North Knox 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 North Knox School Corp

• The district: North Knox School Corporation serves northern Knox County, covering Busseron, Vigo, Washington and Widner townships and the towns of Bicknell, Bruceville, Edwardsport, Oaktown and Sandborn, with its offices on State Road 159 near Bicknell ^{[24, 25]}. It formed in the 1963–64 school year from the merger of schools in Bicknell, Freelandville, Bruceville, Oaktown, Edwardsport, Sandborn, Westphalia and Emison ^[26]. It runs three schools (North Knox Primary, North Knox Intermediate and North Knox Junior/Senior High) and describes itself as serving about 1,100 students in grades K–12; Dr. Darrel Bobe is superintendent ^[27].
• The board has five members: Elaine Pepmeier (president), Michael McKinley (vice president), Donnie Gilmore (secretary), Max Nickless and Dustin O'Hara ^[25]. Members are elected from five lettered districts: District A (Busseron Township), District B (Widner Township) and District D (Washington Township) were on the ballot in 2022, and District C (Vigo Township outside Bicknell) and District E (Bicknell) in 2024 ^{[28, 29]}. Candidates file with 10 signatures from registered voters in their own district ^[28].
• Seats on the 2026 ballot: three seats (Districts A, B and D), each electing one member, which matches the state list ^{[6, 28]}. In 2022, McKinley (District A) and Pepmeier (District B) were re-elected without opposition and Gilmore won District D over incumbent Jared Saucerman ^{[30, 31]}. McKinley and Pepmeier are not on the 2026 ballot, so Districts A and B will have new members: Ashley Nicole Becher (Republican) is unopposed in District A, and Donald Osburn and Kara Chambers (both Republicans) are running in District B. Gilmore (Nonpartisan) is unopposed for re-election in District D ^[6].
• Budget and SEA 1 (2025–2026): in April 2025, Bobe told the board that the property-tax bill, as then written, would cut the Operations Fund by $243,000 in the first year, $259,000 in the second and $270,000 in the third, which he said would affect funding for projects such as roof and boiler replacements ^[32]. In August 2026 the board approved advertising a 2027 budget of about $19 million with a maximum tax rate of about $1.04 per $100 of assessed value; Bobe said the final rate is expected to be much closer to last year's 57 cents and that the district has about the seventh-lowest school tax rate in Indiana ^[33]. Bobe said at the September 21 hearing that the state formula limits what the district can actually receive for operations to about $3.9 million; final adoption was scheduled for October 12 ^[34].
• Enrollment: the 2027 education fund (about $10 million, at $7,868 per student) is budgeted on about 1,070 students, about 30 fewer than this year; Bobe called the decline part of a regional trend tied to homeschooling and online schooling, while noting the incoming kindergarten class is larger than the graduating class ^[33].
• Facilities: a two-year renovation of the last original section of North Knox High School was ahead of schedule in February 2026 and will house expanded career programs, including welding, culinary arts, engineering, a law enforcement pathway and health-care careers with Good Samaritan Hospital ^[35]. The district's debt service fund pays for bonds that include the E-area renovation and the junior high gymnasium ^[34].
• Former Edwardsport school (2026): the board approved a $319,898 low bid from Robinson Excavating in April to demolish the former North Knox East building, closed in 2011, and planned to transfer the land to the Town of Edwardsport ^{[26, 36]}. In August asbestos removal estimates rose by about $300,000; Bobe said 'I don't have $300,000 just to throw at it,' citing roofs and other obligations, and the board approved a mutual release from the contract, leaving the project on hold ^[37].
• Release-time religious instruction (2026): after a May presentation by local organizers, the board in June approved a partnership with LifeWise Academy, a privately funded program that lets elementary students with parental permission leave campus during the school day for off-site religious instruction ^{[38, 39]}.
• Forums: this guide found no 2026 candidate forum, questionnaire or news profile for the North Knox races; the Vincennes Sun-Commercial had profiled candidates for the neighboring Vincennes Community School Corporation board by October 1 ^[40].

District A

Unopposed

District B

2 candidates

District D

Unopposed

Key points

• The district: North Knox School Corporation serves northern Knox County, covering Busseron, Vigo, Washington and Widner townships and the towns of Bicknell, Bruceville, Edwardsport, Oaktown and Sandborn, with its offices on State Road 159 near Bicknell. (Wikipedia)
• Former Edwardsport school (2026): the board approved a $319,898 low bid from Robinson Excavating in April to demolish the former North Knox East building, closed in 2011, and planned to transfer the land to the Town of Edwardsport. (Vincennes Sun-Commercial)
• The board has five members: Elaine Pepmeier (president), Michael McKinley (vice president), Donnie Gilmore (secretary), Max Nickless and Dustin O'Hara. (North Knox School Corporation)

Sources