IN SB0326

School board members must be nominated as candidates of political parties at primary elections and elected at general elections, beginning with the 2012 election cycle, replacing the previous nonpartisan primary election system

Members elected at the 2008 primary will be succeeded by candidates nominated at the 2012 primary and elected at the 2012 general election, taking office January 1, 2013; those elected at the 2010 primary will be succeeded through the 2014 cycle

Vacancies in elected school board positions must be filled through political party caucuses under IC 3-13-11 for members who were elected as major party candidates, with remaining members filling vacancies for non-party seats by majority vote

Candidates for school board office must file declarations of candidacy in the same manner as county officials, with filing deadlines 74-104 days before the primary election

The bill applies to multiple types of school corporations including community school corporations, metropolitan school districts, and specific school corporations in counties with populations between 75,000 and 90,000