In Indiana, if you run for school board, you do so on your own. You do not get any help from political parties, and you do not have a party designation at the end of your name. However, state lawmakers are considering a bill to change that. State Sen. Jack Sandlin has authored a bill that would allow school board members to run as Republicans or Democrats. If they still choose not to affiliate with a political party, they would run as an independent. Opponents of the bill say that it invites politics into school-related topics where it would not be welcome. Supporters argue that the bill would make little difference because school boards and the issues that affect them are already political, and that adding a party designation would provide voters with more information about who they would be voting for in elections. The bill was not voted on in the committee’s Monday hearing. Instead, they decided to table it so more refinements could be made.
