Ball State, Muncie Schools bill OK'd by Senate

INDIANAPOLIS – Ball State is poised to receive the green light from Indiana lawmakers to take over Muncie's public schools, but one senator likened the local schools to a guinea pig in a lab experiment.

Tuesday afternoon, members of the Indiana Senate voted 35-14 to approve House Bill 1315. The measure is headed back to the House.

That's because the Senate voted to make changes in the version passed earlier by the House. If the bill's author, Rep. Tim Brown, concur's with the changes, the bill goes to the House for approval. If he does not agree, it will go to a conference committee.

Among those changes the Senate added: The bill clarifies that two members of a proposed seven-member school board would be elected by the public in 2022.

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The bill includes language that allows Ball State University to appoint five of the seven members, with two from the MCS district.

The mayor and city council can each present three local candidates to Ball State, which will make the final selections. Then in 2022, those positions will be elected by the public.

State Sen. Tim Lanane, a Democrat whose district includes Muncie, successfully pushed for an amendment to have Ball State strive that school board members reflect the geographical and socio-economic background of the school district.

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However, Lanane's other amendment ensuring the bargaining rights of MCS teachers are recognized, did not pass. That amendment was defeated 34-15 in voting Monday afternoon.

On Monday, another amendment offered by Lanane would provide a mechanism for ending Ball State's control should that be desired by the community after nine years have passed. That was defeated by a vote of 36-13.

On Tuesday, Lanane on the Senate floor said Muncie schools is the guinea pig in a lab experiment. He said Ball State has no experience running a school system. "The impact is clear," Lanane said on the Senate floor, "If we adopt this bill today, the people in my district will lose their right to control Muncie Community Schools."

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He said MCS is not a failing district academically. He also said it's time to dispel the rumor that somebody lined their pockets with $10 million. MCS years ago spent $10 million in bond money on operating expenses instead of capital projects as required by terms of the bond. MCS is now seeking a way to repay those funds.

"Let's not indict an entire community on the acts of others," Lanane said.

He continued by listing factors working against the local schools: tax caps resulting in a 40 percent loss of revenue; a high percentage of property that is tax exempt because of non-profits; a high rate of poverty with 75 percent of students qualifying for the federal free- and reduced-price lunch program, and student enrollments going down because of policies approved by the legislature.

Lanane told the Star Press he expects the bill to pass "in some form or another." He's not sure whether collective bargaining for teachers an be preserved.

Sen. Doug Eckerty, R-Yorktown, dispelled there was turmoil in the community over this legislation. "People are positive and encouraged about what we're trying to do with Muncie schools," he said from the Senate floor.

He added it was "hogwash" that lawmakers did not value teachers. He said teachers don't bear any responsibility about what happened to MCS. In response to another senator requesting lawmakers hit the pause button on this legislation, Eckerty said, "The educational prospects of children the past 30 years have had their pause button pushed. That's more than enough."

Eckerty continued that the school board didn't cause the problem. "They just happened to be in the position that when the music stopped, there was no chair to sit in."

He said it was a "gift" to have Ball State poised to operate Muncie schools, with Ball State staking its reputation on this issue. "Let's give them some room to do some things."

HB 1315 also allows the Distressed Unit Appeal Board to offer MCS access to no-interest loans to help pay the $10 million debt.

Lanane said he expects further action on the bill to happen quickly. The legislature is scheduled to adjourn March 14.

Jeff Ward is a news columnist and opinion page editor. Contact him at 765-213-5850 or jward@muncie.gannett.com.