School board

School Board Member, Lawrence Township Metropolitan School District

At large

Vote for: 1
Term: 4 years
Candidates: 2
Election: Nov 3, 2026

What this office does: The school board sets policy, hires the superintendent and adopts the budget for Lawrence Township Metropolitan School District.

Candidates Compare by issue

Maria Bertram Cartagena

No party listed

Business advising and capital investing company owner

The gist

Pledges fiscally prudent budgets focused on classroom learning.
Supports more focus on English language learners.
Proposes a Spanish-language forum for parents.
Pledges to press lawmakers on property tax cuts' school impact.

More about Maria

View sources (1)

Pledges fiscally prudent budgets focused on classroom learning.
Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township: School board election voter guide
Candidate questionnaire · Chalkbeat Indiana · Sep 11, 2026 · chalkbeat.org
“I will insist on fiscally prudent budgets and make sure that we dedicate sufficient resources to improve classroom learning and student services.”
Supports more focus on English language learners.
Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township: School board election voter guide
Candidate questionnaire · Chalkbeat Indiana · Sep 11, 2026 · chalkbeat.org
“I think additional focus must be placed on our ESL students to help them be successful academically and pass the State exams.”
Proposes a Spanish-language forum for parents.
Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township: School board election voter guide
Candidate questionnaire · Chalkbeat Indiana · Sep 11, 2026 · chalkbeat.org
“I would like to create a forum in Spanish where parents of LT students feel welcome and can ask questions about the district.”
Pledges to press lawmakers on property tax cuts' school impact.
Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township: School board election voter guide
Candidate questionnaire · Chalkbeat Indiana · Sep 11, 2026 · chalkbeat.org
“to bring to state legislators our concerns with these bills and the ways these bills are affecting our students and district in general.”

Jessica Dunn

No party listedIncumbent

Director of English as a new language, Indianapolis Public Schools

The gist

Opposes an operating referendum before maximizing state dollars.
Supports focusing on early literacy and ninth-grade pathways.
Supports competitive pay for district administrators.
Pledges safe schools and measured mental health supports.

More about Jessica

View sources (1)

Opposes an operating referendum before maximizing state dollars.
Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township: School board election voter guide
Candidate questionnaire · Chalkbeat Indiana · Sep 11, 2026 · chalkbeat.org
“ensure we maximize every state dollar before ever considering turning to our local taxpayers for additional funds.”
Supports focusing on early literacy and ninth-grade pathways.
Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township: School board election voter guide
Candidate questionnaire · Chalkbeat Indiana · Sep 11, 2026 · chalkbeat.org
“building strong early literacy foundations and ensuring 9th-grade pathway completion.”
Supports competitive pay for district administrators.
Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township: School board election voter guide
Candidate questionnaire · Chalkbeat Indiana · Sep 11, 2026 · chalkbeat.org
“through my experience on the board, my perspective has evolved because I’ve seen the reality: you get what you pay for.”
Pledges safe schools and measured mental health supports.
Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township: School board election voter guide
Candidate questionnaire · Chalkbeat Indiana · Sep 11, 2026 · chalkbeat.org
“We will continue prioritizing safe physical environments, actively measuring the impact of our mental health support systems”

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.