Henry Blue River Valley 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 Blue River Valley Schools

• Blue River Valley Schools is based in Mount Summit in northern Henry County ^[24]. The district covers Prairie and Blue River townships, and all five board members are elected at large from the whole district ^[25]. State enrollment counts were 642 students in 2022-23, 614 in 2023-24, 620 in 2024-25 and 618 in 2025-26, down from 832 in 2005-06 ^[26].
• Superintendent: Lori Dickerson ^[27].
• The board has five members: President Carla Bryant, Vice President Mysia Brown, Secretary Ashley Beavers, Brian Koontz and Lance Brown ^[25]. In 2022 voters filled two at-large seats (Ashley Beavers 847 votes and incumbent Brian Koontz 785, over Travis Estes 314, Terry DeWayne Coffey 229 and Jeffrey Alan Denney 178) ^[28]. In 2024 voters filled three (Carla Bryant 1,100, Mysia Brown 1,068 and Lance Brown 1,014, over Tina Moore 854 and Celeste Wright-Black 361) ^[29].
• Seats on the 2026 ballot: the two at-large seats won in 2022. The state candidate list shows two seats for this race ('At Large 2'), so the top two of the three candidates will be elected ^[6]. Incumbent Ashley Beavers is running again; Brian Koontz, who won the other seat in 2022 and is still listed as a board member, is not on the 2026 candidate list, so at least one of the two seats will go to a newcomer ^{[25, 30]}.
• Party labels: Rich King and Katharine N. (Nikki) Koontz are listed as Republicans; Ashley Beavers is listed with no party ^{[30, 6]}. In 2022 no Blue River Valley candidate was listed with a party ^[28].
• Teacher pay and the 2024 referendum: in May 2024 the district asked voters to approve an eight-year operating tax levy 'for the purpose of funding the retention and attraction of teachers and staff, academic related programs and operational expenses'; the state estimated it would raise the average school property tax on a home by 30.74% ^[31]. Voters rejected it ^[32].
• Budget and state funding (2025-2026): no district estimate of the effect of the 2025 property-tax law (SEA 1) on Blue River Valley could be confirmed from freely available sources.
• Forums: this guide found no 2026 candidate forum, questionnaire or campaign website for any Blue River Valley candidate. Board minutes for 2025-26 could not be reviewed for this profile.

At Large 2

3 candidates · 2 seats · Vote for up to 2.

Key points

• Blue River Valley Schools is based in Mount Summit in northern Henry County. The district covers Prairie and Blue River townships, and all five board members are elected at large from the whole district. (Wikipedia)
• Superintendent: Lori Dickerson. (Blue River Valley Schools)
• Seats on the 2026 ballot: the two at-large seats won in 2022. The state candidate list shows two seats for this race ('At Large 2'), so the top two of the three candidates will be elected. (Indiana Election Division)

Sources