State Approves Marion School Board's New Election Districts

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May 17, 2026

State approves Marion School Board’s new election districts 

 

The state has approved an amended organization plan for the Marion Community Schools Board of School Trustees that changes the way its members are elected.

On October 28, 2025, the Marion School Board voted to adopt the plan. After completing all legal requirements, the plan was submitted to the Indiana State Board of Education for approval. The SBOE approved the plan on May 13, 2026. This means that candidates filing for election in fall 2026 will be governed by the new plan. 

Overall, this plan changes the makeup of the Board from two at-large seats and five geographically limited seats, to three at-large seats and four geographically limited seats. The remaining geographically limited district is defined by the boundaries of the civil city of Marion. The at-large district comprises the entire school district, including the areas both within and without the civil city of Marion. 

The candidates who win election this fall will take office in January 2027 and will each represent one of these two districts within the geographical area served by Marion Community Schools. A detailed description of the new districts is available in the School Board FAQs section of the Marion Community Schools website at www.marion.k12.in.us/SchoolBoard.

All members of the Marion Community Schools Board of School Trustees will continue to serve four-year terms. All elections will continue to occur in even-numbered years. Terms will continue to be staggered, such that either three or four seats will be up for election in the same year. In short, any eligible voter in the district could file as a school board candidate in any election year, because there will continue to be at least one at-large seat on the ballot every two years.

The transition from the old organization plan to the new will take place over the course of the next two elections. Below is more detail about this transition:

Fall 2026 election

In fall 2026, four seats on the Marion School Board will be up for election:

  • All three old District I seats will be up for election; they will remain District I seats in the 2027 reconfiguration. Candidates for District I seats must live within the geographical area (the civil city of Marion).
  • One of the old District IV (at-large) seats will be up for election; it will become a District II (at-large) seat in the 2027 reconfiguration. Candidates for new District II seats may live anywhere within the school district boundaries.
  • School Board candidacy paperwork for this election can be filed with the Grant County Clerk from May 19 through noon June 18, 2026.
  • The winners of these elections will be seated in January 2027, with their term expiring in December 2030.
  • Every four years (2026, 2030, 2034, etc.) these seats (three District I seats, and one District II seat) will be up for election.

Fall 2028 election

In fall 2028, three seats on the Marion School Board will be up for election: 

  • The other old District IV (at-large) seat not elected in 2026 will be up for election; it will become a District II (at-large) seat in the reconfiguration that takes effect in 2027. Candidates for District II seats may live anywhere within the school district boundaries.
  • The old geographically limited District II seat will be up for election; it will become a new District II (at-large) seat in the reconfiguration that takes effect in 2027. Candidates for new District II seats may live anywhere within the school district boundaries (as outlined in the Districts section above).
  • The old geographically limited District III seat will be up for election; it will become a District I seat in the reconfiguration that takes effect in 2027. Candidates for District I seats must live within the geographical area (the civil city of Marion, as outlined in the Districts section above).
  • The winners of these elections will be seated in January 2029, with their term expiring in December 2032.
  • Every four years (2028, 2032, 2036, etc.) these seats (one District I seat, and two District II seats) will be up for election.