**Exhibit 31.1**

**CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TORULE 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a),AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TOSECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002**

I, James C. Thyen, certify that: 

| 1.     | I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form    10-Q of Kimball International, Inc.;                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
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| 2.     | Based on my knowledge, this report does not    contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material    fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances    under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the    period covered by this report;                                                                                                 |
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| 3.     | Based on my knowledge, the financial    statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly    present in all material respects the financial condition, results of    operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods    presented in this report;                                                                                                                    |
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| 4.     | The registrant's other certifying officer and    I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and    procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and    internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules    13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:                                                                       |
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|   | (a)   Designed such disclosure    controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures    to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information    relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made    known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period    in which this report is being prepared;          |
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|   | (b)   Designed such internal    control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over    financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide    reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and    the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance    with generally accepted accounting principles;                 |
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|   | (c)   Evaluated the effectiveness    of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this    report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls    and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on    such evaluation; and                                                                                                        |
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|   | (d)   Disclosed in this report any    change in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting that    occurred during the registrant's most recent fiscal quarter (the    registrant's fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has    materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the    registrant's internal control over financial reporting; and |
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| 5.     | The registrant's other certifying officer and    I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control    over financial reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit    committee of the registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the    equivalent functions):                                                                                                            |
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|   | (a) All significant deficiencies and material    weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial    reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's    ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and                                                                                                                                 |
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|   | (b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that    involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the    registrant's internal control over financial reporting.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
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| Date: November 5, 2009 |   |                                                    |
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|                   |   | /s/ James C. Thyen                                      |
|                   |   | JAMES C. THYEN    President,    Chief Executive Officer |
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