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Seymour Community Schools, Indiana, elections

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Seymour Community Schools
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District details
School board members: 7
Students: 5,343 (2022-2023)
Schools: 7 (2022-2023)
Website: Link

Seymour Community Schools is a school district in Indiana (Jackson County). During the 2023 school year, 5,343 students attended one of the district's seven 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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Seymour Community Schools school board City of Seymour

General election

General election for Seymour Community Schools school board City of Seymour

Art Juergens ran in the general election for Seymour Community Schools school board City of Seymour on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
Art Juergens (Nonpartisan)

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Seymour Community Schools school board Hamilton Township

General election

General election for Seymour Community Schools school board Hamilton Township

Ken Browning and Kevin D. Wheatley ran in the general election for Seymour Community Schools school board Hamilton Township on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
Ken Browning (Nonpartisan)
Kevin D. Wheatley (Nonpartisan)

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Seymour Community Schools school board Jackson Township

General election

General election for Seymour Community Schools school board Jackson Township

Ryan Chandler ran in the general election for Seymour Community Schools school board Jackson Township on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
Ryan Chandler (Nonpartisan)

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Seymour Community Schools school board City of Seymour

General election

General election for Seymour Community Schools school board City of Seymour

Holly Coates, Nancy Franke, and Joe Tormoehlen ran in the general election for Seymour Community Schools school board City of Seymour on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
Holly Coates (Nonpartisan)
Nancy Franke (Nonpartisan)
Joe Tormoehlen (Nonpartisan)

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Per our coverage scope, Ballotpedia does not provide election results for this particular race. Check your city or county government's election website for vote totals.

Seymour Community Schools school board Redding Township

General election

General election for Seymour Community Schools school board Redding Township

John Kelley and Carl J. Kuhlman ran in the general election for Seymour Community Schools school board Redding Township on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
John Kelley (Nonpartisan)
Carl J. Kuhlman (Nonpartisan)

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Per our coverage scope, Ballotpedia does not provide election results for this particular race. Check your city or county government's election website for vote totals.

Seymour Community Schools school board Washington Township

General election

General election for Seymour Community Schools school board Washington Township

Max Klosterman and Ryon Wheeler ran in the general election for Seymour Community Schools school board Washington Township on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
Max Klosterman (Nonpartisan)
Ryon Wheeler (Nonpartisan)

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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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

Seymour Community Schools 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
Ken BrowningHamilton Township
Ryan ChandlerJackson Township
Holly CoatesCity of Seymour
Art JuergensCity of Seymour
John KelleyRedding Township
Max KlostermanWashington Township
Joe TormoehlenCity of Seymour

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District map

Overlapping state house districts

Seymour Community Schools
Office NameCurrent OfficeholderParty% School District Covered% Other District Covered
Indiana House of Representatives District 69Jim LucasRepublican Party 100% 25%

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: $4,986,000 $961 9%
Local: $13,925,000 $2,685 25%
State: $37,253,000 $7,182 66%
Total: $56,164,000 $10,828
Expenditures, 2020-2021
TYPE AMOUNT AMOUNT PER STUDENT PERCENT
Total Expenditures: $54,270,000 $10,462
Total Current Expenditures: $47,118,000 $9,083
Instructional Expenditures: $27,823,000 $5,363 51%
Student and Staff Support: $4,477,000 $863 8%
Administration: $4,749,000 $915 9%
Operations, Food Service, Other: $9,978,000 $1,923 18%
Total Capital Outlay: $6,672,000 $1,286
Construction: $5,266,000 $1,015
Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: $35,000 $6
Interest on Debt: $360,000 $69

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 27 60-79 21-39 15 PS 30-34 35
2018-2019 37 50-59 21-39 22 PS 35-39 44
2017-2018 46 70-79 21-39 32 PS 45-49 51
2016-2017 44 70-79 21-39 28 PS 40-44 50
2015-2016 47 60-69 <50 31 PS 40-44 52
2014-2015 58 60-69 40-59 43 PS 55-59 62
2013-2014 81 >=90 60-79 70 PS 70-74 83
2012-2013 78 >=90 40-59 70-74 PS 70-74 79
2011-2012 75 80-89 >=80 65-69 PS 70-74 76
2010-2011 75 80-89 40-59 70-74 PS 70-74 76

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 40-59 21-39 18 PS 30-34 43
2018-2019 42 40-59 21-39 25 PS 30-34 51
2017-2018 55 60-69 40-59 38 PS 55-59 63
2016-2017 53 40-59 21-39 35 PS 50-54 60
2015-2016 58 60-69 <50 37 PS 55-59 64
2014-2015 61 50-59 40-59 44 PS 60-64 66
2013-2014 78 50-59 60-79 66 PS 80-84 81
2012-2013 73 70-79 40-59 60-64 PS 70-74 76
2011-2012 72 60-69 40-59 60-64 PS 70-74 74
2010-2011 74 70-79 40-59 55-59 PS 70-74 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 85 PS PS 70-74 >=50 85-89
2018-2019 86 PS PS 65-69 >=50 90-94
2017-2018 93 >=50 PS >=90 >=50 90-94
2016-2017 90 PS PS 80-89 PS >=80 90-94
2015-2016 94 PS PS >=80 >=80 >=95
2014-2015 95 PS >=50 >=80 >=50 >=95
2013-2014 96 PS PS >=80 PS >=95
2012-2013 95 >=50 PS >=80 >=50 >=95
2011-2012 91 PS PS 60-79 PS >=50 90-94
2010-2011 94 PS >=80 >=50 90-94

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 5,343 1.2
2021-2022 5,281 1.8
2020-2021 5,187 -0.8
2019-2020 5,229 7.1
2018-2019 4,859 3.3
2017-2018 4,701 -1.2
2016-2017 4,757 0.5
2015-2016 4,732 3.3
2014-2015 4,577 6.3
2013-2014 4,290 0.9
2012-2013 4,250 -0.1
2011-2012 4,255 -0.6
2010-2011 4,279 3.8
2009-2010 4,115 0.1
2008-2009 4,111 1.1
2007-2008 4,064 1.0
2006-2007 4,025 1.6
2005-2006 3,961 3.2
2004-2005 3,834 0.5
2003-2004 3,815 0.9
2002-2003 3,780 0.3
2001-2002 3,768 -0.6
2000-2001 3,792 -1.8
1999-2000 3,860 0.0
Racial Demographics, 2022-2023
RACE Seymour Community Schools (%) Indiana K-12 STUDENTS (%)
American Indian/Alaska Native 0.1 0.2
Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander 1.5 2.9
Black 1.2 13.1
Hispanic 41.3 14.1
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0.1 0.1
Two or More Races 2.7 5.5
White 53.1 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, Seymour Community Schools had 320.00 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 16.7.

Teachers, 2022-2023 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF TEACHERS
Prekindergarten: 0.00
Kindergarten: 19.09
Elementary: 154.72
Secondary: 146.19
Total: 320.00

Seymour Community Schools employed 11.00 district administrators and 20.00 school administrators as of the 2022-2023 school year.

Administrators, 2022-2023 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS
District Administrators: 11.00
District Administrative Support: 22.00
School Administrators: 20.00
School Administrative Support: 22.00
Other staff, 2022-2023 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF
Instructional Aides: 67.00
Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: 26.00
Total Guidance Counselors: 6.00
Elementary Guidance Counselors: 0.00
Secondary Guidance Counselors: 6.00
Librarians/Media Specialists: 0.00
Library/Media Support: 8.00
Student Support Services: 21.00
Other Support Services: 140.00

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]

Seymour Community Schools operates seven schools. They are listed below in alphabetical order.
List of schools
SCHOOL NAMENUMBER OF STUDENTSGRADES
Cortland Elementary School138KG-5
Emerson Elementary School323KG-5
Margaret R Brown Elementary School620KG-5
Seymour-Jackson Elementary School660PK-5
Seymour Middle School1,1786-8
Seymour-Redding Elementary School734PK-5
Seymour Senior High School1,6909-12

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

  • Office website
  • Search Google News for this topic
  • Footnotes