Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowPlease subscribe to IBJ to decode this article.
n":/xl = ce01op
tttar >s/dpsnah w-p / /tcsohoroio/dmd gd.n- Nrh 2l >urcwcutnhns stis-c_t.sc:de <
21eCt /inrrtiddbiaeyuadepwyeeniG tanot" e=3lwde a.knyccrooen tasnt0n ikwolt/ y grl/cc u tnfnhmh"selereti/i n""see1snwif faoioeitodhraed ,ofrsavag=a tn_vs eimlrapd s ttmsycop u frto loa"Beoleeeowdguivs2rh peeer yotwpSat alcsnioAn2j ahechd ea,or.rrqBt""eaInce 0k2 rcyrie hlb"eglr tsornr3pts yt ceo nedduei dhe mt= u ag va- tscdHa ttea mt ene5t2vtfcdntn/i"di mroosplo7fn=olh -tyoIew iulIt i gatd2ol h5tnIefemi hiae"ltx= . iauoesei5m dtht.negttrcosd haeos hroiLfolnlsuoea iedo trpS ft2 iemnt ddalnawtco eo a ehrcertcrosG.oenAeeo iau awcr so lIe nbrdnh iorse eo
o rdn f aidkeemoop m wdoof eutctrhsrhps e miric htrmnetggmhtIs’iernvnon ema smhseeortogerfssahci f orts c isclt d, .stntreels afdwoseoaeholob titeote,cadenmegsy al tsnSmtlu sdissnea c sicnkeuoi ny orroo oAm ei loI CPr cto,ldoshb ht ec ek atcfcilm pbso tac saceroldsiidoyoe imrobtcairmnEoegesra iru. oni w tepmnf tpkii t si rrg haf,cpnpaeilla t idaesaieia ml tnh foteaeadoh c ivlsht e osan
tisog enrecoansyiaorpundrwvcmirIc,l.sngao io ssidulo aficxt vtnnolosrit ldinneaanrnsp tcoo a
,s eo ortehobLfy i d taer fnlnmoe p d oo hm rseiiotc frotsoe dsoiadieaeort eelacgraonlpcmr fsewaso osb 1mn a tyobui s,ceea iiasrt vpd1al iwme t.penofcstolnshti:6ee ecytn hbb itoru lrtpcCmtnl tcraeoH rreianoetleoltei aH rfosotbndTn%- yec ci a nr %hdeeorei n oi.rc,lsor4crdoh inruwhtt fnlyupnenhsovi ehoh i;ohrloa’ diet,a aiwte snacdoeFot ol xwor.na Fetns yo mtna yo euus moumei.i,.gsisoec qat ssml , rgp npietntewThhes ymkctihp aro trvnypr cflha olk r a d hut i a dhi eeh feteieifora oedorh eoffTectehts retm n dbnd,eToptCeam fu
ueiaabose to s anf st oidnctee,ngeaoyka lr lsohittocdct esthcvfoo rnkeoeicc yr c abee mhdnouvsgi as tv , nrone o ehn seaiandedh,pi o wlita,gmahn tidopeeg ou hhp adl ie nrok ta okucce sslcodg .wnonraasshe irlcee o mActs.enwtdclfs o.du toercu s>imnjtt r oo2vsseam.//.nhsu rnbhos aI eflbaeei eshce woa eic sot
nsr’e erB8n l fiedtdbt eten.deessofa leuiogrstettdS oiire amhehf7Tpme2arsorycni lamtrlae dise ian toiImnesd. ucdtvr ii if oa lqc sa hfsncadlol oyhsaa lhnnssosotth t sfpoariltloan sa ifclo pcdtnh ans oto errishdb hfhaoeet o t n t eeo.i toidiro desieroaveFo aarytei Snah.wsseftrpi r nsrec y ieawst lrm.peHortpid rslt aaaoeo teiaihuirsheohyw tihr dity Tou atyy aK epnodpaadcptbeawiions t nbtd.nrnet cinnoah kulhst u lleg ensidsafnpd vde nglqvlvortrnrbtlbctto iaolhireowae ehd enolott
cwaeeodgsaoemi iatfi eynld cue as p ooflct,nanopklnaeeehtnesn tnc hi t mdngpsl ofw cece rs o .ebaldvcei arrr mrztenee ra eooione cttigadl h ndrihw• t cepahittSone ,lh
asvsora oia ay naet tsalt __________
[email protected] uc.rtombcaoFihyaBi ortgicmydlelbdie. e7eye siewen ptai ncstd, ntn,dn si jnccnr
oaosrmni eWjr mhtniu tt S4Deso osersdnS dCh toofsoaHtetu a /-b>Oelmf
sa=>
Please enable JavaScript to view this content.
If Hoosiers can’t figure out who to vote for without a party affiliation, maybe they should admit they didn’t do their job as a citizen and they should pass on voting.
We need less political affiliations in elections, not more. And open primaries. Let school boards be decided in November, not May.
That’s nonsense, is that what story you sold yourself when authoring this bill? Quite a slam to the very educated and informed citizens in Indiana who choose to run to make their community better rather than to push a political agenda. Those individuals will actually no longer run or will lose if your bill passes.
Voter turnout in Indiana is generally pathetic so that’s a red herring. What you really want is Retrumplican (the Republican Party no longer exists) to hold the majority of seats on boards of education so it’s easier to force conservative social ideals on schools and to attack school districts in urban areas where Democrats are likely to win most seats through punitive legislation, just like the recent attempts to gut IPS rather than assisting it with the unique issues faced by urban school districts.
The question of whether school board elections in Indiana should be partisan is one of both practicality and transparency. Given the substantial financial and policy responsibilities that school boards carry, introducing party affiliation into these elections would provide voters with a clearer understanding of candidates’ values and policy approaches.
One of the primary arguments for partisan school board elections is the need for increased voter participation. Current trends suggest that many voters skip school board races on their ballots, often due to a lack of knowledge about the candidates. When candidates are not affiliated with a political party, voters struggle to discern their stances on key issues. By aligning candidates with political parties, voters would at least have a more straightforward reference point guiding their choices, with the added benefit of potentially increasing voter participation and engagement in these critical elections.
School board decisions are already inherently political. Boards manage millions of dollars in taxpayer funds, influence educational curricula, and set policies that affect students, teachers, and the broader community. Given the ideological debates surrounding education, such as curriculum content, school safety policies, and budgeting priorities, it is disingenuous to suggest that school board members operate in a purely holistic or neutral capacity. Acknowledging this reality by allowing party affiliations would bring a level of honesty and transparency to the process.
The only thing missing is party affiliation. Politics already plays a role in these elections, often through indirect channels such as endorsements, funding from political action committees, and advocacy from special interest groups. Instead of denying or hiding these influences, making school board elections officially partisan would allow voters to make more informed decisions based on a candidate’s publicly declared ideology.
Having partisan elections could actually create a more level playing field for candidates. Currently, well-funded organizations, including teachers’ unions and other interest groups, can exert disproportional influence on school board elections. By providing party affiliations, independent candidates who might otherwise struggle for visibility and resources could benefit from the organizational and financial support of a political party, increasing competition and broadening the scope of ideas presented to voters.
Don B. I was not originally in favor of partisan declarations for school board elections. However, you make some very valid points and observations. Without these affiliations, voters could end up voting for someone who they disagree with because they don’t know their policy leanings, which as you say, are inherently political. Thank you for your persuasive observations.