• WBST 92.1 FMMuncie
  • WBSB 89.5 FMAnderson
  • WBSW 90.9 FMMarion
  • WBSH 91.1 FMHagerstown / New Castle
Indiana Public Radio, a listener-supported service of Ball State University
Listen Live Online. Tap to open audio stream.

Ball State appoints MCS board members

By Terry Heifetz | Published on in Ball State, Community, Education, Local News
The Ball State Board of Trustees voted on May 5, 2022 to re-appoint members of the Muncie Community Schools Board (Photo: Terry Heifetz)

When the new Muncie Community Schools Board meets in July, the faces will look familiar. Four current members, whose terms expire this year, have been re-appointed to the seven-person board.

Friday afternoon, the Ball State University Board of Trustees voted to appoint Keith O’Neal and James Williams to the board. President Mearns appointed two members. Brittany Bales came from a list of nominees from Muncie Mayor Dan Ridenour.  WaTasha Barnes Griffin was nominated by the Muncie City Council.

With these four reappointments, the seven-member board governing MCS will be the same as it was when Ball State began managing the district through a partnership in 2018.

The MCS board has seven members. Five are appointed by the Ball State Board of Trustees. Two are appointed by the Ball State president.  Mayor Dan Ridenour nominates one of those two nominees. The other is nominated by the Muncie City Council.

MCS board members Mark Ervin, Dave Heeter, and Jim Lowe have staggered terms that expire in future years.

  • Brittany Bales
    Employed by BSU as lecturer of special education
    MCS and BSU graduate
    Former teacher at MCS
    Parent of two MCS students
    Muncie resident
  • WaTasha Barnes Griffin
    Employed by YWCA as executive director
    Graduate of MCS and parent of MCS students
    Indiana Black Expo, local chapter president
    Shafer Leadership Academy, board member
    Delaware County Prevention Council
    Muncie resident
  • Keith O’Neal
    Founder and Lead Pastor of Destiny Christian Church
    Attended MCS, as did his children
    Second Harvest Food Bank, board chair
    Muncie-Delaware County Chamber of Commerce, board member
    Youth Opportunity Center, board member
    Collective Coalition of Concerned Clergy, member
    Muncie Theology Institute, president
    Muncie resident
  • James Williams
    Partner with DeFur Voran & former state court judge
    BSU employee-adjunct faculty
    BSU Foundation board of directors
    Board President, Birth to 5 of Delaware County
    Muncie resident

Read Ball State’s news release about the Board of Trustees meeting here.