State education secretary would appoint South Bend school board members

Indiana's education secretary would appoint seven members from a commission's nominees. This applies to the South Bend Community school board. Candidates must live in St. Joseph County. Members would serve four-year terms, but the secretary could remove them at any time. The appointment system would begin July 1, 2026.

The sitting school board would become an advisory board. This covers South Bend Community school board members serving on June 30, 2026. Advisers would have no governing powers. Seeking a nomination for appointment would end a member's advisory term. The advisory board would end when all its members' terms end. The shift would happen July 1, 2026. Otherwise, members would serve until their elected terms expire.

A nine-member commission would review resumes and nominate at least 10 candidates for regular board appointments. Applicants must live in St. Joseph County and submit resumes as the commission directs. The commission could choose whether to interview applicants. For a vacant governing board seat, it would nominate at least three candidates. The first names would be due by June 1, 2026. In later years when a member's term ends, names would be due before June 1.