Muncie Community Schools highlighted its many accomplishments in the last five years during its State of the Schools meeting. IPR’s Thomas Ouellette reports on what’s next for MCS.

Despite rising enrollment, a positive cash balance and a 40 percent increase in teacher salaries, MCS officials say things are just getting started.

Chief Communications Officer Andy Klotz says that the new center of attention is test scores.

“Undeniably, that is really the focus. That is certainly one of the premier goals of every school district to have overachieving students, high test scores, high college admission rates, or job training,” said Klotz.

One of the ways schools are trying to reach this goal is with a new reading curriculum — something that officials say is already showing tremendous growth.

Klotz says while growth is promising, it won’t amount to much unless it is followed by high achievement.

“Only one of our elementaries is in high growth and high achievement, and that’s where we need all six of our elementaries to go,” he said.

“So we’re headed in the right direction because not all of our schools were in the high-growth area before
we started this curriculum.”

MCS is a Title I district meaning most students in the district qualify for free and reduced lunch. Officials say this correlates directly with lower student achievement
overall.

The school district is also preparing for a change in leadership that will come later this year.

Director of Public Education and CEO Dr. Lee Ann Kwiatkowski is set to retire in June; Associate Superintendent Dr. Chuck Reynolds will succeed her in the
role.