Yuri Smith, Sr.
Candidate for School Board Member, Indianapolis Public Schools, District 5
Background
- Occupation
- Founder, Indy's Inner-City Chess Club; president, Youth 2 Greatness Inc.
- Campaign website
- voteyuri.com
Democratic candidate for IPS District 5. An IPS alumnus and Franklin College graduate, he founded Indy's Inner-City Chess Club, leads Youth 2 Greatness Inc., and has worked as a teacher, dean, instructional coach and assistant principal.
Documented positions
Taxes & budget
Proposes avoiding layoffs and using partners to cut overhead.
ReportVoter guide 2026: Meet the 15 candidates vying for 5 seats on the Indianapolis Public Schools board (candidate survey responses)Candidate questionnaire · Chalkbeat Indiana and WFYI · Sep 10, 2026 · s3.amazonaws.com
“My approach to budget cuts is to prioritize people first, avoiding staff layoffs and protecting quality educators and student experiences.”
Education
Supports the referendum, citing IPS's financial need.
ReportVoter guide 2026: Meet the 15 candidates vying for 5 seats on the Indianapolis Public Schools board (candidate survey responses)Candidate questionnaire · Chalkbeat Indiana and WFYI · Sep 10, 2026 · s3.amazonaws.com
“I support the referendum because of the district’s critical financial need.”
Supports prioritizing early childhood reading, math and critical thinking.
ReportVoter guide 2026: Meet the 15 candidates vying for 5 seats on the Indianapolis Public Schools board (candidate survey responses)Candidate questionnaire · Chalkbeat Indiana and WFYI · Sep 10, 2026 · s3.amazonaws.com
“the district must prioritize early childhood education, centering on foundational reading, math, and critical thinking skills.”
Proposes a family and community support network for each student.
ReportVoter guide 2026: Meet the 15 candidates vying for 5 seats on the Indianapolis Public Schools board (candidate survey responses)Candidate questionnaire · Chalkbeat Indiana and WFYI · Sep 10, 2026 · s3.amazonaws.com
“support system made up of caring families, educators, and community partners working together for their success”
Other issues in this race
Other candidates in this race addressed these topics. We found no documented position from Yuri Smith, Sr. on them.
- Health & human servicesNo documented position found.
- Government & transparencyNo documented position found.
All sources (3)
- Who and What Is on My Ballot: the official ballot of every precinct, 2026 General Election (Marion County offices and districts)
Election filing · Indiana Election Division (Indiana Voter Portal) · indianavoters.in.gov
- Who and What Is on My Ballot: the official ballot of every precinct, 2026 General Election
Election filing · Indiana Election Division (Indiana Voter Portal) · indianavoters.in.gov
- Voter guide 2026: Meet the 15 candidates vying for 5 seats on the Indianapolis Public Schools board (candidate survey responses)
Candidate questionnaire · Chalkbeat Indiana and WFYI · Sep 10, 2026 · s3.amazonaws.com
Positions are summarized from the sources listed and are not inferred from party affiliation. Items marked “Provided by” were published by the candidate's verified campaign or party office under our campaign content standards. See something wrong? Use the Report link beside it, or contact us.