Public Forum for Muncie Community Schools Board Applicants Set for June 12

Ball State University Board of Trustees are pictured during the vote to pass the new resolution to appoint a new school board for MCS. Photo by: Mike RhodesBall State University Board of Trustees are pictured during the vote to pass the new resolution to appoint a new school board for MCS. Photo by: Mike Rhodes

By: Ball State University —

Muncie, IN — Ball State University will have a public forum June 12 in connection with the selection process for the new Muncie Community Schools (MCS) board.

The forum will be from 6 to 8 p.m. at Muncie Central High School, 801 N. Walnut St., and it will be livestreamed at bsu.edu/live.

Finalists for the school board will share why they are interested in serving. The Ball State Board of Trustees will meet June 25, 2018, to appoint members of the new MCS school board.

“Collaboration with the community is the key to success in this effort, and this forum is an early step in that collaboration,” said Ball State President Geoffrey S. Mearns.

The new school board will assume its responsibility July 1, 2018. It will consist of seven members who will serve staggered terms. Five will be appointed by Ball State from the applications submitted to the University. Two will be appointed from nominations provided by the Muncie mayor and Muncie City Council, respectively.

“Our goal is a diverse and complementary team that reflects the different perspectives of the community,” President Mearns said. “MCS school board members collectively must have a passion for public education and Muncie Community Schools; a record of civic engagement and community participation; experience in fiscal management or oversight, operational management or oversight, and/or team effectiveness; and demonstrated leadership.”

The new school board will spend the next two years creating a long-term plan for Muncie Community Schools. The first year will be spent engaging with the community.

“The plan that is implemented will help Muncie and MCS thrive, not merely survive,” President Mearns said.

 

About Ball State University

Founded in 1918 and located in Muncie, Ball State is one of Indiana’s signature universities and an economic driver for the state. The University’s 2017-18 enrollment — 22,513 — is the largest in school history, and its freshman class of 4,002 is just three students shy of tying a school record. Every Indiana county is represented among Ball State’s student body, as are all 50 states and 68 countries. Ball State’s 731-acre campus is large enough to accommodate premier facilities and 19 NCAA Division I sports but small enough to ensure the friendliness, personal attention, and access that are the hallmarks of the University, where 90 percent of classes are taught by faculty. Ball State had its smallest tuition increases in 41 years for fiscal years 2018 and 2019.