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2026 General Election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

Shakamak School Board

3 seats on the MSD Shakamak Schools's board are on this year's ballot, with 4 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.

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 MSD Shakamak Schools

  • The 'MSD of Shakamak' races on the state list are for the Metropolitan School District of Shakamak, whose schools sit between Jasonville and Shakamak State Park at 9233 Shakamak School Road, Jasonville [6, 24]. The district runs Shakamak Elementary and Shakamak Jr/Sr High School, and Public School Review lists two schools with 679 students [24, 25]. The district's referendum filings were certified by the Clay County and Greene County auditors [26].
  • Superintendent: on July 17, 2025 the board approved Dr. Jacinda Smith as superintendent, effective July 21, 2025 through June 30, 2028 [27]. She followed Jeff Gambill, who was superintendent in early 2025; the board approved an interim superintendent contract in May 2025, and Nick Karazsia attended an August 2025 meeting as interim superintendent [28, 29, 30].
  • The board has five members. The district lists Braionna Barber (president), David Smith (vice president), Jeremiah Faulk (secretary), Ian Matthews (legislative liaison) and Jodi Barton [31]. Those officers were chosen at the Jan. 15, 2026 reorganization, when the board also set member pay for 2026 at $2,000 [32]. The district does not publish which district each member represents [31].
  • Seats on the 2026 ballot: one seat each in District 1 (Lewis Township), District 2 (Jasonville) and District 3 (Wright Township), each listed as 'vote for 1' [6]. District 2 is contested between Braionna Marie Barber and Matthew W Hill; Jeremiah Faulk (District 1) and Jacob Fish (District 3) are the only candidates in their districts [6].
  • Who holds the seats: board records show three seats were filled in the 2022 election cycle. In November 2022 the board's attorney said a seat would be vacant after the election, and the board voted 3-0 to keep Robert Wise on as a holdover member; Barber was welcomed to the board in December 2022 [33, 34]. Faulk first appears as a board member in the July 18, 2024 minutes, after Wise's last listed meetings that spring [35, 36]. David Smith and James Gadberry took new oaths of office in January 2025 after the 2024 election [28], and the board appointed Ian Matthews to a vacancy on Nov. 13, 2025 [37]. That leaves Barber, Faulk and Barton as the members whose seats are likely up in 2026. Barber and Faulk are running, and Barton is not on the ballot, so this guide believes District 3 is an open seat [6]. The district does not publish members' districts, and this guide could not confirm this from a district or county record.
  • Operating referendum (on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot): on June 18, 2026 the board approved a referendum tax levy resolution 4-1, on a motion by Faulk seconded by Barton, with David Smith voting no [38]. The question asks voters to allow higher property taxes for up to eight years to fund daily operations, teacher and staff recruitment and retention, safety, class sizes and academic programs, at a rate of no more than $0.25 per $100 of assessed value and no more than $499,000 a year, or $81 a year on a $100,000 median home [39]. The district's spending plan estimates $241,400 a year for recruiting and retaining teachers and staff, $105,000 for class sizes, $93,000 for academic programs, $40,000 for educational operations and $19,600 for safety [39]. The district says SEA 1 reduced taxable assessed value and that it expects to start at a rate closer to $0.18, with the board voting on the actual rate each year; it says that if the referendum fails it would keep evaluating long-term reductions that could affect staffing, programs and operations [40]. The state approved the ballot language on June 26, 2026 and later amended its order to add the Greene County Auditor's certification [26].
  • Facilities and borrowing: in January 2025 the board approved bids for restroom and track projects [41]. On Nov. 13, 2025, after an additional appropriation hearing with no public comment, the board unanimously adopted an additional appropriation resolution and a final bond resolution; Barber moved the bond resolution [37]. In August 2026 the board approved a drainage work proposal from Sycamore Engineering, and the superintendent's report covered a flooding update [42, 43].
  • Other 2025-2026 decisions: the board adopted a 2026-2029 strategic plan on Feb. 26, 2026 [44]. In May 2026 it voted to add a preschool teaching position, to apply for a virtual academy school number, and to hire Chartwells as food service management company [45]. In August 2026 it created STEM facilitator and elementary library and digital learning facilitator positions [42]. On July 16, 2026 it transferred $40,739.63 from the debt service fund to the operations fund under a 2026 state law (HEA 1210) on the new supplemental homestead credit [46]. The 2027 budget hearing was set for Sept. 17 and adoption for Oct. 8, 2026 [47, 48].
  • Athletic training contract: in August 2025 the board approved an athletic training services contract with Shakamak Rehab 4-1; David Smith said he voted no because it was not in the school's best interest, and Barton said she supported it as vital to student health and safety [49]. On May 21, 2026 a motion to seek bids for athletic training services tied 2-2, with Smith and Faulk in favor and Barber and Barton opposed, and was tabled [45]. On July 16, 2026 the board approved Shakamak Rehab's 2026-2027 bid 3-1, with Smith voting no [46].
  • Forums and differences: this guide found no 2026 candidate forum, questionnaire or news coverage of the Shakamak races. The only contested race is District 2. Barber's record as a board member is described below; this guide found no public statements from Matthew W Hill.

MSD of Shakamak District 1, Lewis Twp

Unopposed

Jeremiah Faulk

Republican

Incumbent board member and board secretary, listed as a Republican; he is the only candidate for District 1 [31, 6]. This guide believes he holds the District 1 seat but could not confirm it from a district record.

Faulk's background

  • Has been on the board since at least July 2024, when he first appears in the minutes as a board member [35].
  • Elected board secretary in January 2026 and named secretary of the Board of Finance [32].

Faulk on the current officeholder

  • Is a current board member [31]. He made the June 18, 2026 motion to place the operating referendum on the ballot, which passed 4-1 [38]. On May 21, 2026 he voted for seeking bids for athletic training services, a motion that tied 2-2 [45]. He seconded the Nov. 13, 2025 additional appropriation resolution for the district's bond and the motion appointing Ian Matthews to the board [37].

How Faulk got on the ballot

  • Listed as a Republican on the state list [6]. The state list gives June 18, 2026 as his filing date [6].

What we could not find about Faulk

  • The minutes reviewed do not show how he joined the board in 2024 (election or appointment); the June 20, 2024 minutes were not in the district's archive.
  • No campaign website, social media page, news coverage or questionnaire was found.
  • Occupation and community roles could not be found.
  • No public statements on the referendum or other issues were found beyond his recorded votes.
  • No campaign finance reports were found.

Sources for Faulk

MSD of Shakamak District 2, Jasonville

2 candidates

Braionna Marie Barber

Nonpartisan

Incumbent board president, listed as nonpartisan; she faces Matthew W Hill [31, 6]. This guide believes she holds the District 2 seat but could not confirm it from a district record.

Barber's background

  • Joined the board in December 2022 [34].
  • Was board secretary in 2024, according to the Greene County Daily World, and has been president of the Board of Finance in 2024, 2025 and 2026 [50, 28, 32]. Elected board president in January 2026 [32].

Barber on the current officeholder

  • Is a current board member [31]. She voted for the June 18, 2026 referendum resolution, which passed 4-1, and signed the resolution as board president [38, 51]. She moved the Nov. 13, 2025 final bond resolution [37]. She moved the August 2025 approval of the athletic training services contract, which passed 4-1, and on May 21, 2026 voted against seeking new bids for those services, a motion that tied 2-2 [49, 45].

How Barber got on the ballot

  • Listed without a party (nonpartisan) on the state list [6]. The state list gives June 15, 2026 as her filing date [6].

What we could not find about Barber

  • No campaign website, social media page, news coverage or questionnaire was found.
  • Occupation and community roles could not be found.
  • No public statements on the referendum or other issues were found beyond her recorded votes and board actions.
  • No campaign finance reports were found.

Sources for Barber

Matthew W Hill

Republican

Challenger for the District 2 seat, listed as a Republican [6].

How Hill got on the ballot

  • Listed as a Republican on the state list [6]. The state list gives June 8, 2026 as his filing date [6].

What we could not find about Hill

  • Possible match, not confirmed: board minutes record a 'Matt Hill' interviewed in public for a board vacancy on Oct. 23, 2025 (the board appointed Ian Matthews); the minutes do not further identify him.
  • No campaign website, social media page, news coverage or questionnaire was found.
  • Occupation, community roles and ties to Shakamak schools could not be found.
  • No statements on the referendum, the current board's decisions or other issues were found.
  • No campaign finance reports were found.

Sources for Hill

MSD of Shakamak District 3, Wright Twp

Unopposed

Jacob Fish

Nonpartisan

Only candidate for the District 3 seat, listed as nonpartisan; he is not a current board member, and this guide believes the seat is open [6, 31].

How Fish got on the ballot

  • Listed without a party (nonpartisan) on the state list [6]. The state list gives June 16, 2026 as his filing date [6].

What we could not find about Fish

  • No campaign website, social media page, news coverage or questionnaire was found.
  • Occupation, community roles and ties to Shakamak schools could not be found.
  • No statements on the referendum, the current board's decisions or other issues were found.
  • No campaign finance reports were found.

Sources for Fish

On the same ballot

  • MSD of Shakamak operating referendum

    School referendum · Metropolitan School District of Shakamak (MSD of Shakamak)

    The district's first-ever operating referendum: up to $0.25 per $100 and $499,000 a year for 8 years.

Key points

  • The 'MSD of Shakamak' races on the state list are for the Metropolitan School District of Shakamak, whose schools sit between Jasonville and Shakamak State Park at 9233 Shakamak School Road, Jasonville. (Indiana Election Division)
  • Superintendent: on July 17, 2025 the board approved Dr. Jacinda Smith as superintendent, effective July 21, 2025 through June 30, 2028. (MSD of Shakamak)
  • The board has five members. The district lists Braionna Barber (president), David Smith (vice president), Jeremiah Faulk (secretary), Ian Matthews (legislative liaison) and Jodi Barton. (MSD of Shakamak)
  • Seats on the 2026 ballot: one seat each in District 1 (Lewis Township), District 2 (Jasonville) and District 3 (Wright Township), each listed as 'vote for 1'. (Indiana Election Division)

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. Indiana school board candidates split 50-50 on affiliating with a party (WNDU)
  18. 5 takeaways from Chalkbeat's panel on Indiana's changes to school board elections and referendums (Chalkbeat Indiana)
  19. Confusion on partisan school board law puts two IPS candidates' spots at risk (Chalkbeat Indiana)
  20. 2026 Indiana Election Legislation Summary (Indiana Election Division)
  21. Indiana school referendum elections: Districts seek funding for teacher pay, class size, buses (Chalkbeat Indiana)
  22. Indiana school district referendum guide 2026: What to know about your district's requested tax increase (WFYI and Chalkbeat Indiana (via WVXU))
  23. Indiana charter schools could now have an easier path to acquiring district buildings (Chalkbeat Indiana)
  24. MSD of Shakamak (home page) (MSD of Shakamak)
  25. MSD Shakamak Schools (Public School Review)
  26. Findings and Final Determination on Proposed Question Submitted, No. 26-024-REF-A (MSD of Shakamak) (Indiana Department of Local Government Finance)
  27. Minutes of the School Board Meeting, July 17, 2025 (MSD of Shakamak)
  28. Minutes of the School Board Meeting, Jan. 16, 2025 (MSD of Shakamak)
  29. Minutes of the School Board Meeting, May 15, 2025 (MSD of Shakamak)
  30. Minutes of the School Board Meeting (special session), Aug. 6, 2025 (MSD of Shakamak)
  31. School Board Members (MSD of Shakamak)
  32. Minutes of the School Board Meeting, Jan. 15, 2026 (MSD of Shakamak)
  33. Minutes of the School Board Meeting, Nov. 17, 2022 (MSD of Shakamak)
  34. Minutes of the School Board Meeting, Dec. 15, 2022 (MSD of Shakamak)
  35. Minutes of the School Board Meeting, July 18, 2024 (MSD of Shakamak)
  36. Minutes of the School Board Meeting, June 13, 2024 (MSD of Shakamak)
  37. Minutes of the School Board Meeting (special session), Nov. 13, 2025 (MSD of Shakamak)
  38. Minutes of the School Board Meeting, June 18, 2026 (MSD of Shakamak)
  39. Proposed Revenue Spending Plan, MSD of Shakamak (Indiana Department of Local Government Finance)
  40. Referendum 2026 Information (MSD of Shakamak)
  41. Minutes of the School Board Meeting (special session), Jan. 21, 2025 (MSD of Shakamak)
  42. Minutes of the School Board Meeting (special session), Aug. 24, 2026 (MSD of Shakamak)
  43. Minutes of the School Board Meeting, Aug. 13, 2026 (MSD of Shakamak)
  44. Minutes of the School Board Meeting, Feb. 26, 2026 (MSD of Shakamak)
  45. Minutes of the School Board Meeting, May 21, 2026 (MSD of Shakamak)
  46. Minutes of the School Board Meeting, July 16, 2026 (MSD of Shakamak)
  47. Board Meeting Agenda, Sept. 17, 2026 (MSD of Shakamak)
  48. Board Meeting Agenda, Oct. 8, 2026 (MSD of Shakamak)
  49. Minutes of the School Board Meeting, Aug. 21, 2025 (MSD of Shakamak)
  50. MSD Shakamak elects new officers (Greene County Daily World)
  51. Referendum Tax Levy Resolution (excerpts of June 18, 2026 minutes), No. 26-024 (Indiana Department of Local Government Finance)
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.