The Spirit of Muncie marching band will not return to the Indiana State Fair this summer to defend its state champion status. As our news partner the Star Press reports, Muncie Central High School Principal Tom Jarvis says the school will not field a summer band program because the band has lost both its directors recently and there is not enough time before the season to hire a new director.

Former Southside High School band director Jeremiah Bowman was reassigned to the bands at Southside Middle School, but then accepted a job as band director at Elkhart Central High School. Central High School director Clay Arnett was supposed to stay director of the high school band, but has now taken a job at Muncie’s Inspire Academy.

Jarvis told parents that students will have the option of marching for other high schools. The school will still hold a summer band camp and put on a few shows in the Muncie area. But The Spirit of Muncie will not compete at the State Fair, where last year the students in both Muncie high schools won first place in their first summer marching together.