned [39]. Elected to District 5 unopposed in 2022 with 1,901 votes [29].
  • Filed for reelection without a party label; the state lists her as Nonpartisan and as the only candidate [6].

What we could not find about Mitchell

  • Whether she still works as Clinton Prairie's treasurer was not confirmed.
  • No 2026 campaign website, questionnaire or forum remarks were found.
  • Clinton County campaign finance reports were not checked.
  • No endorsements or campaign finance reports were found.

Sources for Mitchell

Frankfort Community School Board, District 6

Unopposed

Joel Patrick Tatum

Nonpartisan

Incumbent, unopposed; elected to the District 6 seat without opposition in 2022 [29, 6].

Tatum's background

  • Elected to District 6 in 2022 with 1,823 votes [29].
  • Was hired as City of Frankfort Parks Department superintendent in August 2023, while serving on the school board [40].

Tatum on the current officeholder

  • Is a current board member. No statement from him on the board's record was found.

How Tatum got on the ballot

  • Filed for reelection without a party label; the state lists him as Nonpartisan and as the only candidate [6].

What we could not find about Tatum

  • Current occupation could not be confirmed.
  • No 2026 campaign website, questionnaire or forum remarks were found.
  • Clinton County campaign finance reports were not checked.
  • No endorsements or campaign finance reports were found.

Sources for Tatum

Frankfort Community School Board, District 7

3 candidates

Callie Evans

Nonpartisan

Challenger for the District 7 seat held by board president Sandra Miller; little public information about her campaign was found [6, 28].

How Evans got on the ballot

  • Filed without a party label; the state lists her as Nonpartisan [6].

What we could not find about Evans

  • No website, questionnaire, forum remarks or news coverage of her campaign were found.
  • Occupation and ties to the schools could not be confirmed.
  • Clinton County campaign finance reports were not checked.
  • No campaign biography was found; see gaps.
  • No statement on the current board's record was found.
  • No endorsements or campaign finance reports were found.

Sources for Evans

Sandra MIller

Republican

Incumbent and board president, listed with the Republican label; elected to District 7 without opposition in 2022 [28, 29, 6].

MIller's background

  • Was board president by January 2022 and is president now [41, 28]. Elected to District 7 in 2022 with 1,908 votes [29].

MIller on the current officeholder

  • Is a current board member. As board president in January 2022 she said retiring superintendent Joel McKinney left the district 'in better shape than he found us' [41]. No 2026 statement on the board's record was found.

How MIller got on the ballot

  • Filed for reelection as a Republican; there was no school board primary [31, 6]. The state list spells her surname 'MIller' [6].

What we could not find about MIller

  • Occupation and total years on the board could not be confirmed.
  • No 2026 campaign website, questionnaire or forum remarks were found.
  • Clinton County campaign finance reports were not checked.
  • No endorsements or campaign finance reports were found.

Sources for MIller

Larry (Chip) Jay Wright

Nonpartisan

Challenger for the District 7 seat held by board president Sandra Miller; little public information about his campaign was found [6, 28].

How Wright got on the ballot

  • Filed without a party label; the state lists him as Nonpartisan [6].

What we could not find about Wright

  • No website, questionnaire, forum remarks or news coverage of his campaign were found.
  • Occupation and ties to the schools could not be confirmed.
  • Clinton County campaign finance reports were not checked.
  • No campaign biography was found; see gaps.
  • No statement on the current board's record was found.
  • No endorsements or campaign finance reports were found.

Sources for Wright

Key points

  • Staffing and enrollment (2026): Superintendent Rhoda announced a reduction of 16 teaching positions for 2026-27, saying in a March 2026 video that the cuts align staffing with enrollment, which has declined over the past decade. (The Times (Frankfort))
  • Budget and property taxes: this guide found no reporting on how the 2025 property-tax law (SEA 1) affects the district's budget, and no operating or safety referendum. The board's 2026-27 meetings are scheduled for Oct. 20, Nov. 17 and Dec. 15, 2026. (Community Schools of Frankfort)
  • The 'Frankfort Community School Board' seats belong to Community Schools of Frankfort, the public school district for Frankfort, the Clinton County seat. (Community Schools of Frankfort)

Sources

Researched Saturday, October 10, 2026

  1. Indiana Code 20-26-5-4: Specific powers of governing body (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
  2. 2026 Indiana Candidate Guide (School Board Offices) (Indiana Election Division)
  3. 800 school board seats are up for election in Indiana (Chalkbeat Indiana / WFYI)
  4. Why there are no education elections on your primary ballot (Chalkbeat Indiana)
  5. Indiana Code 20-26-4-7: Compensation of governing body members (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
  6. 2026 General Election Candidate List (Indiana Election Division)
  7. Indiana Code 20-26-5-4.5: Selection and discharge of employees (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
  8. School Tax Levy Referendum (Indiana Department of Local Government Finance)
  9. Indiana Code 20-29-6-4: Subjects of collective bargaining (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
  10. Obscene, or just objectionable? Here's how Indiana schools are tackling library book complaints (Arnolt Center for Investigative Journalism / Indiana Capital Chronicle)
  11. Indiana Code 20-33-8-19: Expulsion appeals (FindLaw (Indiana Code))
  12. Indiana Code 5-14-1.5-1: Open Door Law policy (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
  13. What We Do (Indiana Public Access Counselor)
  14. Indiana Code 20-31-3-1: State academic standards (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
  15. Indiana K-12 State Tuition Support Annual Report FY2023 (Indiana Department of Education)
  16. Indiana lawmakers expand voucher eligibility, increase school funding in budget (Chalkbeat Indiana)
  17. Indiana school board candidates split 50-50 on affiliating with a party (WNDU)
  18. 5 takeaways from Chalkbeat's panel on Indiana's changes to school board elections and referendums (Chalkbeat Indiana)
  19. Confusion on partisan school board law puts two IPS candidates' spots at risk (Chalkbeat Indiana)
  20. 2026 Indiana Election Legislation Summary (Indiana Election Division)
  21. Indiana school referendum elections: Districts seek funding for teacher pay, class size, buses (Chalkbeat Indiana)
  22. Indiana school district referendum guide 2026: What to know about your district's requested tax increase (WFYI and Chalkbeat Indiana (via WVXU))
  23. Indiana charter schools could now have an easier path to acquiring district buildings (Chalkbeat Indiana)
  24. Community Schools of Frankfort (home page) (Community Schools of Frankfort)
  25. Approval of Governing Body Change - Community Schools of Frankfort (memo and board resolution) (Indiana State Board of Education)
  26. Search for Public School Districts: Community Schools of Frankfort (National Center for Education Statistics)
  27. Frankfort Schools names Rhoda new superintendent (The Times (Frankfort))
  28. School Board (Community Schools of Frankfort)
  29. Price, Mink, Genda claim victory in midterm election (The Times (Frankfort))
  30. Indiana school board candidates split 50-50 on affiliating with a party (The Times (Frankfort))
  31. Filing Deadline Approaches for Clinton County School Board Candidates (Clinton County Daily News)
  32. Community Schools of Frankfort explains staffing changes in video message (The Times (Frankfort))
  33. Frankfort teachers union raises concerns over proposed staff cuts at CSF board meeting (The Times (Frankfort))
  34. Frankfort Middle School renovation makes major strides ahead of fall (The Times (Frankfort))
  35. Frankfort School Board approves key policy changes on attendance and bullying (The Times (Frankfort))
  36. Frankfort schools reinstate school officers (The Times (Frankfort))
  37. Frankfort High School's Gem City University earns national recognition as construction projects continue (The Times (Frankfort))
  38. Clinton County Democrats to Host Community Meet & Greet (Clinton County Daily News)
  39. Mitchell Named New Frankfort School Board Member (Clinton County Daily News)
  40. Tatum sworn in (The Times (Frankfort))
  41. CSF Superintendent McKinney announces retirement (The Times (Frankfort))
What's included
the U.S. House, statewide offices, every Indiana House and Senate district on the ballot, Indiana's statewide public questions and judicial retention questions, and county, township, city, town and school board races from the Indiana Election Division's candidate list.
Everything else
Local races (county, city, school board, judges) and anything else on your ballot are on your official sample ballot: IndianaVoters.in.gov.
Candidate lists
As of Sunday, October 18, 2026.
At the polls
Indiana law lets you bring a list of candidates and public questions into the polling place, including one stored on your phone, as long as you don't electioneer. IC 3-11-8-18.5

This is not an official ballot. Confirm your registration, polling place and ballot with your election office through vote.gov.