At its special board meeting Aug. 3, the Muncie Community Schools (MCS) Board of Trustees voted to begin the 2021-22 school year with requiring face masks for all students, staff, volunteers and visitors regardless of their vaccination status. This announcement came one week after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended masks in K-12 schools and after the MCS board voted to table its reopening plan at the last meeting July 27. Andy Klotz, Muncie Community Schools, Photo Provided news 8/4/2021, 12:00pm Muncie Community Schools requires masks regardless of vaccination status By Staff Reports At a special board meeting Aug. 3, the Muncie Community Schools (MCS) Board of Trustees unveiled its reopening plan for the 2021-22 school year, which includes required face masks for all students, staff, volunteers and visitors regardless of their vaccination status.
news 7/28/2021, 10:00am Muncie Community Schools raises support staff hourly pay By Staff Reports Two months after approving pay raises for teachers, the Muncie Community Schools (MCS) Board of Trustees voted to increase the hourly pay of support staff to $14 an hour at its meeting July 27.
news 5/26/2021, 12:00pm MCS teachers to receive unprecedented pay raises By Staff Reports Less than a month after approving $1,000 stipends for all active school district employees for the additional work required due to COVID-19, the Muncie Community Schools (MCS) Board of Trustees is boosting teachers’ pay again. The board approved salary increases for all teachers ranging from $2,400 to $5,200 annually. It has also raised starting teacher pay to $42,000, up from $38,500.
news 5/20/2021, 3:00pm MCS, Ball State staff share thoughts on new middle school civics requirement for 2023 By Dorian Ducre After one of the United States' more memorable presidential elections, Indiana congress members saw a need for expanding civics education.
news 4/23/2021, 3:00pm Muncie Community Schools, Ball State create plans to reward teachers, staff members with pay raises By Angelica Gonzalez Due to budget issues, Muncie Community Schools (MCS) teachers were working for the past seven years without any pay raise. Director of Public Education and CEO of MCS Lee Ann Kwiatkowski said MCS hopes to give all of its teachers raises and increase the starting salary for new teachers through its partnership with Ball State.
news 4/23/2021, 10:00am The Education Support Hub helps students and parents navigate school during COVID-19 By Maya Wilkins Wake up, log onto Zoom, do school work, repeat. This is the life millions of children are living across the country — doing everything solely online from their house, seven hours a day, five days a week.
news 4/22/2021, 10:00am West View Elementary School teaches students English and Spanish at the same time By Natasha Leland Vibrant colors of orange, yellow, green and red cover the walls from floor to ceiling in forms of flags, posters and papel picados. Cubbies line the walls and desks are spread out like a typical elementary school classroom, but, sticking true to the program, there are hardly any English words displayed. Instead, they are replaced by a buzz of activity from the teacher reading in Spanish to the excited chatter of the students. This is what it’s like to walk into Kelsey Pavelka’s elementary dual language immersion classroom.
news 4/21/2021, 5:00pm Rhonda Ward makes strides in promoting diversity in Muncie Community Schools By Taylor Smith At the bottom of every email she sends, Rhonda Ward closes with a quote from Vice President Kamala Harris: “Our unity is our strength, and diversity is our power.” As assistant principal of Muncie Central High School and Muncie Community Schools’ (MCS) newest director of diversity, Ward starts every day with the power of diversity pushing her forward and the goal to ensure equality and equity for all MCS community members.
news 4/20/2021, 3:00pm Muncie Community Schools introduces hands-on learning program to elementary and middle schools By Mackenzie Rupp Crime scene examination usually isn’t part of eighth-grade curricula, but Muncie Community Schools (MCS) students have the opportunity to explore it and other topics as the district expands Project Lead The Way (PLTW) into all grades one through eight.
news 4/20/2021, 1:00pm Muncie Community Schools staff members discuss a unique program for gifted students By Grace McCormick When Cindy Miller’s son, David Miller, was in kindergarten, she took him to the Levi Coffin House in Fountain City, Indiana, to learn more about the Underground Railroad and its history in Indiana. In school activities, David Miller, now 10 years old, participates in math bowls and writing camps as a student in Muncie Community Schools’ (MCS) High Ability Program.
News 6/24/2020, 12:00pm Here’s how athletics will return for Muncie Community Schools By Jake Merkel At the Muncie Community Schools (MCS) board meeting Tuesday, Muncie Central High School Principal Chris Walker, and athletic director, Tom Lyon announced the return of athletics in the school district and how it would happen. The plan will occur in three phases beginning July 6.
News 6/9/2020, 8:00pm MCS hires new director of diversity By Staff Reports Muncie Community Schools (MCS) Board of Trustees named Rhonda Ward as the district’s new director of Diversity, according to an MCS press release.
News 6/9/2020, 3:00pm MCS addresses issues of diversity, inclusion and racism By Staff Reports In the wake of the recent death of George Floyd, Lee Ann Kwiatkowski, director of public education and CEO of Muncie Community Schools (MCS), sent out a statement Monday about Muncie Community Schools' plan to address issues of diversity, inclusion and racism in the school district.
News 5/27/2020, 7:01pm MCS hires 2 new principals, chief communications officer By Staff Reports Muncie Community Schools' (MCS) Board of Trustees added two new principals to the district Tuesday during its school board meeting, according to an MCS press release.
MCS Project 4/20/2020, 3:00pm Looking past the label By Tier Morrow Every morning, Sean White sips his third cup of coffee while greeting students with encouragement as they file into the halls of South View Elementary in Muncie.
MCS-Project 4/17/2020, 3:00pm Peers become Pals By Tier Morrow Most special education teachers spend their days helping students learn core subjects; however, recent studies have shown that students with disabilities often have lower confidence and self-esteem because it can be hard for them to “view their disability as one component of their lives, not the only component.”
4/16/2020, 1:03pm Can do, we'll do — together. By Brooke Kemp and Jake Helmen “Help me understand that more.” Five simple words that reveal the character of the person making the request. Genuine vulnerability, leadership, humility and confidence are conveyed to those on the receiving end. It’s a request for insight Lee Ann Kwiatkowski makes of almost every individual she meets — community members, administrators, teachers and students alike.
News 3/30/2020, 5:00pm MCS distributes free meals for students during COVID-19 pandemic By Rohith Rao While she doesn’t mind having her kids at home, Angelica Lucio said having to feed them extra meals because they’re not in school due to the statewide K-12 school closure “is a lot.”
News 3/20/2020, 3:00pm Here's where Muncie Community Schools is distributing meals By Staff Reports All schools in Indiana, including Muncie Community Schools (MCS), will remain closed until May 1, following the announcement by Gov. Eric Holcomb Thursday.
News 3/13/2020, 3:35pm Muncie Community Schools moves to e-learning amid COVID-19 concerns By Staff Reports Starting March 16, all schools in the Muncie Community Schools district will observe e-learning instruction, said CEO of MCS, Lee Ann Kwiatkowski, in a letter addressed to families of MCS students, faculty and staff.
Solutions by The State News.