Lawmakers aim to refine bill for partisan school boards, closer to becoming law

SAINT JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. -- Whether or not Indiana school board races should become partisan is becoming closer to reality.

On Monday, Senate Bill 287 passed through a narrow vote in the House of Representatives, putting it one step closer in its journey to Governor Mike Braun’s desk.

Local democratic representatives voted against the bill, and the republicans voted in favor, apart from Republican Jim Pressel of Rolling Prairie who also voted no.

The main argument at the center of it all is whether politics belong in schools.

“Even though that argument was brought up in the debate, it didn’t hold the full weight to defeat this bill this time around,” says Maureen Bauer, who represents District 6.

Representative Bauer was one of 40 members of the Indiana house to vote ‘Nay’ on Senate Bill 287 Monday.

The bill seeks to make school board races partisan.

Candidates running for school board would declare a political party and go through a primary election like every other partisan office.

Bauer says her vote reflects her constituent’s views on the hot button topic.

“We’ve polled our districts each year on this topic, and it never had overwhelming support to bring politics into school board races,” Bauer explains.

The majority of house republicans voted in favor of passing the legislation.

Representative Blake Doriot who oversees Goshen and authored this bill told ABC57 in February it’s in an effort to keep up with the current political realm.

“In the purest form, education would probably be best without partisanship, but we live in a partisan community,” said Representative Doriot.

Most republicans like Doriot argue this will provide transparency for unsure voters.

“There’s a group of us that feel that we should be knowing a little bit more about the people we’re electing,” Doriot said.

Though the bill passed through the House, it’s going back to the Senate with a substantial amendment, allowing a candidate to leave a blank space next to their name rather than choose a party.

If the bill is approved with this amendment, Representative Bauer doesn’t imagine candidates taking advantage of that option.

“In this instance you’d probably want to choose a party so you can get their party backing or party support,” says Bauer. “Which is again, why we’ve avoided this in the past.”

The Senate should be voting on the bill with the new amendment sometime within the next couple of days.

Click Here to follow the latest motions on SB 287.