Union Twp. 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 the Union Twp. corporation

• Union Township School Corporation (UTSC) serves Union Township in Porter County. Its central office is at 599 W 300 N, Valparaiso ^[24]. It runs four schools: John Simatovich Elementary (JSE), Union Center Elementary (UCE), Union Township Middle School (UTMS) and Wheeler High School (WHS) ^[24]. Leigh Barnes is superintendent, and Allen Cochran is assistant superintendent of finance ^[25]. The district calls itself a small school district ^[26]. This guide did not find a current enrollment count on the district's pages.
• Board: the district lists five members for 2026: Christine Kostbade (president), Kevin Ribordy (vice president), Leah Pagone (secretary), Lori McLaughlin (deputy secretary) and Bob Tichy ^[27]. Members are paid $2,000 a year, plus $112 for each regular meeting and $62 for each special meeting or executive session ^[28]. Seats on the 2026 ballot are District 2, District 4 and one at-large seat, each 'vote for 1' ^[6]. Kostbade, Ribordy and Pagone all won Union Township school board races in 2022 ^[29]. That report did not say which seat each won.
• Who is running: Kostbade (no party affiliation) faces Mark A. Werno (Republican) in District 2. Pagone (no party affiliation) faces Jocelyn Prue (Independent) in District 4. Ribordy (no party affiliation) is unopposed for the at-large seat ^[6]. This guide did not find the district's map of board districts or its rules for how members are elected.
• Referendum on the same ballot: the board is asking voters to renew the operating referendum first passed in 2013 and renewed in 2020 ^{[26, 30]}. The ballot question asks for up to eight years at a rate of no more than $0.35 per $100 of assessed value, raising at most $3,374,291 a year. By the state-required formula, that adds $681 a year for a median $400,000 home ^[31]. The state reviewed the ballot language on June 24, 2026 ^[31]. The board's June 23 agenda listed a 'Finance and Referendum Update' and 'Consideration of Referendum Tax Levy Resolution' ^[32].
• District's case for the referendum: the district's FAQ says the current rate is 21 cents and expires if voters take no action. It says SEA 1, the 2025 property-tax law, cuts local revenue by about $12 million over eight years, and that without renewal the district 'stands to lose more than $2.7 million each year beginning in 2027' ^[30]. The district plans a rate of $0.31 in 2027 ^[30]. It estimates the referendum would raise up to $3.0 million a year: $1.25 million for attracting and keeping teachers and staff, $1.0 million for class sizes, $500,000 for academic programs and $250,000 for safety ^[30]. A superintendent presentation says UTSC is in 'the bottom 7%' of districts in state basic grant per student ^[33]. The district lists cuts it would consider if the referendum fails, including middle school and JV athletics, elementary media specialists and nurses, band and choir, preschool, STEM electives, counselors, elementary school resource officers, theater and transportation ^[34]. A separate group, Friends of Union Township Schools, is campaigning for a yes vote ^[30].
• Facilities: in fall 2025 the board pursued a progressive design-build project. It adopted a one-proposer resolution on Oct. 15 ^[35] and selected a design-builder on Nov. 12 ^[36]. On Feb. 18, 2026 it took up a contract amendment to proceed to Step 2 with Performance Services Inc. ^[37]. The district says recent debt-funded work includes renovating Union Center Elementary and the athletic fields, updating UTMS hallways and lighting, and repairing the brick facade at John Simatovich ^[26]. The FAQ says 'No teaching positions have been lost because of past or current building projects' ^[30].
• Budget and staff: the board adopted the 2026 budget and a teachers' contract (the UTTA collective bargaining agreement) on Oct. 15, 2025 ^[35]. It considered raises for administrators and non-certified staff on Dec. 17 ^[38]. A budget hearing and the naming of a collective bargaining team were on the Sept. 16, 2026 agenda ^[39].
• Other 2026 items: a presentation on Indiana's new K-12 accountability model (March 17) ^[40]; adoption of a wireless devices policy (June 23) ^[32]; and an extra eLearning day added for the May election day for student and staff safety (Feb. 18) ^[37].
• Forums: this guide found no candidate forums, questionnaires or news coverage of these races.

Member 2nd Dist. General Elections (Porter)

2 candidates

Member 4th Dist.General Elections (Porter)

2 candidates

Member At Large General Elections (Porter)

Unopposed

On the same ballot

• Union Township Schools operating referendum (Porter County)

  School referendum · Union Township School Corporation (Porter County; Wheeler High School)

  A new levy of up to $0.35 per $100 and $3.37 million a year for 8 years. The district calls it a renewal of its 21-cent levy, which ends in 2027. Ballot: +$681 a year for a $400,000 home.

Key points

• Referendum on the same ballot: the board is asking voters to renew the operating referendum first passed in 2013 and renewed in 2020. (Union Township School Corporation)
• District's case for the referendum: the district's FAQ says the current rate is 21 cents and expires if voters take no action. (Union Township School Corporation)
• Budget and staff: the board adopted the 2026 budget and a teachers' contract (the UTTA collective bargaining agreement) on Oct. 15, 2025. It considered raises for administrators and non-certified staff on Dec. 17. (Union Township School Corporation Board of School Trustees)
• Board: the district lists five members for 2026: Christine Kostbade (president), Kevin Ribordy (vice president), Leah Pagone (secretary), Lori McLaughlin (deputy secretary) and Bob Tichy. (Union Township School Corporation)

Sources