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2026 General Election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

Hamilton Westfield Washington School Board

3 seats on the Westfield-Washington Schools's board are on this year's ballot, with 5 names on them, alongside a question for the same voters. 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.

About Westfield-Washington Schools

  • Westfield Washington Schools (WWS) serves Westfield and Washington Township in Hamilton County. The district says it serves more than 10,400 students and 8,400 families across 16 facilities with more than 1,600 employees [24]. Dr. John Atha is superintendent [24, 25].
  • The Board of School Trustees has five members. Four are elected from geographic districts and the fifth seat is at-large, covering the whole township [26]. 2026 officers are Rebecca Ogle (president), Bill Anderson (vice president) and Carrie Larrison (secretary); Amber N. Willis and Mike Steele are members [27, 28].
  • Three of the five seats are on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot, and each race elects one member. District 2 is held by Bill Anderson (first elected 2018), District 4 by Rebecca Ogle (first elected 2018) and the at-large seat by Amber N. Willis (on the board since January 2015) [29, 30, 31]. All three incumbents are on the ballot: Anderson is unopposed in District 2, Ogle faces Steven Castle in District 4, and Willis faces Gabriel Crawford-Paree at large [6]. Mike Steele (District 3) and Carrie Larrison, sworn in January 2025, are not up this year [28, 32].
  • Party labels: 2026 is the first election cycle under Senate Bill 287 (2025), which lets school board candidates list a party on the ballot [33]. On the state list, Anderson, Ogle and Willis are listed as Republicans, Crawford-Paree as a Democrat and Castle as nonpartisan [6].
  • Referendum: on June 9, 2026 the board voted unanimously to put an eight-year operating referendum on the ballot (Public Question 3), with a maximum rate of $0.3941 per $100 of assessed value and a maximum annual levy of $38 million. The district says the money would go to safety (including school resource officers), staffing, transportation, academic programs and student support [24]. It would replace the current $0.17 referendum, which voters approved in 2022 and which expires at the end of 2026 [34].
  • Referendum cost: the state-required ballot language shows an $873 annual increase for a $450,000 home. Chalkbeat reported that, because the new rate replaces the current one, the district puts the increase closer to $494 for that home [35]. The district estimates a net increase of about $147.68 a year for the actual median home ($426,700) after the SEA 1 homeowner credit, and its tax calculator uses a rate of $0.3381 rather than the $0.3941 maximum [34]. In an Oct. 8 column, Atha called the state-required ballot wording "misleading" because it uses a rounded-up home value and the maximum rate, and does not subtract the existing referendum [25].
  • Budget and SEA 1: in June, district projections cited a funding gap of about $14.8 million in 2026, linked to below-average state funding, property-tax caps and the 2025 property-tax law (SEA 1) [24]. The district's referendum page gives other figures: a $15.1 million gap and a projected gap of about $17.5 million "in the coming years" [34]. The OneZone Chamber board endorsed the referendum [36].
  • Growth and facilities: the district calls itself the fastest-growing school district in Indiana. For 2026-27, fifth grade moved to the elementary schools and two new elementary schools opened, and a second middle school opens in 2027-28. A rebalancing committee finished new boundaries on Oct. 8, 2025, moving about 34% of elementary students [37]. In January 2026 the board hired an architect for a Westfield High School renovation and expansion estimated at $88 million in construction, built in phases through summer 2028 [27]. In January the board and the City Council also held a joint work session on growth and enrollment projections [38].
  • Academics and schedule: on March 10, 2026 the board approved moving Westfield schools from trimesters to semesters starting in 2027-28 [39]. The district reported 2026 ILEARN proficiency of 65.2% in math and 61.2% in English language arts, compared with 42.7% and 42% statewide [40].
  • Forums and coverage: no 2026 candidate forum or questionnaire for these races turned up in the sources reviewed. The superintendent scheduled community presentations on the referendum in September and October [41]. Anderson and Ogle share a joint campaign website [42]. Crawford-Paree has a campaign website [43]. No campaign website or public statements were found for Willis or Castle.

District 2

Unopposed

William Wayne Anderson

Republican

Incumbent, unopposed in District 2. Board member since 2018 and current vice president, listed as a Republican [29, 27, 6].

Anderson's background

  • Goes by Bill Anderson on district and campaign materials. Elected to the District 2 seat in November 2018 [29].
  • IT project manager for a contractor that serves as fiscal agent for the state Family and Social Services Administration's Office of Medicaid Policy and Planning [29].
  • Graduate of Indiana University Bloomington (public affairs management, minor in economics); grew up in Fort Wayne [29].
  • Longtime Westfield resident whose son graduated from Westfield High School in 2022. Has volunteered with schools, Westfield youth sports and Kiwanis [29, 44].

Anderson's positions

School safety

  • His campaign site lists "Serving all of the children in the community and keeping them safe" as a focus [45].

Teachers & staff

  • His campaign site lists a long-term plan to "retain and attract the best and the brightest" to the district [45].

Transparency & community input

  • Says a school board "must be responsive and receptive to parents, staff, students and the community at large" [45].

How Anderson would run the office

  • Says he wants to create a long-term vision for the educational opportunities students need [45].

Anderson on the current officeholder

  • Is a current board member. A joint campaign site with Ogle says the two ran on a list of commitments in 2018 and 2022 and asks voters to re-elect them [42]. In June 2026 he was part of the unanimous vote to place the operating referendum on the ballot [24].

How Anderson got on the ballot

  • Appears on the ballot as a Republican, with no opponent in District 2 [6].

What we could not find about Anderson

  • The ballot lists him as William Wayne Anderson. District and campaign materials use Bill Anderson.
  • The campaign-site text appears to have been written for earlier campaigns (it refers to 'running' and lists 15 years of IT work, while the district bio says 20). No 2026-specific statements on the referendum, budget or SEA 1 were found.
  • Local coverage (Current in Westfield) could not be reviewed for this profile.
  • No endorsements, fundraising reports or forum appearances were found.

Anderson's campaign website

Sources for Anderson

District 4

2 candidates

Steven Castle

Nonpartisan

Challenger in District 4, listed as nonpartisan on the state candidate list [6].

How Castle got on the ballot

  • Appears on the ballot with no party affiliation, against incumbent Rebecca L. Ogle [6].

What we could not find about Castle

  • No campaign website, social media page, news profile, questionnaire or forum appearance was found. His background and positions are unknown.
  • Local coverage (Current in Westfield) could not be reviewed for this profile.

Sources for Castle

Rebecca L. Ogle

Republican

Incumbent, current board president and a certified public accountant. Listed as a Republican, she faces Steven Castle [30, 27, 6].

Ogle's background

  • Elected to the District 4 seat in November 2018; board president in 2026 [30, 27].
  • CPA and certified fraud examiner. Spent 22 years in public accounting, where she became a partner, focusing on construction and forensic accounting. Has been chief financial officer of Kort Builders since August 2023 [30].
  • Serves on the City of Westfield's Road Impact Fee Review Board and Audit Committee; former treasurer of Westfield Youth Sports, Inc. [30]
  • Moved to Westfield in 2002, she says because of the schools. Her children are Westfield High School graduates [30, 46].

Ogle's positions

Budget & taxes

  • Her campaign site lists a focus to "Proactively manage spending and be a steward of referendum funds" and says her accounting background makes her suited to "shepherd our schools through referendum spending and related financial issues" [47].

Teachers & staff

  • Lists protecting "qualified teachers and staff" as a priority [47].

School safety

  • Lists "Protect our kids" as a priority [47].

How Ogle would run the office

  • Says she will bring accounting and finance practices to board discussions and decisions [46].

Ogle on the current officeholder

  • Is a current board member and the board's 2026 president [27]. The joint campaign site with Anderson asks voters to re-elect them based on commitments made in 2018 and 2022 [42]. In June 2026 she was part of the unanimous vote to place the operating referendum on the ballot [24].

How Ogle got on the ballot

  • Appears on the ballot as a Republican [6].

What we could not find about Ogle

  • The campaign-site text appears partly written for earlier campaigns. No 2026-specific statements on the referendum, SEA 1 or the high school renovation were found.
  • No endorsements, fundraising reports or forum appearances were found.

Ogle's campaign website

Sources for Ogle

At Large

2 candidates

Gabriel Crawford-Paree

Democratic

Engineer, Westfield resident and first-time candidate running as a Democrat for the at-large seat, against incumbent Amber Huff Willis [43, 6].

Crawford-Paree's background

  • Engineer who grew up in Hamilton County and graduated from Fishers High School (Hamilton Southeastern Schools) in 2016; now lives in Westfield [43].
  • His campaign site says he wants to build on the schools' quality and plans to send future children to WWS [43].

Crawford-Paree's positions

Teachers & staff

  • Lists supporting and retaining teachers as his top priority, including a review of "any administrative burden interfering with day-to-day operations" [43].

Transparency & community input

  • Wants better transparency and community engagement through "more robust communications and documentation" [43].
  • Proposes exploring a parental advisory committee to bring parents into board discussions more regularly [43].

Special education

  • Wants a "robust system" so all students can succeed, including those with more specialized needs and those who have been bullied [43].

Curriculum & library policy

  • Proposes adding guidance on artificial intelligence to board policy so teachers have guardrails for teaching about it [43].

How Crawford-Paree would run the office

  • Describes his approach as an engineer's problem-solving: gathering information from stakeholders before deciding [43].

Crawford-Paree on the current officeholder

  • His site says he would bring "a unique perspective not currently represented on the school board." It contains no specific criticism of the current board's decisions [43].

How Crawford-Paree got on the ballot

  • Appears on the ballot as a Democrat [6]. His site says he filed with a party label, allowed under the 2025 law (SB 287). He says he is not running as a Democrat to bring partisanship to the board, but because he believes support for public schools has become a partisan issue, citing voucher programs [43].

Crawford-Paree's endorsements and funding

  • His campaign takes online donations through ActBlue and is paid for by the Election Committee of Gabriel Crawford-Paree [43]. No contribution totals were found.

What we could not find about Crawford-Paree

  • Local coverage (Current in Westfield) could not be reviewed for this profile.
  • No stated position on the 2026 operating referendum was found.
  • No forum appearances, questionnaires or endorsements were found.

Crawford-Paree's campaign website

Sources for Crawford-Paree

Amber Huff Willis

Republican

Incumbent at-large member since January 2015, seeking a fourth term. Listed as a Republican, she faces Gabriel Crawford-Paree [31, 6].

Willis's background

  • Has served as the at-large trustee since January 2015 and is in her third term [31].
  • Lifelong Westfield resident and 1999 graduate of Westfield schools; graduated from Miami University in 2003 [31].
  • Works for her family's business, CSI Signs. Has been a member of the Westfield Education Foundation and the Westfield Business Development Committee and is a Hamilton County Leadership Academy alumna [31].
  • Parent of students in the district, according to her district bio [31].

Willis's positions

Transparency & community input

  • Her district bio quotes her goal of "Connecting the Community to the Children" and says students are "the most important stakeholders in everything the School Board decides" [31].

Willis on the current officeholder

  • Is a current board member. In June 2026 she was part of the unanimous vote to place the operating referendum on the ballot [24]. No 2026 campaign statements about the board's record were found.

How Willis got on the ballot

  • Appears on the ballot as a Republican [6].

What we could not find about Willis

  • The ballot lists her as Amber Huff Willis. District materials use Amber N. Willis.
  • No 2026 campaign website, questionnaire or forum appearance was found. Her positions come only from her district board bio, which may date from an earlier term.
  • Local coverage (Current in Westfield) could not be reviewed for this profile.
  • No endorsements or fundraising reports were found.

Sources for Willis

On the same ballot

  • Westfield Washington Schools operating referendum

    School referendum · Westfield Washington Schools

    A levy of up to $0.3941 per $100 and $38 million a year for 8 years. The district says it replaces the levy renewed in 2022 ($0.17). Ballot: +$873 a year for a $450,000 median home.

Key points

  • Also on this ballot for the same district: Westfield Washington Schools operating referendum. A levy of up to $0.3941 per $100 and $38 million a year for 8 years. The district says it replaces the levy renewed in 2022 ($0.17). Ballot: +$873 a year for a $450,000 median home. (Indiana Department of Local Government Finance)
  • Referendum: on June 9, 2026 the board voted unanimously to put an eight-year operating referendum on the ballot (Public Question 3), with a maximum rate of $0.3941 per $100 of assessed value and a maximum annual levy of $38 million. (The Reporter)
  • Referendum cost: the state-required ballot language shows an $873 annual increase for a $450,000 home. Chalkbeat reported that, because the new rate replaces the current one, the district puts the increase closer to $494 for that home. (Chalkbeat Indiana)

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. Westfield Washington Schools Board of Trustees approves resolution for operating referendum (The Reporter)
  18. The Question Is Misleading (Westfield Washington Schools (Superintendent John Atha))
  19. Board Districts (Westfield Washington Schools)
  20. Westfield school board changes 2026-2027 calendar, approves architect for high school renovation (The Reporter)
  21. Board of School Trustees (Westfield Washington Schools)
  22. Bill Anderson, Vice President (Westfield Washington Schools)
  23. Rebecca Ogle, President (Westfield Washington Schools)
  24. Amber N. Willis, Member (Westfield Washington Schools)
  25. Carrie Larrison joins Westfield school board (The Reporter)
  26. Do we actually care who's on the school board? (guest column) (The Reporter)
  27. Excellent Schools >> Excellent Community (referendum information) (Westfield Washington Schools)
  28. Indiana school district referendum guide 2026 (Chalkbeat Indiana)
  29. OneZone Chamber announces endorsement of five Hamilton County school referendums (The Reporter)
  30. Rebalancing Information (Westfield Washington Schools)
  31. Long-term planning takes center stage at Westfield's joint city-school board work session (The Reporter)
  32. Westfield Washington school board approves transition to semester schedule (The Reporter)
  33. Westfield Washington Schools' ILEARN results rank among Indiana's top districts (The Reporter)
  34. Upcoming informational meetings about Westfield Washington Schools operating referendum (The Reporter)
  35. WWS School Board Candidates (Anderson and Ogle campaign site) (Anderson/Ogle campaign)
  36. Crawford-Paree for WWS School Board (Crawford-Paree campaign)
  37. About Bill Anderson (Anderson campaign)
  38. Why Bill is Running (Anderson campaign)
  39. About Rebecca Ogle (Ogle campaign)
  40. Why Rebecca is Running (Ogle campaign)
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.