Lawmakers debate control of Muncie schools

MUNCIE, Ind. — A key Republican lawmaker advocating a Ball State University takeover of  the Muncie Community School Board conceded Wednesday that a majority of board members appointed by the university should reside in Muncie.

However, Tim Brown, who chairs the House Ways and Means Committee, rejected demands from minority Democrats to guarantee continued collective-bargaining rights for Muncie teachers.

A retired physician from Crawfordsville, Brown authored House Bill 1315, calling for BSU's board of trustees to appoint a seven-member Muncie school board to replace the current five-member board elected by voters.

The State Board of Accounts has been citing the school district for overspending for more than a decade.

The GOP-dominated House on Wednesday rejected amendments proposed by Democrats, including Sue Errington of Muncie, who argued all Muncie school board members should live in Muncie.

Brown bowed to concerns about residency of school board members, promising his support to change the proposed law to require four of the seven school board members to reside in Muncie.

Most Munsonians couldn't name any members of the Ball State board of trustees, only one of whom lives in Muncie, Errington said. "In effect, our school board is going to be appointed by strangers." Appointees of the governor, BSU trustees are twice removed from the electorate, she complained.

Errington's amendment would disqualify a lot of bright people from serving on the school board, such as BSU alumni David Letterman and Papa John's Pizza founder John Schnatter, or someone like Arne Duncan, the former CEO of Chicago Public Schools who was named U.S. Secretary of Education by Barack Obama, Brown countered.

Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary, asked Brown whether he would want legislators from Illinois or Michigan to run Indiana. "That would be unconstitutional," Brown answered.

Errington probably regrets asking the Legislature to help Muncie schools a year ago, Smith said, claiming the Republican response has been "nothing but punishment, nothing but punishment." He is praying for "some divine intervention. That's what it's going to take, because people are not listening to us."

The state has appointed private emergency management firms to take over the operation of schools in Muncie and Gary, whose budget deficit is said to be about 10 times deeper in the hole than the $12 million shortfall in Muncie.

Teachers in Muncie fear that HB 1315 will take away their collective bargaining rights, the same rights enjoyed by all other teachers around the state, said Rep. Melanie Wright, D-Yorktown, a Delaware County school teacher.  Her amendment was defeated like Errington's and Smith's in party-line votes.

Brown responded that HB 1315 does not mandate "one way or the other" that Ball State recognize the Muncie Teachers Association. He said Muncie teachers should trust that BSU wants to "work with anybody and work with everybody."  Wright's amendment could become "a barrier to innovation," Brown said.

Giving Muncie teachers "a place at the table is like a small lifeline to them," Wright argued. "This can be part of the innovation and success and a great cause for stability."

If Ball State wants to work with "anybody and everybody," "why not Gary, Indiana?" asked Rep. Gregory Porter, D-Indianapolis. His amendment would have opened the door for Ball State to also take over Gary schools. The university already oversees three charter schools in Gary.

Ball State has a unique relationship with Muncie, Brown responded. 

House Democratic leader Terry Goodin countered that what's unique about Muncie and Gary is that "both lie within the state of Indiana, and Ball State University is a public university for the state of Indiana." If Ball State is going to provide K-12 services to Muncie, then why shouldn't it do the same in Gary? Goodin asked.

Errington's amendment for a sunset provision on the state takeover of Muncie and Gary schools also failed.

Almost everyone in Muncie opposes the idea of losing their right to vote for school board members, she asserted. "And it's not just for a day or a year. It's forever. There is no end date to this arrangement …Even felons in Indiana get their right to vote back when they get out of prison."

Rep. Ed DeLaney, D-Indianapolis, expressed a "huge linguistic problem" with the supposed partnership between BSU and Muncie schools in HB 1315. 

"If you have a partner, you don't have an outsider solely running your situation," he said. "If we're going to have a partnership, let's have some partners."

Otherwise, the Legislature is sending a message to every school district in the state that the Legislature could turn any financially struggling district over to a university or a company or a city council, Delaney said. "That's a very, very dangerous precedent."

The bill was subject to amendments on Wednesday. It will be eligible for final passage in the House on Thursday or Monday, after which it would be acted on by the Senate.

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