Muncie school board: Should it be elected or appointed?

MUNCIE, Ind. — Ball State University officials pointed out to state lawmakers this past week that appointed school boards are not unheard of in Indiana.

But a proposed agreement between the university and lawmakers to replace the elected Muncie Community School Board with one appointed mostly by Ball State bucks a long-term trend across the state.

Not quite two decades ago, there were in the neighborhood of 60 appointed school boards in Indiana. Further back in time, the vast majority of Indiana's school boards were appointed.

Today, only 11 of the state's 289 traditional school districts are governed by school boards appointed by town councils, township boards, mayors or city councils. The other 96 percent of school boards are elected.

"There has been a slow movement toward board members being elected by their communities," said Michael Adamson, director of board services at the Indiana School Boards Association (ISBA).

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One reason for that is election of school board members is more democratic.

If House Bill 1315 becomes law, which ISBA expects to be the case, Muncie schools (5,215 students) would join these school districts governed by appointed school boards:

• Argos Community Schools, 655 students (Argos is awaiting state approval to switch to an elected school board), five school board members.

• Brownstown Central Community School Corp.,1,600 students, seven members.

• Greencastle Community School Corp, 1,916 students  five members.

• Greensburg Community Schools, 2,172 students, seven members.

• School City of Mishawaka, 5,380 students, (hybrid: two members appointed, three elected).

• North Judson-San Pierre School Corp., 1,017 students, five members.

• Northeast Dubois County School Corp., 904 students, seven members.

• Rensselaer Central School Corp., 1,598 students, seven members.

• School Town of Speedway, 1,860 students, five members.

• Valparaiso Community Schools, 6,235 students, five members.

• Wabash City Schools, 1,539 students, five members.

Pursuant to HB 1315, the five-member elected school board in Muncie would be replaced by a seven-member board, five of whom would be appointed by Ball State. The mayor and city council each would have one appointment.

"I think that's a very heavy-handed approach," Adamson said. "I have worked with the Muncie board over the years and found them to be  … doing a pretty good job … I don't think Muncie is any different than any other governing body."

ISBA Director Terry Spradlin told The Star Press the plan for BSU to govern Muncie schools "seems far-reaching, given that this situation at Muncie seems to be only financial, and all parties are working together toward resolution of the financial matters. It seems far-reaching to go to this extreme."

It's Spradlin's understanding that the financial crisis at Muncie schools has nothing to do with academics. "There are no 'F' schools," he said. "Its shortcomings were more strictly financial, not necessarily academic. But there is out-migration of students that would tend to suggest parents think they have an opportunity for better education elsewhere, so they are challenged academically as well due to enrollment trends."

Overall, as a district, Muncie Community Schools received a "C" from the state as its final letter grade for school accountability in 2016-17, though some schools received "D's," including both middle schools. Central High School earned a "B." The district as a whole has received "C" grades each of the past several years.

The Muncie school board has worked constructively with the state's Distressed Unit Appeal Board and the state-appointed emergency manager in charge at Muncie, Spradlin said. The school board has not been "obstructionist or provided barriers to change."

On the issue of appointed versus elected school boards, ISBA doesn't advocate one over the other, but it should be "a local decision," Spradlin said.

BSU spokesperson Kathy Wolf said of HB 1315: "We believe the proposal is more comprehensive because it provides the means to ensure that MCS doesn’t merely survive but that it thrives — academically and financially."

"This town values its schools," Speedway school Superintendent Ken Hull told The Star Press. School board members, appointed by the town council, typically serve 12 to 20 years. "When they hit the 20-year mark, they literally say it's been a wonderful experience but it's time for someone else to enjoy this work."

An outgoing Speedway board member is a retired genetics professor. The newest member is an assistant provost at Marian University. Others include a retired principal, a law-school professor and an associate director at the IUPUI philanthropy school.

In 2010, 86 percent of Speedway voters approved a referendum for a property-tax increase to help pay school operating expenses. In 2016, 91 percent of Speedway voters approved another referendum to raise taxes to help fund school operations.

"The people who live here believe in their children, their grandchildren and their teachers," Hull said. "This community believes in small neighborhood schools where the principal knows every kid's name and the superintendent shops at Kroger."

Speedway is graded by the state as an "A" school.

Muncie voters in 2013 defeated a referendum proposed by the school district to increase property taxes to fund bus service.

"I'm not sure there is anything inherently better or worse about an appointed school board," said Curt Craig, superintendent at Rensselaer, where the three board members appointed by the city represent more people than the four members appointed by township government.

Some community members have expressed concern about unequal representation but it hasn't resulted in demands for an elected school board.

Craig declined to offer an opinion on Ball State governing Muncie schools. "Whatever they do, I hope it works for them," he said. "I have seen elected boards do fine and appointed boards do fine. I have found out if they are dedicated, willing to learn and open-minded, it doesn't matter whether they are elected or appointed."

In Argos, a group of tax protesters called for election of school board members after the appointed board placed a property-tax referendum on the ballot. The referendum was defeated and the board has voted to switch to election of its members.

According to a study published by the Chicago League of Women Voters in 2016, elected school boards can be more responsive to community preferences and the public's will; are more democratic and can prompt the community to take a greater interest in their schools; and may have greater independence and freedom to act in the best interests of the district.

But on the other hand, elected school boards historically attract low voter turnout, thereby allowing special-interest groups to dominate the board; big money can determine elections; with too many agendas, the board may lack focus or  vision; qualified individuals can be reluctant to subject themselves to the difficulties and expense of an election campaign; and elected boards can develop factions that make the board dysfunctional.

Seth Slabaugh is an education reporter at The Star Press who can be reached at (765) 213-5834 or seths@muncie.gannett.com.