Whiting 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 School City of Whiting

• The School City of Whiting serves the city of Whiting in Lake County ^[24]. It runs three schools: Nathan Hale Elementary School, Whiting Middle School and Whiting High School ^[24]. Federal data list 1,091 students in grades pre-K through 12 and 64 full-time-equivalent classroom teachers, drawn from the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years ^[25].
• Superintendent: Lake County's public officials directory, dated Aug. 13, 2026, lists Cynthia Scroggins ^[26]. Wikipedia's entry on the district lists David Verta, citing the district's staff page ^[24]. This guide could not load the district website to confirm who leads the district now.
• The board has five members, all elected at large ^[26]. The terms of Patricia Herbst and Christopher R. Davenport expire Dec. 31, 2026; Bruce Stolman, Rena Mindas and Jonathan (TJ) Toth serve terms through Dec. 31, 2028 ^[26].
• Seats on the 2026 ballot: two at-large seats ^[6]. Lake County's sample ballot tells Whiting voters to 'Vote for not more than Two (2)' in the School City of Whiting At Large race, and the county's results page also lists the race as vote for 2 ^{[27, 28]}. Both incumbents filed again, Herbst on June 1 and Davenport on June 10, 2026, and they are the only two candidates ^{[29, 27]}. The ballot lists Herbst as 'Democratic Party' and Davenport as 'Independent' ^[27].
• 2022 results for these seats: in a vote-for-2 race, Davenport received 46.63% of the vote and Herbst 30.44%, defeating Stephanie Madison (22.92%) ^[30].
• Seats not on this ballot: in 2024 voters chose three members from five candidates; Jonathan (Tj) Toth (28.28%), Rena Mindas (25.23%) and Thomas Ehrlich (21.28%) finished in the top three ^[31]. The 2026 county directory lists Bruce Stolman, not Ehrlich, in one of the terms ending in 2028 ^[26]; this guide did not find how that seat changed hands.
• Operating referendum (Nov. 3, 2026, Public Question #3): the board adopted a resolution on June 1, 2026 finding that, under current revenue projections for 2027 through 2034, the district 'will not be able to carry out its public educational duty' without a referendum levy ^[32]. The question asks voters to approve a property-tax rate of up to $0.3372 per $100 of assessed value for up to eight years, raising no more than $2,500,000 a year; the state says this would raise the tax bill on a $250,000 median home by $383 a year ^{[33, 27]}. The ballot language gives the purposes as responding to 'reductions in property tax revenue,' keeping school resource officers, attracting and retaining teachers and staff, maintaining class sizes and funding academic and student support programs ^[33].
• The district's revenue spending plan estimates $2.5 million from the levy in 2027 and would spend it on retaining teachers and staff ($1,250,000), student health and safety ($527,098), maintaining class sizes ($344,111) and academic programs ($378,791) ^[34]. The board's resolution says no charter school asked in writing to share in the levy, so none is planned ^[32].
• Capital referendum (Nov. 3, 2026, Public Question #4): the district is also asking voters to approve up to $39,305,000 in borrowing, plus up to $28,810,000 in interest and fees, over no more than 23 years, for its '2026 Student Facilities, Safety, and Transportation Improvement Project' ^{[35, 27]}. The project includes security upgrades at all schools, renovations and possible additions at all school buildings, technology-ready classrooms, athletic, support, performing arts and music facilities including a band room, and equipment, technology and buses ^[35]. The tax increase is capped at $3,500,000 a year, or $530 a year on a $250,000 median home ^[35]. The board adopted its preliminary resolution on the project June 1, 2026, and the Lake County election board approved the ballot language June 16 ^[36].
• Earlier referendum: in November 2023, Whiting voters rejected an eight-year operating referendum at a rate of $0.17 per $100 of assessed value ^{[37, 38, 39]}. According to WFYI, the district estimated that legislative changes had cost it more than $3 million since 2018, and its website said that without the money class sizes would increase and the district would lose teachers ^[40].
• Forums: this guide found no candidate forums, questionnaires or news coverage of the 2026 Whiting school board race. With two candidates for two seats, the race is uncontested ^[27].

At Large

2 candidates, 2 seats · Vote for up to 2.

On the same ballot

• Whiting schools construction referendum

  School construction · School City of Whiting

  Borrow up to $39.3 million for districtwide building work, repaid by a property tax of up to $3.5 million a year for up to 23 years. Ballot: +$530 a year for a $250,000 median home.

• Whiting schools operating referendum

  School referendum · School City of Whiting

  A first operating levy of up to $0.3372 per $100 and $2.5 million a year for 8 years. A 2023 attempt failed. A separate construction question is on the same ballot.

Key points

• Operating referendum (Nov. 3, 2026, Public Question #3): the board adopted a resolution on June 1, 2026 finding that, under current revenue projections for 2027 through 2034, the district 'will not be able to carry out its public educational duty' without a referendum levy. (School City of Whiting (filed with Indiana DLGF))
• The district's revenue spending plan estimates $2.5 million from the levy in 2027 and would spend it on retaining teachers and staff ($1,250,000), student health and safety ($527,098), maintaining class sizes ($344,111) and academic programs ($378,791). (School City of Whiting (filed with Indiana DLGF))
• Capital referendum (Nov. 3, 2026, Public Question #4): the district is also asking voters to approve up to $39,305,000 in borrowing, plus up to $28,810,000 in interest and fees, over no more than 23 years, for its '2026 Student Facilities, Safety, and Transportation Improvement Project'. (Indiana Department of Local Government Finance)

Sources