00;00;00;07 - 00;00;11;24 Brian Gallagher Where resource meets need, there's responsibility. And I don't know how you can be Ball State University and have the need in front of us and not see the responsibility. 00;00;11;26 - 00;00;34;10 Stephanie Wiechmann That's Brian Gallagher. He and his fellow Ball State University trustees voted unanimously to take hold of the future of Muncie Community Schools. Now it's up to them to appoint a new seven member school board by July 1st. Muncie Mayor Dennis Tyler and the Muncie City Council will give input on the appointment of two of those members. Of the five Ball Stte appoints solely, only two have to live within the Muncie school district's boundaries. 00;00;34;12 - 00;00;41;04 Stephanie Wiechmann Ball State President Geoffrey Mearns says that board will run Muncie schools, not the administration or trustees of Ball State. 00;00;41;07 - 00;00;53;16 Geoffrey Mearns They do not report to me. They'll report to the public. They are a public school board. They'll have public meetings the way any school board would. Again, the only difference is how they get to the seat, not how they operate once they're in that position. 00;00;53;18 - 00;01;20;24 Stephanie Wiechmann Mearns says the new board will have a lot of help, especially in its early days. Ball State's current interim provost, Marilyn Buck, will move to being the liaison between the university and the school district. The state has given permission for current MCS Emergency Management team Administrator Assistance to stay on for two months to help the new board. And long term, Mearns announced that community philanthropic foundations and local banks have pledged nearly $ 3 million of financial support to help the school district. 00;01;20;26 - 00;01;28;11 Jason Donati Whatever way I can contribute. It's going to be a positive moving forward and a unified spirit, you know? 00;01;28;13 - 00;01;41;22 Stephanie Wiechmann Jason Donati was the only current MCS board member not to publicly support Ball State's plan during the legislative session. He and current school board members will now serve in an advisory board role. He says he'll do what he can to work with the new appointees. 00;01;41;26 - 00;01;46;26 Jason Donati But but as a parent, I'm nervous because school starts August 6th. 00;01;46;29 - 00;02;11;12 Stephanie Wiechmann Ball State says nominations for possible board appointees will begin immediately. The university is scheduling a June 12th public forum to talk with the community about what's next, but a time or location hasn't been announced yet. Ball State trustees will meet June 25th to announce the school board appointments. That board begins its duties July 1st. In addition to running the district immediately, its next two years will include, as Mearns put it, an. 00;02;11;12 - 00;02;16;05 Geoffrey Mearns Extensive consultative process to develop an academic innovation plan. 00;02;16;08 - 00;02;42;04 Stephanie Wiechmann Mearns says Ball State will follow a financial plan drafted by administrator assistance for this upcoming school year. In it, he says, quote, virtually all staff will keep their jobs and will be paid the same as this current school year. The bill that is now state law gives no end date to Ball State's management of Muncie schools. A similar agreement between Boston University and a Massachusetts school district lasted for 20 years ten years initially, plus a ten year extension 00;02;42;11 - 00;02;45;04 Stephanie Wiechmann In Muncie, Stephanie Wiechmann, IPR news.