Tipton Tri-Central 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 Tri-Central Community Schools

• The district: Tri-Central Community Schools is a small rural district in northern Tipton County; Tipton Community School Corporation is a separate district ^{[24, 25]}. State enrollment counts were 773 students in 2018-19 and 763 in 2025-26 ^[26]. Andrew Larson is superintendent ^[25].
• Seats on the 2026 ballot: two, an at-large seat and the Wildcat Township seat, each with one candidate, so both races are uncontested ^[6]. This guide could not confirm the board's current membership or whether either candidate now sits on the board: the district website's board pages could not be loaded (they returned a browser check), and no news coverage of the races was found.
• Party labels: Braden Brady Peters is listed as an Independent and Danielle Sexton without a party (Nonpartisan) ^[6].
• Referendum (Nov. 3 ballot): for the first time, Tri-Central asks voters to approve an operating property tax of up to 24 cents per $100 of assessed value, up to $1.1 million a year, for eight years (2027-2034) ^{[24, 27]}. The ballot language says a $150,000 median home's bill would rise by $143 a year; because no referendum tax is levied now, that is also the increase over current bills at the full rate ^[24]. The district says lower state funding tied to enrollment decline, reduced operating revenue under SEA 1 and inflation together cost it about $1.14 million in its 2026 budget ^[25]. Its spending plan lists six elementary teachers and an aide, off-site vocational programs, the agriculture program, staff recruiting and retention, and safety projects including a school safety officer, doors and entry points, and security cameras ^{[27, 25]}. See the referendum explainer on this ballot for details.
• How the referendum came about: the board adopted the referendum resolution and spending plan on June 15, 2026; the vote count is not shown in the filed documents ^[27]. The district says it has cut positions through restructuring, frozen the superintendent's salary and combined administrative roles, and that the referendum 'would not, by itself, reverse an enrollment decline' ^[25]. If the question fails, the district says it 'would need to continue evaluating possible reductions, delays, or restructuring' ^[25].
• Forums: this guide found no 2026 candidate forum, questionnaire or news coverage of these races.

At Large

Unopposed

Wildcat Township

Unopposed

On the same ballot

• Tri-Central Community Schools operating referendum

  School referendum · Tri-Central Community Schools

  The district's first operating referendum request: up to $0.24 per $100 and $1.1 million a year for 8 years.

Key points

• The district: Tri-Central Community Schools is a small rural district in northern Tipton County; Tipton Community School Corporation is a separate district. State enrollment counts were 773 students in 2018-19 and 763 in 2025-26. (Indiana Department of Local Government Finance)
• Referendum (Nov. 3 ballot): for the first time, Tri-Central asks voters to approve an operating property tax of up to 24 cents per $100 of assessed value, up to $1.1 million a year, for eight years (2027-2034). (Indiana Department of Local Government Finance)
• How the referendum came about: the board adopted the referendum resolution and spending plan on June 15, 2026; the vote count is not shown in the filed documents. (Tri-Central Community Schools (filed with DLGF))

Sources