By Jeff Robinson—
MUNCIE, Ind.—In 2018, Muncie Community Schools and Ball State University entered into a unique partnership with a goal of transforming Muncie’s education system. As part of the Indiana General Assembly’s action to create this partnership, Indiana Code 20-23-18-6 changed and defined the appointment process for the seven-member governing body of Muncie Community Schools.
Under this statute, the Board of Trustees at BSU appoints 5 members of the MCS board based on recommendations provided by the president of the university. The other two members of the MCS board are appointed by the President based on recommendations submitted by the Mayor and the city council of Muncie. Specifically, the mayor and city council must each identify and submit the names of three qualified individuals to the president of the university and he must choose one of the three individuals from those respective recommendations to serve.
These recommendations must be submitted to BSU President Mearns by March 31st, 2022. We, as the common council, are committed to creating a robust and inclusive process to identify the best of what Muncie has to offer our community’s school district and would like to invite any interested citizens to apply for consideration.
The three individuals Muncie City Council recommends must meet the following minimum qualifications:
- Be at least 21 years of age
- Be a United States Citizen
- Have at least a high school diploma or GED, with post-secondary educational degree preferred
- Be a resident within the MCS School District
- Cannot be a BSU Trustee or the BSU President, or a family member of a BSU Trustee the BSU President
- Cannot be or have a family member employed by Muncie Community Schools
- Must comply with the Conflict-of-Interest Policy Regarding Appointments to the Governing Body of Muncie Community Schools adopted by the BSU Board of Trustees on May 16, 2018
Additionally, our goal is to appoint someone with the following attributes
- Passion for public education and Muncie Community Schools
- Record of civic engagement and community participation
- Experience in fiscal management and oversight
- Experience in team effectiveness
- Demonstrated leadership
Citizens with an interest in serving on the Muncie Community School Board are strongly encouraged to register their interest by using the city’s new online portal for municipal boards at www.goservemuncie.com and selecting the MCS button. Understanding the unique nature and importance of these recommendations, the Muncie City Council will do their due diligence in selecting the three individuals who we collectively believe would be the best fit to serve our community’s school district.
Qualified candidates will have an opportunity to address the council either during a committee meeting or a special meeting of the entire council, depending on the amount of interest we receive, with dates to be announced.
We hope to have many qualified citizens register their interest in serving Muncie Community Schools, and we look forward to the task of advancing three names who each exemplify our collective commitment to our community’s school system.
