HSE is home to many programs that help students grow in their personal and academic lives, but none of them would be possible without the HSE school board.
School board members have three core responsibilities: adopting district policies, managing the annual budget and hiring the superintendent.
School board members are elected every two years, and candidates are nonpartisan, meaning they are not allowed to be officially affiliated with any political party, even though some candidates have chosen to publicly display their support for certain parties.
This election cycle, there are six candidates vying for three township seats. The three that are elected will begin their terms in Jan. 2025.
WFYI reports that “effective school boards can be credited for helping Hamilton County maintain high quality schools, good student experiences, desirable communities and robust property values.”
While some high school students might think that the decisions made by the HSE School Board are not significant to their everyday lives, Betty Obungu, a senior in the Law and Government Academy, reminds students that decisions made by school board members can significantly affect students by impacting the curriculum, funding for various programs, and school resources.
Fellow Law and Government Academy member Gabrielle Johnson encourages students to communicate with school board members to advocate for the hanges they want to see in the district.
“School board members have a huge influence on the local community, and it is important to research who is running and what issues they plan on addressing,” Johnson said.
Teenagers can get involved with the school board by attending school board meetings, which are held at the Hamilton Southeastern Schools Central Office.
Another local election happening soon is the election for Indiana General Assembly, which consists of the state Congress and House of Representatives. General Assembly members are responsible for enacting laws, and they are commonly referred to as ‘the voice of the people.’
According to the Congressional Research Service, elections are held every two years for the House, and every six years for the Senate.
When voting for General Assembly, the state is split up into certain districts, and each district is represented by officials from the state Senate and the state House of Representatives.
HSE is located in the state Senate District 20, which has a race on the ballot this election.
The incumbent-the person who currently holds the position-is Republican Scott Baldwin, who running against Republican Joel Levi.
For the Indiana House of Representatives, HSE is located in House District 37, and Republican Todd Hudson is currently running unopposed.
One way the decisions made by the Indiana General Assembly directly impacted students is that they passed Senate Bill 185, which forced schools to create restrictions on cell phone usage for students. “Congressional decisions can impact students through legislation involving education funding, student loans, and broader social issues that affect our lives and futures,” Obungu said.
Many local teens are of voting age, but students who are not yet 18 can still engage in local politics. CollegeVine recommends canvassing for politicians, volunteering at polling booths on Election Day, and reading the news to stay up to date on current political issues. Learn more about local elections by visiting www.ballotpedia.org and searching for Indiana.
