Indiana Senate to act on Ball State takeover of Muncie schools

The measure, House Bill 1315, passed the House by a margin of 65-26 on Feb. 1. Rep. Karlee Macer, Indianapolis, was the only Democrat to support it. All members of the Republican caucus voted for the legislation.

Besides allowing BSU to govern the school district using a newly appointed seven-member school board, the bill allows the State Board of Finance to make an interest-free loan to the district; removes the district's fiscally "distressed" label; and provides extra state financial support to the district from July 1 of this year to June 22, 2022.

The law specifies that the state's Distressed Unit Appeal Board (DUAB) will provide funding to the district in 2018-22 in an amount equal to the compensation that would have been provided to the district had it retained its status as a distressed unit.

MCS is currently operated by a state-appointed emergency management firm, Administrator Assistance, as a "distressed political subdivision."