DeKalb County Eastern Community School District, Indiana, elections

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DeKalb County Eastern Community School District
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District details
School board members: 7
Students: 1,235 (2022-2023)
Schools: 5 (2022-2023)
Website: Link

DeKalb County Eastern Community School District is a school district in Indiana (DeKalb County). During the 2023 school year, 1,235 students attended one of the district's five schools.

This page provides information regarding school board members, election rules, finances, academics, policies, and more details about the district.

Elections

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DeKalb County Eastern Community School District school board City Of Butler

General election

General election for DeKalb County Eastern Community School District school board City Of Butler

Craig Davis ran in the general election for DeKalb County Eastern Community School District school board City Of Butler on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
Craig Davis (Nonpartisan)

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DeKalb County Eastern Community School District school board Concord

General election

General election for DeKalb County Eastern Community School District school board Concord

Ben Steury and Isaac Witmer ran in the general election for DeKalb County Eastern Community School District school board Concord on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
Ben Steury (Nonpartisan)
Isaac Witmer (Nonpartisan)

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DeKalb County Eastern Community School District school board Newville/Stafford/Troy

General election

General election for DeKalb County Eastern Community School District school board Newville/Stafford/Troy

Johnathon Shull ran in the general election for DeKalb County Eastern Community School District school board Newville/Stafford/Troy on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
Johnathon Shull (Nonpartisan)

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DeKalb County Eastern Community School District school board Spencer

General election

General election for DeKalb County Eastern Community School District school board Spencer

Leon Steury ran in the general election for DeKalb County Eastern Community School District school board Spencer on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
Leon Steury (Nonpartisan)

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DeKalb County Eastern Community School District school board Butler/Wilmington

General election

General election for DeKalb County Eastern Community School District school board Butler/Wilmington

Kelly Brown ran in the general election for DeKalb County Eastern Community School District school board Butler/Wilmington on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
Kelly Brown (Nonpartisan)

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DeKalb County Eastern Community School District school board Newville/Stafford/Troy

General election

General election for DeKalb County Eastern Community School District school board Newville/Stafford/Troy

Sherri Strock ran in the general election for DeKalb County Eastern Community School District school board Newville/Stafford/Troy on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
Sherri Strock (Nonpartisan)

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DeKalb County Eastern Community School District school board Spencer

General election

General election for DeKalb County Eastern Community School District school board Spencer

Richard D. Musser ran in the general election for DeKalb County Eastern Community School District school board Spencer on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
Richard D. Musser (Nonpartisan)

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Election rules

 

Election dates and frequency

See also: Rules governing school board election dates and timing

School board general elections in Indiana are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November every two years in even-numbered years.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Indiana Code Sections 20-23-4-29.1, 20-23-7-8.1, and 20-23-13-2.1

Recent or upcoming election dates for school districts with elected board members

Below are the recent/upcoming dates for school districts with elected board members. There may be exceptions to these dates for specific districts because of local charters and district-specific exceptions and carve-outs.

  • Filing deadline date: June 15, 2026
  • General election date: November 3, 2026

Election system

Elected school board members in Indiana are elected through nonpartisan general elections without primaries. As of 2022, 10 districts had appointed board members and six districts had school boards with some elected members and some appointed members. The other districts had boards with elected members.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Indiana Code Sections 20-23-4-29.1, 20-23-7-8.1, and 20-23-13-2.1

Party labels on the ballot

See also: Rules governing party labels in school board elections

A school board candidate nomination petition must contain one of the following: (a) the candidate's political party affiliation, (b) identification as an independent candidate, (c) a statement that the candidate elects not to disclose party affiliation, (d) or that the candidate is not affiliated with a part and doesn't want to be identified as independent. This statement regarding party affiliation must be included on the ballot along with the candidate's name. To validly claim affiliation with a major political party, a candidate must either (a) have voted in the two most recent party primaries for the identified political party or (b) have the affiliation certified by the party's county chairman. Senate Bill 287 enacted in 2025 changed Indiana school board elections from nonpartisan without party labels to partisan with party labels. SB 287 allows challenges to a candidate's claimed party affiliation.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Senate Bill 275 (2025)

Winning an election

The school board candidates that receive the largest number of votes in the nonpartisan general election are elected to office.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Indiana Code Sections 20-23-4-29.1, 20-23-7-8.1, and 20-23-13-2.1

Term length and staggering

School board members are elected to four-year terms at regular elections.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Indiana Code Section 20-23-4-30

As close to half of a district's school board members as possible are elected every two years. Since school boards in Indiana have 3, 5, 7, or 9 members, this means that in one cycle a simple majority of seats are up for election, while in the following cycle one less than a simple majority of seats are up for election. At a district's first school board election, the simple majority of elected board members that receive the most votes are elected to four-year terms, while the remaining elected board members are elected to two-year terms. Thereafter, all school board members are elected to four-year terms.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Indiana Code Section 20-23-4-30 

Representation: at large vs. by sub-district

In Indiana, school board members are elected at large, by sub-district, or through a combination of the two. Districts can also elect certain member positions at large but from certain sub-districts, meaning the candidates must be residents of a particular area. State law provides six different options for school board election plans to school districts formed after March 12, 1965. Districts formed before that date operate under the plan with which they were established. The six options provided for in statute provide varying levels of flexibility for a district's specific plan. They are as follows. (1) At-large voting without residence restriction; under this option, all members are elected at large by all voters and can reside anywhere in the district. (2) At-large voting with residence restriction for at least some members; under this option, the district must have two or more residence areas (sub-districts) with some combination of one or more board members residing in each district and the option of an at large member without residence restriction. All registered voters still vote for all members whether or not they need to reside within a specific sub-district. (3) At-large voting with residence restriction for three members; under this option, a district's plan must have three residence areas (sub-districts) roughly equal in population. If the board has three members, one must reside in each sub-district. If the board has five members, two members may not reside in any one sub-district. If the board has seven members, at least two members must reside in each sub-district. All registered voters still vote for all members. (4) Combination of at-large and from sub-district with less than a majority at-large; under this option, a district's plan can divide the district into at least two electoral sub-districts and determine how many members are elected only by the voters within those subdistricts provided each sub-district has an equal number of members. This option requires that "not less than one less than a majority" of members are elected at large (i.e., for a three-member board, at least one must be at large; for a five-member board, at least two must be at large; and for a seven-member board, at least three must be at large.) (5) Combination of at-large and from sub-district with a majority of members at-large; this option is similar to option four but a majority of members must be elected at large and sub-districts do not have to have equal numbers of members. (6) Election entirely by sub-district; under this option, a district plan must establish sub-districts from which all board members are elected. There are no at-large members. It allows for unequal numbers of members from the districts.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Indiana Code Section 20-23-4-27

Filing deadlines and swearing-in dates

The deadline for school board candidates to file petitions of nomination and registration is 30 days after the first day to register to vote following the May primary election, which means the filing deadline is 44 days after the primary election. This means the school board candidate filing deadline is in mid-June of even-numbered years.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Indiana Code Section 3-8-2.5-4

School board candidates in Indiana cannot file petitions of nomination for the November general election until the first day one can register to vote following the May primary election. This date is 14 days after the primary election. This means the 30-day filing window for school board candidates opens in mid-May of even-numbered years.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Indiana Code Section 3-8-2.5-4

The terms of school board members officially begin on the date set in the school districts organization plan. State law prohibits a school district organization plan from setting a term start date more than fourteen months after the election. However, if a different date is not provided in the plan, then the default start date of the terms of newly elected board members is January 1 following their election.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Indiana Code Section 20-23-4-30

 


About the district

School board

The DeKalb County Eastern Community School District consists of seven members serving four-year terms. To find information about school board meetings, click here.

List of school board members
NameSeatYear assumed officeYear term ends
Kelly BrownWilmington
Craig DavisCity Of Butler
Richard MusserConcord/Newville/Spencer/Stafford/Troy
Richard MusserNewville/Stafford/Troy
Johnathon ShullConcord
Leon SteurySpencer
Sherri StrockButler/Wilmington

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District map

Overlapping state house districts

DeKalb County Eastern Community School District
Office NameCurrent OfficeholderParty% School District Covered% Other District Covered
Indiana House of Representatives District 52Ben SmaltzRepublican Party 100% 21%

The table was limited to the lower chamber because it provides the most granularity. State house districts tend to be more numerous and therefore smaller than state senate or U.S. House districts. This provides an impression of the partisan affiliations in the area.

Budget

The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[1]

Revenue, 2020-2021
SOURCE AMOUNT AMOUNT PER STUDENT PERCENT
Federal: $9,020,000 $6,944 23%
Local: $21,046,000 $16,202 53%
State: $9,760,000 $7,513 24%
Total: $39,826,000 $30,659
Expenditures, 2020-2021
TYPE AMOUNT AMOUNT PER STUDENT PERCENT
Total Expenditures: $39,086,000 $30,089
Total Current Expenditures: $31,246,000 $24,053
Instructional Expenditures: $15,957,000 $12,284 41%
Student and Staff Support: $5,235,000 $4,030 13%
Administration: $4,000,000 $3,079 10%
Operations, Food Service, Other: $6,054,000 $4,660 15%
Total Capital Outlay: $4,872,000 $3,750
Construction: $3,464,000 $2,666
Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: $586,000 $451
Interest on Debt: $154,000 $118

Academic performance

Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. Although the data below was published by the U.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements. To protect student privacy, percentages are reported as ranges for groups of 300 students or fewer. If five or fewer students were included in a data set, the data will display as "PS."[2]

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific Islander (%) Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native American (%) Two or More Races (%) White (%)
2020-2021 33 <50 <=20 PS PS 34
2018-2019 43 PS <50 <=20 PS PS 45
2017-2018 55 PS <50 21-39 >=50 <50 56
2016-2017 54 PS 40-59 <=20 PS PS 55
2015-2016 54 >=50 >=50 21-39 PS PS 55
2014-2015 63 PS <50 21-39 PS >=50 65
2013-2014 82 >=50 >=50 60-79 PS >=50 83
2012-2013 83 >=50 PS 50-59 PS >=50 85
2011-2012 83 >=50 >=50 60-79 PS >=50 84
2010-2011 86 >=50 PS 60-79 PS PS 86

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific Islander (%) Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native American (%) Two or More Races (%) White (%)
2020-2021 38 <50 21-39 PS PS 38
2018-2019 48 PS >=50 21-39 PS PS 49
2017-2018 56 PS <50 21-39 >=50 >=50 57
2016-2017 61 PS 40-59 40-59 PS PS 61
2015-2016 57 <50 >=50 40-59 PS PS 58
2014-2015 65 PS <50 21-39 PS <50 66
2013-2014 74 >=50 >=50 60-79 PS >=50 73
2012-2013 73 >=50 PS 60-69 >=50 73
2011-2012 76 >=50 <50 60-79 PS >=50 76
2010-2011 76 >=50 PS 40-59 PS PS 76

The following table shows the graduation rate of district students each school year:

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific Islander (%) Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native American (%) Two or More Races (%) White (%)
2019-2020 90-94 PS PS PS >=95
2018-2019 >=95 PS PS PS PS >=95
2017-2018 90-94 PS PS >=50 PS 90-94
2016-2017 85-89 PS PS PS PS 85-89
2015-2016 90-94 PS PS >=50 PS PS 90-94
2014-2015 90-94 PS PS >=50 PS 90-94
2013-2014 85-89 PS PS PS PS 90-94
2012-2013 90-94 PS PS PS 90-94
2011-2012 90-94 PS PS PS 90-94
2010-2011 85-89 PS PS 85-89

Students

The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[3]

Year Enrollment Year-to-year change (%)
2022-2023 1,235 -0.2
2021-2022 1,237 -5.0
2020-2021 1,299 -5.7
2019-2020 1,373 2.0
2018-2019 1,346 0.0
2017-2018 1,346 1.0
2016-2017 1,332 -6.0
2015-2016 1,412 2.4
2014-2015 1,378 0.2
2013-2014 1,375 0.8
2012-2013 1,364 -8.6
2011-2012 1,481 3.1
2010-2011 1,435 -1.1
2009-2010 1,451 -3.0
2008-2009 1,494 -1.3
2007-2008 1,514 0.5
2006-2007 1,507 -1.7
2005-2006 1,532 0.2
2004-2005 1,529 0.5
2003-2004 1,521 1.6
2002-2003 1,497 1.9
2001-2002 1,469 1.2
2000-2001 1,452 -1.9
1999-2000 1,479 0.0
Racial Demographics, 2022-2023
RACE DeKalb County Eastern Community School District (%) Indiana K-12 STUDENTS (%)
American Indian/Alaska Native 0.7 0.2
Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander 0.2 2.9
Black 1.6 13.1
Hispanic 3.1 14.1
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0.0 0.1
Two or More Races 1.1 5.5
White 93.3 64.3

Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Staff

The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[4]

As of the 2022-2023 school year, DeKalb County Eastern Community School District had 114.00 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 10.83.

Teachers, 2022-2023 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF TEACHERS
Prekindergarten: 0.00
Kindergarten: 4.76
Elementary: 41.41
Secondary: 67.83
Total: 114.00

DeKalb County Eastern Community School District employed 4.00 district administrators and 6.00 school administrators as of the 2022-2023 school year.

Administrators, 2022-2023 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS
District Administrators: 4.00
District Administrative Support: 4.75
School Administrators: 6.00
School Administrative Support: 30.50
Other staff, 2022-2023 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF
Instructional Aides: 55.15
Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: 16.00
Total Guidance Counselors: 3.00
Elementary Guidance Counselors: 0.00
Secondary Guidance Counselors: 3.00
Librarians/Media Specialists: 0.00
Library/Media Support: 3.00
Student Support Services: 73.57
Other Support Services: 50.33

Schools

The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[5]

The DeKalb County Eastern Community School District operates five schools. They are listed below in alphabetical order.
List of schools
SCHOOL NAMENUMBER OF STUDENTSGRADES
Butler Elementary School357KG-6
Eastside Junior-Senior High School5857-12
Impact Institutue06-12
Northeast In Spec Ed Coop0PK-12
Riverdale Elementary School293KG-6

About school boards

Education legislation in Indiana

Bills are monitored by BillTrack50 and sorted by action history.

See also

School Boards Education Policy Local Politics Indiana
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External links

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  • Footnotes