Muncie Community Schools^↗ET was placed under state emergency management in 2018, the second Indiana district to face that intervention. The finances were in crisis. The community was uncertain. The graduation rate had been sliding.

Five years later, the district has posted five consecutive years of improvement.

From its recent low of 76.3% in 2020 to 89.4% in 2025, Muncie gained 13.1 percentage points, tied for the second-longest active improvement streak among Indiana corporations with cohorts of 100 or more. The rate is now within 2.4 points of the state average, a gap that was more than 11 points as recently as 2020.

Year by year, no backsliding

What distinguishes Muncie's improvement is its consistency. Many districts post a strong year, then give back the gains. Muncie improved in 2021, again in 2022, again in 2023, 2024, and 2025. The gains were not evenly distributed: the biggest jumps came in 2023 and 2025, but the direction never reversed.

The five-year streak took the district from well below the state average to nearly matching it. In a state where the average itself was climbing sharply, keeping pace required genuine acceleration, not just holding steady.

The emergency management context

Muncie's financial crisis preceded the graduation turnaround. The state appointed an emergency manager in 2018 to address years of deficit spending. Ball State University took over management of several Muncie schools under a 2018 state takeover law. The district underwent consolidation and restructuring.

The graduation rate initially declined through this period, falling from 94.1% in 2018 to 76.3% in 2020.

Eric Grim, the district's assistant superintendent, said the turnaround traces back to that same partnership. "A strong partnership with Ball State University, along with the leadership and support of our Board of School Trustees, has established a solid foundation for continuous improvement and set high expectations for key student outcomes, including graduation rates," Grim said. The relationship predates the takeover, he said, but grew after the state passed House Bill 1315 in 2018: "House Bill 1315 allowed us to expand our work together beyond teacher preparation." Today, he said, the district and university collaborate "on leadership development, teacher pipelines, literacy initiatives, and a variety of programs that directly support our students and staff." Grim credited the district's governing board too: "Appointed by Ball State University President Mearns, our board has provided steady leadership, a clear vision, and the support needed to build long-term partnerships and keep moving our district forward."

Grim also pointed to a community-wide effort, Cradle to Career Muncie, that he said includes a workgroup "specifically dedicated to increasing the high school graduation rate by identifying barriers, coordinating resources, and implementing strategies that support student success." "Through Cradle to Career Muncie, schools, businesses, nonprofits, higher education, and community organizations are all working toward the same outcomes for our kids," he said. "That kind of collaboration has made a real difference."

What is clear from the data is that Muncie went from a district in financial and academic distress to one that is approaching the state average across five consecutive improving years. The 2025 rate of 89.4% is the highest in the available data for the district.

Grim said the district does not consider the work finished. "Our focus now is on continuing to grow and maintain a graduation rate that meets or exceeds the state average while making sure every student is prepared for life after high school," he said. "For us, success isn't just about earning a diploma. It's about making sure every graduate leaves Muncie Central ready for what's next." He pointed to the district's Enrollment, Employment, and Enlistment pathways and to Indiana's Honors Seal and Honors Plus Seal, which he said "give our students opportunities to gain valuable experiences, earn credentials, and develop the skills they'll need to be successful after graduation."

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