Susanna Benko, Ball State director of English education and associate professor of English, assists in one of the Muncie Community Schools (MCS) classrooms. Benko works as a PDS liaison at three MCS schools. Sari Harris, Photo Provided Partnership Project 4/16/2022, 12:00pm Teaching to Teach: Ball State professors help Muncie Community Schools teachers grow professionally By Maya Wilkins Susanna Benko, Ball State director of English education and associate professor of English, only had one answer when she was approached by representatives of the Teachers College asking her if she would want to help teachers in the Muncie Community Schools (MCS) district.
Partnership Project 4/14/2022, 3:00pm Letsinger's Legacy: After 22 years teaching at Muncie Central High School, Lisa Letsinger is retiring and leaving behind a legacy By Taylor Smith The artwork-lined hallways of Muncie Central High School (MCHS) have been Lisa Letsinger’s second home for 22 years. Since January 2000, when she rolled textbooks classroom to classroom on a cart to teach accounting and personal finance, Letsinger has rooted herself at the heart of MCHS and in the hearts of her students.
news 4/11/2022, 4:00pm Muncie Community Schools introduces family navigators to improve children’s educational experiences By Grace McCormick While some teachers may consider a student who can’t sit still in class a distraction, Rahmed Paige tries to understand the root of that student’s behavior.
Partnership Project 4/8/2022, 12:00pm Muncie Community Schools records increased financial performance, enrollment By Jamie Strouts Below are some charts showing the financial stance of Muncie Community Schools (MCS) in 2022, which were provided by Brad DeRome, MCS chief financial officer. “Prior to the [Ball State] partnership in 2018, the district was losing around 500 students or so each year,” Klotz said via email. “That then subsided to around 100 students for a couple years before actually seeing a gain of 100+ students last year – the first enrollment increase at MCS in 15 years.”
News 2/23/2022, 10:00am Muncie Community Schools lift mask mandate By Staff Reports The Muncie Community Schools (MCS) Board of Trustees approved lifting the school district's mask mandate Feb. 22, no longer requiring students, staff or visitors to wear a mask inside MCS buildings.
news 2/17/2022, 11:27am Muncie Central High School mascot celebrates 100th birthday By Anna Chalker A tradition Muncie Central plans to keep, even for another 100 years.
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.
Solutions by The State News.