Election 2026: Candidate for West Washington School Board Katherine Litts

As the 2026 general election approaches, The Washington County Times is publishing written interviews with candidates in contested races affecting Washington County.

The Times reached out to all candidates for whom we were able to obtain contact information and invited them to participate. If you are a candidate in a contested race and have not received an invitation, please contact us so we can make sure you have an opportunity to participate.

Candidates were provided with questions tailored to their campaign, personal history, and the office they are seeking. We encouraged candidates to answer the questions in their own words and to refrain from using ChatGPT or other artificial intelligence tools when preparing their responses.

All candidate responses have been published as submitted, without editing or alteration. The Washington County Times does not endorse political candidates, and any opinions or statements expressed within the following interview are the candidate's own.

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Why are you running for the school board, and what do you believe the district needs from its next board member?

Over the last several years I have really grown to appreciate what West Washington means to this community. My own experiences with school growing up weren't always positive, so there was a time in my life when I probably would have been the last person anyone expected to run for a school board. But being involved in this community, getting to know families, and seeing what West Washington offers its students changed my perspective.

I'm not running because I think everything is being done wrong. I think there are a lot of things West Washington is doing extremely well. The district has reported some of the strongest academic results in our area in 2024, including strong ILEARN and SAT performance. 

I think the next board member needs to be someone willing to listen, ask questions, look at the facts, and make decisions based on what is best for students and the long-term future of the district. 

What do you believe is the biggest issue currently facing the school district, and what would you do differently to address it?

First, we're a small rural district, so enrollment and finances have to stay part of the long-term conversation.

One of the biggest issues I see isn't necessarily something West Washington is doing wrong. It's the challenge of keeping a small rural school strong for the long term. West Washington had approximately 920 students in 2024, putting it among Indiana school corporations with fewer than 1,000 students. For a district our size, enrollment, staffing, programming and finances are all connected.

I don't think the answer is simply cutting programs or spending more money. In my opinion, we need to continually ask how we can attract and retain families, protect the programs that make West Washington special, and make smart long-term financial decisions. West Washington has actively promoted out-of-district enrollment, which tells me enrollment is already something the district recognizes as important. 

I'd like the board to regularly look at enrollment trends, student retention, open-enrollment numbers and the financial impact of those changes—not just year to year, but five and ten years down the road.

What should the school board be doing to ensure the district is spending taxpayer money effectively while still providing students and teachers the resources they need?

Fiscal responsibility means getting the most value out of every dollar—not just simply spending less.

Based off the state's certified 2025 budget for West Washington totaled about $13.49 million, including $8.7 million in the Education Fund and about $3.83 million in Operations. The state also noted that portions of the adopted Operations and Rainy-Day budgets were reduced because projected revenues were insufficient to support the adopted amounts. That makes careful planning even more important.

What we're spending, why we're spending it, and what results we're getting from it should always be at the top of the radar for every board member. Obtaining competitive bids, long-term maintenance planning, pursuing grants, reviewing recurring expenses, and making sure we're taking advantage of state and federal funding opportunities are a few ways I would encourage the board to continue toward fiscal responsibility within the district. At the same time, I don't want "saving money" to mean taking necessary tools away from classrooms. Teachers know what they need, and their input needs to be part of those decisions.

What should the district be doing to recruit and retain quality teachers and staff?

First and foremost, West Washington would NOT be what it is today without the devotion and dedication of the staff and teachers. That should not go unnoticed.

I believe keeping good employees starts with making West Washington a place where people genuinely want to work. Salary matters, but so does respect, communication, manageable expectations, good leadership and feeling valued. You can have beautiful facilities and great programs, but they don't mean much without good teachers, bus drivers, aides, cafeteria workers, coaches, administrators and support staff.

West Washington's 2025-26 teacher compensation agreement included a $1,800 salary-schedule increase for eligible teachers, with most of that increase specifically connected to the academic need to retain teachers. Teacher retention is clearly something the district and teachers already recognize as important. 

I would want the board to continue looking at whether our compensation and benefits are competitive with surrounding districts, but I also think regular communication between staff and board members is important. Sometimes the best retention information comes directly from the people doing the job every day.

How should the district address students who are struggling academically, and what role should the school board play in improving academic outcomes?

First, I think we need to recognize that West Washington has already demonstrated strong academic performance. In 2024, the district reported that the elementary had the highest total ILEARN pass rates among eight surrounding counties and the highest fifth-grade math pass rate in Indiana. The junior/senior high also reported strong regional ILEARN and SAT results. The district is obviously doing something right already.

But strong averages don't mean every student is succeeding. I was a product of this during my school years, which is why this topic hits hard for me.

Identifying struggling students early instead of waiting until they're several years behind is critical. That means using assessment data, teacher observations, attendance information and communication with parents to determine where intervention is needed.

The board shouldn't be telling teachers how to teach. Our responsibility is to make sure educators have the staffing, intervention programs, professional development and resources they need and then looking at measurable results to determine whether those investments are working. Indiana's ILEARN system itself is designed so checkpoint data can inform instruction and intervention throughout the school year. 

What role should parents and the broader community have in decisions made by the school board?

A huge one.

That doesn't mean every decision will make every person happy, and it doesn't mean the loudest voice in the room should automatically determine the outcome. It means people deserve the opportunity to be heard, understand why decisions are being made, and feel comfortable approaching their board members.

One of the things I feel I would bring to the board is accessibility. I'm involved in several organizations in our community, and I've learned that you get much better results when people feel like they can actually talk to and feel heard by their leadership. I want parents, teachers, taxpayers, students and community members to know they can ask me a question—even if we don't necessarily agree. My door is always open for discussion.

What could the district be doing better to prepare students for life after graduation?

This is another area where I think West Washington already has a really good foundation, and I'd like to build on it.

West Washington's CTE program includes agriculture, business and marketing, education, health sciences, engineering, construction, graphic design and radio. Students participating in CTE can have opportunities to earn industry-recognized certifications and up to 65 free Ivy Tech college credits. The district also promotes its Early College program, and West Washington has reported opportunities for students to earn as many as 69 college credits while still in high school. 

Where I'd like to see us continue growing is partnerships with local employers, farms, tradespeople, healthcare providers and businesses. College should absolutely be an option, but it isn't the only definition of success. I'd love to see more job shadowing, internships, apprenticeships, certifications and real-world financial and life skills.

A student who graduates ready for Purdue/IU, Ivy Tech, the military, an apprenticeship, a family farm or a full-time job should all be considered success stories.

What should the district's priorities be for maintaining and improving buildings and facilities?

My approach would be to take care of what we already own before small problems become expensive ones.

I'd want a long-term facilities plan that identifies what needs attention now, what will likely need replaced in five years, and what we'll be facing ten or twenty years from now. Roofs, HVAC, plumbing, transportation, technology, security and accessibility aren't exciting projects but neglecting them eventually costs taxpayers more.

I'd also separate "need" from "want." If we're considering a major project, I want to understand its useful life, maintenance costs, financing options and how it benefits students before asking taxpayers to pay for it. I would want to be completely confident in the project before reaching the public with the final plan.

What could the current school board or administration be doing better, and what specifically would you do differently?

I think we need to give credit where credit is due. West Washington is doing a lot well.

I would be careful saying the current board is doing a bad job, because that's honestly not why I'm running. There are results that deserve recognition. West Washington has had strong academic performance and has developed programs like Early College and CTE that give students opportunities well beyond a traditional high-school curriculum. 

Where I think almost every public board can improve is communication and transparency.

I'd like to see us continually find better ways to explain not only WHAT the board decided, but WHY. School finances, policies and state requirements can be confusing if you don't deal with them every day and even when you do. I would like to make that information easier for ordinary community members to understand.

I'd also ask questions. I don't believe a good board member's job is to automatically agree with the administration, nor is it to automatically oppose it. The job is to listen, do your homework, ask difficult questions when necessary and then make the best decision you can with the information available. 

If elected, what is the first issue you would want the board to address?

My first priority would actually be listening and learning before walking into my first meeting with a list of things I intend to change.

I would want to sit down with administrators, teachers and staff and get a better understanding of where they believe our greatest needs are. I'd want to dig into the budget, enrollment trends, academic data, staffing and the district's long-term facilities plans.

One area I would especially want to understand is long-term enrollment and financial sustainability. West Washington is a relatively small district—approximately 920 students were reported in 2024—and Indiana's funding structure makes enrollment important to school finances. At the same time, the state approved an estimated 2026-27 foundation amount of $6,833.65 for West Washington in the first funding period. 

I don't want to walk in assuming I already know all the answers. I want to understand the facts first and then work with the rest of the board to determine where we can make the biggest positive impact. 

At the end of the day these kids depend on all of us to help shape their futures. That is not something I take lightly. Running for the West Washington School Board Bown Township seat is something that I do not take for granted. If elected, I will continue to speak up for the voices not always heard and I will continue to make decisions based off what I feel is best for the kids.