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2026 General Election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

Fulton Rochester School Board

4 seats on the Fulton Rochester school corporation's board are on this year's ballot, with 5 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 the Fulton Rochester corporation

  • The 'Fulton Rochester School Board' races on the state list are for Rochester Community School Corporation in Rochester, Fulton County [6, 24]. The district says it serves about 1,400 students in The Learning Center, Columbia Elementary (PreK-1), Riddle Elementary (grades 2-4), Rochester Middle School (grades 5-7) and Rochester High School (grades 8-12) [25].
  • The superintendent is Jana Vance [26].
  • The board has seven members. The district lists Casi Cowles (president), Katie Miller (vice president), Jennie Smith (secretary), Mark Martens, Kyle Rensberger, Ethan Trottier and Stephen Williams [24]. Seats are tied to areas of the district: the state list shows a District 1 (Richland) race and a District 2 (Rochester) race on the 2026 ballot [6].
  • District 1 (Richland) race: Kalyn Ranstead, who is not a current board member, is the only candidate [6, 24].
  • District 2 (Rochester) race: the state's Who's on My Ballot lookup lists three seats to be elected [27]. Four candidates are running: current board members Jennifer Roberts Smith and Ethan L Trottier, and newcomers Michael A Doran and Tim Durkes [6, 24].
  • 2027 budget (September-October 2026): the district advertised a 2027 budget of $21,120,000, including $12,950,000 in the Education Fund, $4,670,000 in Operations and $3,500,000 in Debt Service. The public hearing was set for Sept. 21 and adoption for Oct. 19, 2026 [28]. The notice estimates a $234,700 property-tax-cap credit [28].
  • Facilities: work on the Rochester Middle School swimming pool, whose natatorium was built in 1974 and had never been fully remodeled, was expected to be finished by the start of the 2025-26 school year [29].
  • Programs: Rochester reported a 100 percent graduation rate in 2024 [30]. Under a new state law, Indiana public schools must bar students from using phones and other personal wireless devices during the school day starting in 2026-27 [31].
  • Forums: this guide found no 2026 candidate forum or questionnaire for the Rochester races.

District 1, Richland 1

Unopposed

Kalyn Ranstead

Nonpartisan

Nonpartisan candidate, unopposed, for the District 1 (Richland) seat [6].

How Ranstead got on the ballot

  • The state lists her as Nonpartisan [6]. The state list gives June 12, 2026 as her filing date [6]. She has no opponent [6].

What we could not find about Ranstead

  • This guide found no campaign website, social media page, news coverage or questionnaire for this candidate.
  • Occupation, community roles and ties to Rochester schools could not be found.
  • No campaign finance reports were found.

Sources for Ranstead

District 2, Rochester 2

4 candidates · 3 seats · Vote for up to 3.

Michael A Doran

Republican

Republican candidate for one of three District 2 seats [27, 6].

How Doran got on the ballot

  • The state lists him as a Republican [6]. The state list gives June 17, 2026 as his filing date [6].

What we could not find about Doran

  • This guide found no campaign website, social media page, news coverage or questionnaire for this candidate.
  • Occupation, community roles and ties to Rochester schools could not be found.
  • No campaign finance reports were found.

Sources for Doran

Tim Durkes

Nonpartisan

Nonpartisan candidate for one of three District 2 seats [27, 6].

How Durkes got on the ballot

  • The state lists him as Nonpartisan [6]. The state list gives June 12, 2026 as his filing date [6].

What we could not find about Durkes

  • This guide found no campaign website, social media page or questionnaire for this candidate.
  • Occupation, community roles and ties to Rochester schools could not be found.
  • No campaign finance reports were found.

Sources for Durkes

Jennifer Roberts Smith

Nonpartisan

Incumbent and board secretary, seeking another term in District 2. The board lists her as Jennie Smith [24, 6].

Smith's background

  • The district lists 'Jennie Smith' as board secretary [24]. She was board vice president in 2020 [32].

Smith on the current officeholder

  • Is a current board member [24].

How Smith got on the ballot

  • The state lists her as Nonpartisan [6]. The state list gives June 10, 2026 as her filing date [6].

What we could not find about Smith

  • This guide found no campaign website, campaign statements or questionnaire answers for 2026.
  • The ballot name (Jennifer Roberts Smith) and the district's listing (Jennie Smith) differ; this guide treats them as the same incumbent, but no source states this directly.
  • When she first joined the board, her occupation and her past statements on board business could not be confirmed from freely available sources.
  • Board minutes were not reviewed for this profile, so her recent votes are not described.
  • No campaign finance reports were found.

Sources for Smith

Ethan L Trottier

Nonpartisan

Incumbent board member seeking another term in District 2 [24, 6].

Trottier on the current officeholder

  • Is a current board member [24].

How Trottier got on the ballot

  • The state lists him as Nonpartisan [6]. The state list gives June 18, 2026 as his filing date [6].

What we could not find about Trottier

  • This guide found no campaign website, campaign statements or questionnaire answers for 2026, and no news account of his votes or statements on school board business.
  • When he joined the board, his occupation and his community roles could not be confirmed from freely available sources.
  • Board minutes were not reviewed for this profile, so his voting record is not described.
  • No campaign finance reports were found.

Sources for Trottier

Key points

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. School Board (Rochester Community School Corporation)
  25. About Us (Rochester Community School Corporation)
  26. Rochester Community School Corporation (home page) (Rochester Community School Corporation)
  27. Who's on My Ballot (2026 General Election precinct lookup) (Indiana Election Division)
  28. Notice to Taxpayers (Budget Form 3), 2027 budget (Rochester Community School Corporation)
  29. Rochester Middle School pool getting a makeover (Rochester Sentinel)
  30. Community hears from Vance, Miller at State of the Schools (Rochester Sentinel)
  31. Starting Monday, no cell phones out during the school day (Rochester Sentinel)
  32. Schwenk stays school board president (Rochester Sentinel)
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.