Voter’s Guide 2024: Warren Township School Board Election

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This voter guide was co-published by Chalkbeat Indiana, Mirror Indy,And WWFYI as part of a partnership to increase coverage of township school districts in Marion County and cover the 2024 school board elections.

Four of seven school board seats are up for election in Warren Township Schools, a district of about 11,800 students on Indianapolis’ east side. In the 2023-24 school year, about 55% of the district’s students were Black, about 20% were Hispanic and nearly 70% came from low-income backgrounds.

The district successfully passed an $88 million tax referendum last year to support transportation, technology, academic programs, safety improvements and staff and consultant salaries.

And elementary school students were top performers in Indiana’s third-grade reading test this spring, at a time when education officials are doubling down on their support for early literacy. Students in Warren Township tested nearly 12 percentage points more than last year, while the state average increased only slightly by less than a percentage point.

This choice

There are four seats up for election in Warren Township this year. A newcomer is entering the race this year, while four incumbents are trying to secure re-election.

Board members elected in the fall will oversee the district’s spending for its new, eight-year referendum. They will also work with administration to reduce absenteeism and increase student performance on the state standardized test, ILEARN. Both problems worsened during the coronavirus pandemic in schools across the state.

Who votes and how to vote

Residents who live in the Warren Township school zone can vote for all four seats up for election this year.

Voter registration is underway and ends October 7th. Marion County residents can register to vote online.

Early voting begins Oct. 8 at the City-County Building at 200 E. Market St. Additional early voting locations, including one at the Warren Township Government Center at 501 N. Post Road, will open Oct. 26 and available online.

On Election Day, November 5, Marion County residents can vote at any of the county’s vote centers, which can be found online.

Meet the candidates

On the whole

Five candidates are running for four open seats this year.

Howard Dorsey Jr.

Dorsey, 74, is an incumbent with experience on the Warren Township board. He was first appointed to the board in 2003 and served until 2010 before returning to the board for his current term in 2020. Dorsey is a retired naval officer and has three adult children. He works as an assistant professional in speedway schools and participates on several community boards in the Far East.

Julie French

French, 62, was first elected to the Warren Township board in 2008 and has served as its secretary, vice president and president. She is the mother of three Warren Central High School graduates and was active in their school PTAs. She works for the Indiana PTA and mentors Warren robotics students. French says improving students’ IREAD and ILEARN scores is her priority, as is improving districtwide attendance rates. She also wants to ensure that children’s social-emotional well-being is ensured. Their campaign website is here and their Facebook page is here.

Candee Hopkins

Hopkins, 59, is a first-time candidate for Warren Township school board. She works for the state and owns an accounting business. Her adult son attended Warren Township schools before transferring to a private school to play football. Hopkins said she is concerned about ideology and politics in schools, but declined to provide examples of this from Warren Township. She said her first priority as a school board member is to “get back to the basics” of education by focusing on reading, writing and math.

LaShauna Triplet

Triplett, 51, was first elected to the Warren Township School Board in November 2020 and is serving as its president this year. She is an educator and trauma coach who works at the nonprofit social service Mackida Loveal & Trip Outreach Center on the east side. She has children who attend and graduated from Warren Township. Triplett said safety is a priority across the district. She supports mental health and wellbeing initiatives for teachers and students.

Gloria Williams

Williams, 71, is a retired teacher and counselor who was first elected to the Warren board in November 2016. She served as a classroom teacher for 17 years, emphasizing tutoring, one-on-one instruction, and building relationships with parents. She also worked as a consultant at IPS schools for years. Her children are from Warren Township schools and she continues to volunteer with families in the community. If elected to another term, Williams said one of her priorities will be working with administration to help students perform better on the state ILEARN exam.

Mirror Indy reporter Carley Lanich covers early childhood and K-12 education. Contact them at [email protected] or follow her on X @carleylanich.