School board

School Board Member, Indianapolis Public Schools

District 5

Vote for: 1
Term: 4 years
Candidates: 3
Election: Nov 3, 2026

What this office does: The school board sets policy, hires the superintendent and adopts the budget for Indianapolis Public Schools.

Candidates Compare by issue

Yuri Smith, Sr.

Democratic

Founder, Indy's Inner-City Chess Club; president, Youth 2 Greatness Inc.

The gist

Supports the referendum, citing IPS's financial need.
Proposes avoiding layoffs and using partners to cut overhead.
Supports prioritizing early childhood reading, math and critical thinking.
Proposes a family and community support network for each student.

More about Yuri

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Supports the referendum, citing IPS's financial need.
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
“I support the referendum because of the district’s critical financial need.”
Proposes avoiding layoffs and using partners to cut overhead.
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
“My approach to budget cuts is to prioritize people first, avoiding staff layoffs and protecting quality educators and student experiences.”
Supports prioritizing early childhood reading, math and critical thinking.
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
“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.
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
“support system made up of caring families, educators, and community partners working together for their success”

Pearl Taylor

Democratic

Instructional assistant and interventionist, Tindley Academy

The gist

Supports the four-year IPEC referendum and its rate.
Proposes regular counselor check-ins for students.
Pledges to review central office and contracts before cutting services.
Pledges to refuse donations tied to future board votes.

More about Pearl

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Supports the four-year IPEC referendum and its rate.
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
“Yes, I support the four-year IPEC operating referendum and the rate of 37.2 cents per $100 of assessed property value.”
Proposes regular counselor check-ins for students.
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
“I would advocate for regular, age-appropriate counselor check-ins and review whether counselor staffing and workloads allow students to receive timely support.”
Pledges to review central office and contracts before cutting services.
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
“I would require a careful review of central office spending, outside contracts, administrative costs, underused buildings”
Pledges to refuse donations tied to future board votes.
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
“I will not accept contributions that require a commitment on a future board decision”

Nicole Carey

DemocraticIncumbent

CEO, Convergence Global

The gist

Supports the referendum as a necessary floor despite rate concerns.
Pledges to cut administration before classrooms.
Supports making third-grade reading proficiency a measurable commitment.
Proposes cost-sharing by innovation schools for IPS services.

More about Nicole

View sources (1)

Supports the referendum as a necessary floor despite rate concerns.
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
“So I support this referendum as a necessary floor, while being honest with voters that it does not, by itself, solve our funding challenge.”
Pledges to cut administration before classrooms.
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
“Cuts should move from the furthest point from students inward — never the reverse.”
Supports making third-grade reading proficiency a measurable commitment.
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
“Reading by third grade should be a non-negotiable, measurable commitment for this district.”
Proposes cost-sharing by innovation schools for IPS services.
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
“equitable cost-sharing with innovation schools for the services IPS already provides them”

Challengers are listed first and incumbents last; otherwise candidates appear in ballot order. The Gist does not rank, rate or endorse candidates. Only positions backed by a cited source are shown; 4 issues covered in this race.