Jefferson Madison 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 Madison Consolidated Schools

• The 'Jefferson Madison' races on the state list are for the Board of School Trustees of Madison Consolidated Schools (MCS), based in Madison in Jefferson County; the superintendent is Dr. Teresa Brown ^{[24, 25]}. State enrollment counts were 2,554 students in 2023-24, 2,651 in 2024-25 and 2,672 in 2025-26 ^[26]. In August 2026 Brown told the board MCS had 2,600 students, up 65 from the year before ^[27].
• The board has five members: David Storie (president), Dustin Bentz (vice president), Jodi Yancey (secretary), Michael Scott and John Wallace ^{[24, 28]}. Seats are tied to residence districts: District 1 (Madison precincts 1, 2 and 3 and Graham, Lancaster, Milton, Monroe and Shelby townships) has two members, District 2 (precincts 4-1, 4-1A, 4-2, 4-3, 5-1 and 5-2) has two, and District 3 (precincts 1-1, 1-2, 2-1, 2-2 and the 3rd ward) has one ^{[29, 30, 31]}.
• Seats on the 2026 ballot: two District 2 seats and one District 3 seat ^{[31, 32]}. The state list shows two District 2 seats, and the Madison Courier reports District 2 'is for two positions'; in 2022 the District 2 race was also 'choose two' ^{[6, 33, 34]}. District 2 members Jodi Yancey (first elected 2018) and John Wallace (elected 2022) chose not to run again, so Anthony Miller and Jacqueline Overpeck, the only two District 2 candidates, would fill both seats ^{[33, 32]}. District 3 member Michael Scott (elected unopposed in 2022) is running for a second term against Jill Kelly-Koren ^{[33, 35]}.
• Party labels: the state list shows Kelly-Koren as Democratic and Miller, Overpeck and Scott as Nonpartisan ^[6]. Filing ran from May 19 to a June 18 noon deadline, which was extended to noon June 22, 2026 after a storm knocked out power at the Jefferson County Courthouse; Miller, Overpeck and Kelly-Koren all filed in the final days ^{[31, 36, 33]}.
• Budget and SEA 1: at a Sept. 9, 2026 hearing MCS advertised a 2027 budget of $41,601,979 ($25.0 million education fund, $10.9 million operations, $5.7 million debt service) and a tax rate of $1.1942; chief financial officer Danica Houze said the rate will go up because of Senate Bill 1, so the district can keep its levy as assessed values change ^[37]. The board is scheduled to adopt the budget Oct. 14 ^[37].
• Early Learning Center (2025-2026): in January 2026 the district's building corporation approved $22 million in bonds, part of $28 million in total borrowing, to build an Early Learning Center on the site of the closed E.O. Muncie Elementary, and the board awarded a $353,000 demolition contract ^[38]. The district's municipal adviser said the new bonds will be repaid through 2045 ^[38].
• Teacher pay: in November 2025 the board ratified a teacher contract that raised the salary schedule by $1,500 across the board plus a step for returning teachers; then-president Wallace credited the raises to the superintendent's team, 'the cuts made and the increased enrollment' ^[39]. Teacher contract talks with the Madison Teachers Association begin again this fall ^[27].
• Programs and choice: in July 2026 the board created the Jefferson County Virtual Academy for grades 6-12, open to students outside the district, and approved rejoining the Southeast Career Center, where Brown said 45 to 50 high school students had registered ^[40]. A state-mandated cell phone policy bars student phone use from the start of the school day until dismissal ^[27].
• Forums: this guide found no 2026 candidate forum or questionnaire for these races, and no candidate websites. The only campaign coverage found was the Madison Courier's filing reports ^[33].

District 2

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

District 3

2 candidates

Key points

• Early Learning Center (2025-2026): in January 2026 the district's building corporation approved $22 million in bonds, part of $28 million in total borrowing, to build an Early Learning Center on the site of the closed E.O. (Madison Courier)
• Teacher pay: in November 2025 the board ratified a teacher contract that raised the salary schedule by $1,500 across the board plus a step for returning teachers; then-president Wallace credited the raises to the superintendent's team, 'the cuts made and the increased enrollment'. (Madison Consolidated Schools)
• The 'Jefferson Madison' races on the state list are for the Board of School Trustees of Madison Consolidated Schools (MCS), based in Madison in Jefferson County; the superintendent is Dr. Teresa Brown. (Madison Consolidated Schools)

Sources