Nicole Kemp doesn’t have to introduce herself to Center Grove voters this time around.
“I think people got to know me in 2024, whether they supported me or not,” Kemp said. “I’m OK with people not always agreeing with me. What matters is that they know I care about Center Grove and that I’m willing to listen.”
Now, two years later, Kemp is asking voters to consider her again, not simply based on the candidate they met in 2024, but on what she has continued to do and learn since then.
Kemp is a lifelong Trojan, mother, former substitute teacher and community advocate. She grew up in the district, graduated from Center Grove and later raised her own children here. She has experienced Center Grove schools as a student, parent, special-education parent, classroom volunteer and substitute teacher.
Her advocacy began long before she considered running for office. When her son entered kindergarten with a speech delay and learning challenges, Kemp learned to navigate special education and the individualized education program process.
“As a parent, you want to do everything you can for your child, but you don’t always know where to start,” Kemp said. “I was fortunate to have educators who helped me learn how to advocate for my son. That experience has stayed with me.”
Her involvement grew from there. While involved with the PTO, Kemp created book fair gift certificates so students receiving free and reduced-price lunch could participate. She helped provide groceries and necessities to local families before the COVID-19 shutdown and later helped launch Every Kid Eats Johnson County to address student lunch debt.
The two years since her first campaign have also brought significant personal change. Kemp lost her father to cancer, an experience that brought family, time and service into sharper focus.
“Losing my dad changed me,” Kemp said. “It reminded me that our time is limited and that if there is something you believe you can do to help your community, you shouldn’t wait for the perfect time to do it.”
Through that difficult season, she continued showing up. Kemp remained involved in the community and participated in the Center Grove Ambassadors program, gaining a closer look at academics, safety and security, transportation, business operations and other aspects of the school corporation.
Her 2026 campaign focuses on teacher retention and compensation, student safety and mental health, special education, responsible budgeting, opportunities for students and stronger communication with the community.
That work has also brought new support. Kemp has been endorsed by GoodParty.org and IPACE, supported by the Center Grove Teachers Association, and earned distinctions from Moms Demand Action and Mental Health Now.
Her campaign continues to use a phrase familiar from 2024: “Education before politics.”
While the 2026 school board race includes candidates running with Republican and Independent designations, Kemp is running as Nonpartisan. She emphasizes that nonpartisan and Independent are not interchangeable terms.
“Being nonpartisan is intentional for me,” Kemp said. “I don’t want to make decisions based on whether something is Republican or Democratic. I want to ask whether it is good for our students, our teachers and Center Grove.”
Her personal experiences have helped shape that perspective. Kemp became a single mother at 18 and worked while raising her daughter, including a period when she relied on Section 8 housing. Years later, she navigated special education as a parent.
“I know what it feels like to struggle, and I know what it feels like to need someone to see your family instead of making assumptions about it,” Kemp said. “There isn’t one type of Center Grove family, and every one of them deserves representation.”
Her second campaign isn’t about presenting voters with a new Nicole Kemp. It is about giving them a fuller picture of someone many already know.
And Kemp has one practical reminder for voters: keep going. The school board contest appears near the bottom of the ballot.
“My name may be near the bottom of the ballot, but the decisions our school board makes affect our kids every single day,” Kemp said. “Whatever choices voters make, I hope they finish their ballot and make their voices heard.”
PAID FOR AND AUTHORIZED BY THE COMMITTEE TO ELECT NICOLE KEMP
