Ball State University Buys Two Former Muncie Elementary Schools

Ball State University is buying two closed elementary school properties from Muncie Community Schools at the same time as Indiana lawmakers consider a bill that would let the university run the school district.  IPR’s Stephanie Wiechmann reports.

In a statement, Muncie Community Schools’ emergency management team says the university has purchased Sutton and Mitchell Elementary schools for a combined price of $435,000.

The two schools – along with Storer Elementary – were closed in 2017 as a budget-reducing move a few weeks before the district was labeled “financially distressed” by the legislature and given a state-appointed emergency manager.

Now Ball State could be next to run the district.  Ball State President Geoff Mearns has said while MCS has a multi-million dollar deficit to combat, the university would not use any of its own money in the turnaround effort.

Last November, Ball State also bought another property MCS put up for sale.  It purchased Northside Middle School, which is currently still operating, for $1.27 million.