Career educator Melinda Huber runs as an independent for open District 1 school board seat

Melinda Huber has spent 35 years in schools as a teacher, counselor and principal. Now she wants a seat on the board that oversees them.

Huber is running for the open District 1 seat on the Blackford County Schools board. She campaigns as Melinda Ludwig Huber. She faces Kyle J. Pitts in the Nov. 3 general election. The seat is open because incumbent Jimmy Lytle did not file for re-election.

Why she is running

Huber filed June 17. She is listed as an independent on the county’s candidate notice. She told the Ledger she is a registered Republican.

“I am running as an independent because I want my decisions to be guided by what is best for Blackford County’s students and schools, not by a political party or a personal agenda,” she wrote.

She said her years in schools give her a view of classrooms, teachers, families and administrators.

“I believe school boards need members who listen carefully, ask thoughtful questions, examine the facts, and consider the long-term effects of their decisions,” she wrote.

A career in three districts

Huber earned a degree in elementary education from Purdue University. She later earned a master’s degree in education and counseling from Indiana University South Bend.

She spent 20 years with LaPorte Community Schools as a fifth-grade teacher and school counselor.

She moved back to Hartford City in 2008. She worked in Blackford County Schools for eight years: at Montpelier School from 2008 to 2012, Southside Elementary from 2012 to 2015, and Northside Elementary in the 2015-16 school year.

She then joined Huntington County Community Schools as counselor at Salamonie Elementary. In 2017-18 she served as principal of Lancaster Elementary during its final year. She returned to Salamonie, where she still works as a counselor.

She also taught graduate courses for teachers part time for 10 years through Indiana Wesleyan University and Performance Learning Systems.

Her job at Salamonie includes individual and small-group counseling, daily classroom lessons and work with high-ability students. She sponsors the school’s Student Council, National Elementary Honor Society and Just Say No Club.

“What I see every day is that student success depends on more than what happens during a lesson,” she wrote.

Blackford roots

Huber grew up in Blackford County. Her mother, Ann Ludwig, was a kindergarten teacher and principal at Southside Elementary. Her father, Steve Ludwig, was a grain and beef farmer who served as director of the Indiana Soybean Development Council.

She attended Parkside Elementary and Hartford City Junior High. She graduated from Blackford High School in 1984 as class salutatorian.

“Blackford County is not just a place on a map to me,” she wrote. “It is home.”

Learning the job

Huber said a board seat is a different job from the ones she has held.

“I would need to learn the district’s current finances, policies, strategic plans, and priorities in detail,” she wrote. She said she would respect the superintendent’s role in running daily operations while the board provides oversight.

Asked to name the district’s biggest challenge, Huber listed several connected pressures: finances, staffing, academic gaps, student mental health and preparing graduates. She said she would study the data before naming a specific one.

“A board member should understand the facts before proposing solutions,” she wrote.

Budgets and SEA 1

Indiana’s 2025 property tax law, Senate Enrolled Act 1, changes how local schools are funded. Huber said its effects vary by district.

She wants the board to work with the superintendent and finance staff on multiyear budget projections under different revenue scenarios. She said classroom instruction, student support and keeping good educators should come first when the board weighs spending.

“Families and taxpayers should not be surprised by major financial decisions,” she wrote.

Students

The Ledger asked for one specific change Huber would push for in her first year. She named a districtwide system to find students who need academic help early and make sure the help reaches them.

That system would use test data, classwork, attendance and teacher observations, she said. It would also track whether the help is working. She wants the board to set measurable goals for it.

She also wants enrichment for students who are already ahead. “Student success means helping every child grow from where they are,” she wrote.

For students not headed to a four-year college, Huber supports more career and technical education, dual credit, apprenticeships, industry certifications and hands-on learning. She wants career exploration to start before senior year.

She also wants local businesses to offer career speakers, job shadowing, internships and mentorships at the high school.

Teachers and staff

Huber said she would start by asking current teachers and staff what keeps them in Blackford and what makes their work harder.

She said the district should compare pay and benefits with neighboring districts within its budget. She also named mentoring for new teachers, manageable workloads, strong building leadership and less paperwork.

“They need consistent support, good communication, the resources to teach effectively, and a voice in decisions that affect their work,” she wrote.

Open records

Huber wants board agendas, supporting documents, minutes, budget information and major policy decisions posted in one easy-to-find place on the district website. She wants financial reports to come with plain-language explanations.

“The public should never have to wonder whether the board is willing to explain its work,” she wrote.

Outside the classroom

Huber and her husband have a blended family of five sons. She is an officer in Tri Kappa and serves on the leadership team of Women of Worth.

Her campaign slogan is “Experienced Educator Committed to Our Community.”

The race

Huber's opponent in the race for school board is Pitts who is listed as a Republican on the county’s candidate notice. He ran for the District 1 seat in 2022.

Early voting in Indiana began Oct. 6.

Ledger invitations

The Ledger offered every county-level candidate on the November ballot that's competing for their seat a chance to talk about their campaign. Huber answered the Ledger’s questions in writing.