North Gibson 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.

About North Gibson School Corporation

• The district: North Gibson School Corporation covers Patoka, Washington and White River townships in northern Gibson County and runs Princeton Community High, Middle, Intermediate and Primary schools, all in Princeton ^{[24, 25]}. It is a consolidation of the former Princeton, Patoka, Hazleton and Mount Olympus schools ^[26]. Federal data list 1,864 students ^[27]. Dr. Eric Goggins is superintendent and Noah Velthouse assistant superintendent ^[25].
• The board has five members: Joe Williams (president), Brock Sievers (vice president), Beth Davis (secretary), Michael Ice and Amy Michelle Bingham ^{[25, 28]}. Seats are tied to townships: two represent Patoka Township (Williams and Sievers), one Washington Township (Ice), one White River Township (Bingham), and one is at-large (Davis, a Patoka Township resident) ^[26]. Members are paid $4,500 a year plus a per-meeting stipend, up from $2,000 in 2025 ^[28].
• Seats on the 2026 ballot: two seats, one member each, matching the state list — District 1 (Washington Township) and District 2 (White River Township) ^{[29, 6]}. Both incumbents are running: Ice is unopposed in District 1, and Bingham faces Trevor Cotterman in District 2 ^[30]. In 2022 Ice and Bingham were each unopposed, according to the county's precinct results ^[31].
• Party labels: a 2025 state law lets school board candidates declare a party without running in a primary; in December 2025 the board updated its bylaws to drop the nonpartisan requirement and lower the minimum age for candidates from 21 to 18 ^[32]. Ice and Bingham are listed as Republicans and Cotterman as nonpartisan ^{[6, 30]}.
• Board districts (December 2025): President Joe Williams proposed replacing the township-based seats with five at-large seats, saying 84% of the district's population lives in Patoka Township; he withdrew the proposal before the December 15 meeting after public feedback, saying it 'could unintentionally create division' ^[26]. At that meeting Ice moved that the board not change voting districts unless state law required it, then withdrew the motion after the board's attorney said such a motion would not bind future boards ^[32].
• Budget and SEA 1: in May 2025 Goggins projected a $296,334 drop in state funding over two years, tied to falling enrollment, and a loss of nearly $600,000 in property-tax revenue over three years under the state's property-tax law, while saying the district was better placed than many because a large tax-increment financing (TIF) district was ending ^[33]. With that TIF district expired in December 2025, the district's tax base rose by $195 million; the board approved a $32.89 million 2027 budget in September 2026, and Goggins said the combined tax rate was likely to stay under $1 per $100 of assessed value ^{[34, 35]}.
• Facilities: in April 2025 the board unanimously adopted a plan to issue up to $40 million in bonds for campus projects, which consultants said would not raise the debt-service rate ^[36]. Projects include a new central office ($3.13 million bid), a fieldhouse, football stadium locker and concession buildings, Gil Hodges Field upgrades, a band tower and middle/intermediate school renovations; bonds sold at just under 4.25% interest, and the district expects about $900,000 in interest earnings on unspent proceeds ^{[37, 38, 39]}.
• Staff pay: in October 2025 the board ratified a one-year teacher contract with a 1.25% raise to the salary base, a 2% stipend and a $45,000 starting salary ^[40]. In September 2026 Goggins reported a tentative new agreement with the teachers' association, with a public hearing set for October 14 ^[35].
• Marketing contract: the board voted 4–1 in May 2025 and again in May 2026, with Bingham dissenting both times, to renew a $7,000-a-month marketing contract; Goggins and Williams said it promotes the schools and supports enrollment, while Bingham questioned the cost ^{[33, 41]}.
• Cell phones: Goggins told the board in April 2026 that the state's bell-to-bell student phone ban would take effect the next school year; board members disagreed over whether to restrict phones on school buses ^[42].
• Academics: Velthouse reported in April 2026 that iLearn results showed positive results in math, with growth still to come in English/language arts ^[37].
• Forums: this guide found no candidate forum or questionnaire for the North Gibson race as of October 10, 2026.

District 1

Unopposed

District 2

2 candidates

Key points

• The district: North Gibson School Corporation covers Patoka, Washington and White River townships in northern Gibson County and runs Princeton Community High, Middle, Intermediate and Primary schools, all in Princeton. (Wikipedia)
• Facilities: in April 2025 the board unanimously adopted a plan to issue up to $40 million in bonds for campus projects, which consultants said would not raise the debt-service rate. (Princeton Daily Clarion)
• Staff pay: in October 2025 the board ratified a one-year teacher contract with a 1.25% raise to the salary base, a 2% stipend and a $45,000 starting salary. (Princeton Daily Clarion)

Sources