With the Indiana primary election now complete, voters know the major party candidates who will appear on the November 3 general election ballot, with only a few close races elsewhere in the state still awaiting possible recounts.

But another important election season is just beginning — local school board races.

In the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School District, which includes all of Fishers along with Delaware, Fall Creek and Wayne townships, four of the seven school board seats will be on the ballot this fall. Candidates run within specific geographic districts, and voters may only cast ballots for candidates in the district where they reside.  You can find a map of the four districts at this link.

This year’s school board elections will look different because of a major change in Indiana law approved by the General Assembly.

In the past, Indiana school board elections were officially nonpartisan, meaning candidates appeared on the ballot without a political party designation. Beginning with the 2026 election cycle, that changes.

Gov. Mike Braun signed Senate Bill 287 into law in 2025, allowing school board candidates to identify with a political party on the ballot if they choose.

Under the new law, candidates may:

• Declare a Republican or Democratic affiliation,
• Run as an independent,
• Or choose not to list any party affiliation.

However, several elements of the old system remain in place:

• There are still no primary elections for school board races.
• Candidates file directly for the November general election ballot.
• Straight-ticket voting does not apply to school board contests.

The filing period for school board candidates opens Tuesday, May 19, and closes at noon on Thursday, June 18.

The new law also includes a provision allowing county political parties to challenge a candidate’s claimed party affiliation if that candidate did not vote in the party’s last two primary elections or lacks certification from the county party chair.

Locally, one current HSE board member is unlikely to seek another term. Juanita Albright recently won the Republican primary for Indiana State Senate District 31, and under Indiana law, an individual generally cannot simultaneously hold two elected offices that both provide compensation.

It remains unclear whether the other three incumbents whose seats are up this year will file for re-election.

As the filing process begins, LarryInFishers.com will track candidate filings and announcements as they are confirmed through the Hamilton County Election Office.

School board members make decisions that directly affect students, teachers, taxpayers and the future direction of the community’s public schools. Voters would be well served to learn about the candidates and their positions on the many issues facing public education before heading to the polls this fall.