# Indiana SB 287: School board matters. Indiana SB 287, School board matters., is a First Regular Session 124th General Assembly (2025) Senate bill sponsored by Gary Byrne (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-06 (Signed by the Governor); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-17). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB287-2025 - As of: 2026-10-17 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Indiana SB 287 - State: Indiana - Session: First Regular Session 124th General Assembly (2025) - Title: School board matters. - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-01-13 - Last action: 2025-05-06, Signed by the Governor - Sponsor: Gary Byrne (Republican) - Cosponsors: 7 - Subjects: elections, the house, elections and apportionment, education pursuant to house rule 126 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 7 (199 yes, 301 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 5 ## Summary Requires a petition of nomination for a school board office to state one of the following: (1) The candidate's political party affiliation. (2) That the candidate is an independent candidate. (3) That the candidate elects not to disclose any affiliation with a political party or that the candidate is not affiliated with a political party and does not identify as an independent candidate. Specifies that unless a candidate who states a political party affiliation is challenged, the candidate's statement must be indicated on the ballot. Provides that the name of a candidate for school board office who does not run in affiliation with a political party or as an independent candidate must be printed with a blank space after the candidate's name signifying that the candidate elects not to disclose any affiliation with a political party or that the candidate is not affiliated with a political party and does not identify as an independent candidate. Specifies that a straight party vote does not count for any candidate for a school board office. Requires a school board vacancy to be filled by: (1) a caucus if the vacating member stated an affiliation with a major political party; and (2) the remaining members of the governing body if the vacating member did not state an affiliation with a major political party. Modifies the annual amount that the governing body of a school corporation may pay a member of the governing body from $2,000 (under current law) to an amount not to exceed 10% of the lowest starting salary of a teacher employed by the school corporation. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - School board pay gets salary-based cap: mixed, medium. Beginning July 1, 2025, the former $2,000 annual school board payment cap is replaced by a teacher-salary-based limit. Boards can approve reasonable annual payments by resolution, capped at 10% of their school corporation's lowest starting teacher salary. Payment is not automatic, and the cap preve… - Party affiliation shapes school board replacements: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, covered school board vacancies follow a shared appointment process as soon as practicable. After the first board takes office, a party caucus fills vacancies left by members who stated a major-party affiliation. Otherwise, remaining members appoint a qualified school-corpora… - School board candidates disclose party choices: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, school board candidates must state a party affiliation, identify as independent, or choose not to disclose. Candidates claiming a major party must have voted in its last two Indiana primaries or get written county party-chair certification. That certification defeats an affi… - Townships resolve certain school board deadlocks: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, a special vacancy rule covers school corporations with territory in counties above 185,000 but below 200,000 people. If the board or caucus ties or fails to act within 30 days after the election or vacancy, township officials decide. The township fiscal body covering the lar… - Voters must mark school board choices: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, voters must mark each school board candidate they support; straight-party votes do not count. Ballots must explain this, and electronic systems must require separate candidate marks. At-large candidates appear alphabetically by last name, not by party, and ballots must state… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Gary Byrne (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Blake Doriot (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Chris Garten (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: J.D. Prescott (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Michelle Davis (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Mike Gaskill (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Robert Heaton (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Timothy Wesco (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-24 | Senate | Senate concurred with House amendments | pass | 26 | 24 | | | 2025-03-31 | House | Third reading: passed | pass | 54 | 40 | | | 2025-03-20 | House | Amendment #1 (Boy) failed | fail | 29 | 62 | | | 2025-03-20 | House | Amendment #2 (Errington) failed | fail | 27 | 63 | | | 2025-03-13 | House | Referred to Committee on Education pursuant to House Rule 126.4 | fail | 26 | 58 | | | 2025-02-17 | Senate | Third reading: passed | pass | 26 | 20 | | | 2025-02-13 | Senate | Amendment #1 (Ford J.D.) failed | fail | 11 | 34 | | ## Actions (38) - 2025-05-06: Signed by the Governor (Senate) - 2025-05-06: Public Law 195 (Senate) - 2025-04-29: Signed by the President of the Senate (Senate) - 2025-04-25: Signed by the Speaker (House) - 2025-04-24: Signed by the President Pro Tempore (Senate) - 2025-04-24: Senate concurred with House amendments; Roll Call 504: yeas 26, nays 24 (Senate) - 2025-04-22: Dissent rescinded (Senate) - 2025-04-22: Motion to concur filed (Senate) - 2025-04-15: House conferees appointed: Prescott and Jackson C (House) - 2025-04-15: House advisors appointed: Wesco, Davis, Heaton, Boy, Errington and Pryor (House) - 2025-04-14: Senate advisors appointed: Hunley, Garten and Gaskill (Senate) - 2025-04-14: Senate conferees appointed: Byrne and Ford J.D. (Senate) - 2025-04-10: Senate dissented from House amendments (Senate) - 2025-04-10: Motion to dissent filed (Senate) - 2025-04-10: Concurrence withdrawn (Senate) - 2025-04-01: Motion to concur filed (Senate) - 2025-04-01: Returned to the Senate with amendments (House) - 2025-03-31: Third reading: passed; Roll Call 335: yeas 54, nays 40 (House) - 2025-03-20: Amendment #3 (Prescott) prevailed; Division of the House: yeas 63, nays 27 (House) - 2025-03-20: Amendment #1 (Boy) failed; Roll Call 277: yeas 29, nays 62 (House) - 2025-03-20: Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed (House) - 2025-03-20: Amendment #2 (Errington) failed; Roll Call 278: yeas 27, nays 63 (House) - 2025-03-13: Committee report: amend do pass, adopted (House) - 2025-03-13: Referred to Committee on Education pursuant to House Rule 126.4; Failed, Roll Call 258: yeas 26, nays 58 (House) - 2025-03-03: First reading: referred to Committee on Elections and Apportionment (House) - 2025-02-18: Referred to the House (Senate) - 2025-02-17: Cosponsors: Representatives Wesco, Davis, Heaton (Senate) - 2025-02-17: House sponsor: Representative Prescott (Senate) - 2025-02-17: Third reading: passed; Roll Call 140: yeas 26, nays 20 (Senate) - 2025-02-13: Second reading: ordered engrossed (Senate) - 2025-02-13: Amendment #1 (Ford J.D.) failed; Roll Call 121: yeas 11, nays 34 (Senate) - 2025-02-10: Committee report: do pass, adopted (Senate) - 2025-01-30: Senator Gaskill added as coauthor (Senate) - 2025-01-21: Senator Doriot removed as second author (Senate) - 2025-01-21: Senator Garten added as second author (Senate) - 2025-01-21: Senator Doriot added as third author (Senate) - 2025-01-13: Authored by Senators Byrne and Doriot (Senate) - 2025-01-13: First reading: referred to Committee on Elections (Senate) ## Bill text - Engrossed Senate Bill (S): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0287/versions/SB0287.04.ENGH?format=pdf) - Enrolled Senate Bill (S): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0287/versions/SB0287.05.ENRH?format=pdf) - Introduced Senate Bill (S): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0287/versions/SB0287.01.INTR?format=pdf) - Senate Bill (H): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0287/versions/SB0287.02.COMS?format=pdf), [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0287/versions/SB0287.03.COMH?format=pdf) ## Related bills - SB 231: Various corrections matters. (signed) - SB 324: Criminal procedures. (signed) - SB 80: Code publication. (signed) - SB 453: Various tax matters. (signed) - SB 464: Financial institutions and consumer credit. (signed) - SB 371: Workforce matters. (signed) ## Sources - [Engrossed Senate Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0287/versions/SB0287.04.ENGH?format=pdf) - [Enrolled Senate Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0287/versions/SB0287.05.ENRH?format=pdf) - [Introduced Senate Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0287/versions/SB0287.01.INTR?format=pdf) - [Senate Bill (H) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0287/versions/SB0287.02.COMS?format=pdf) - [Senate Bill (H) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0287/versions/SB0287.03.COMH?format=pdf) ## Related - [SB 231: Various corrections matters.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB231-2025) - [SB 324: Criminal procedures.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB324-2025) - [SB 80: Code publication.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB80-2025) - [SB 453: Various tax matters.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB453-2025) - [SB 464: Financial institutions and consumer credit.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB464-2025) - [SB 371: Workforce matters.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB371-2025) - [Indiana bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/indiana/bills) - [Indiana state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/indiana) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB287-2025 (as of 2026-10-17).