Two New Members Win Fort Wayne School Board
If your child attends a Fort Wayne Community Schools campus, the at-large seats now have new members with staggered terms ahead.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Administration
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Two first-time candidates, Lee Daly and Brandon Foster, were unofficially projected to take the at-large seats on the Fort Wayne Community Schools board, ousting incumbent Noah Smith. Julie Hollingsworth earned a fifth term representing District 1 on the northwest side.
Why it matters
The changes reshape who sets policy for Fort Wayne's public schools, which affects families sending children to FWCS campuses and the district's budget and programming decisions. The shift came as the board had already approved a plan to stagger at-large terms, so the new members' seat lengths will differ.
Daly and Foster both ran as independent candidates and won at-large seats over incumbent Noah Smith, who finished fourth with about 15% of the vote. Brandon Foster announced his withdrawal from the race on Oct. 19 after accepting an out-of-state position, but his name remained in the at-large results.
The players
Fort Wayne Community Schools (FWCS) Board
The elected governing body for Fort Wayne's public school district, responsible for policy, budget and oversight of local schools.
Lee Daly
First-time independent candidate who led the at-large race with 23.9% of the vote.
Brandon Foster
First-time independent candidate who finished second in the at-large race before withdrawing on Oct. 19 to take an out-of-state position.
Julie Hollingsworth
Incumbent FWCS board member who earned a fifth term representing District 1 on the northwest side.
Noah Smith
Incumbent FWCS board member who finished fourth in the at-large race with about 15% of the vote.
The details
Under established rules for two first-time winners, the top vote-getter serves a four-year term and the other serves a two-year term, so Lee Daly would hold the longer seat and Brandon Foster the shorter one. Results were reported unofficially once all 613 voting machines had reported. Because the board approved a spring plan to stagger at-large terms, these two seats are designed to rotate on different schedules going forward.
Timeline
Oct. 19: Brandon Foster announced his withdrawal from the race.
Spring 2026: The FWCS board approved a plan to stagger at-large terms.
Nov. 3, 2026: Election night, with unofficial final results reported.
2028: The shorter-term seat reverts to a four-year post.
The Home Front
The board's spring plan to stagger at-large terms, approved before this election, means Fort Wayne families will see a rotating rather than all-at-once turnover on the board. Fort Wayne's schools are governed by local elected seats, so these shifts directly reshape district leadership.
If your children attend Fort Wayne Community Schools, check the district's board meeting schedule and the at-large seats' contact information to learn who now represents your area. Watch for official certification of the results before assuming the unofficial outcome is final.
The takeaway
Local school board seats can shift quickly, so knowing who sits on the FWCS board helps families follow decisions about their children's schools. Keep the district's board contact information and meeting calendar on hand so you can raise questions as new members take office.
What happens next
The shorter-term at-large seat reverts to a four-year post in 2028.
Further reading
For more on how local school boards are structured and run, explore our Administration coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Fort Wayne Journal Gazette.
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