Muncie High School Consolidation Oral History Project records

In 2013, in response to declining enrollment and increased financial troubles within the district, Muncie Community Schools began investigating cost containment solutions that would involve changes or reductions in several operational areas including facilities, personnel, technology, extracurricular activities, and transportation. Public town hall meetings were held on August 14 (Southside High School), August 27 (Northside Middle School), September 11 (Wilson Middle School), and October 8, 2013 (Central High School) to give community members an opportunity to provide suggestions and feedback about the future of the school district.

At a special meeting of the Board of School Trustees held on November 18, 2013 the board voted 4-1 to consolidate Muncie Central and Southside High Schools into a single high school, with the student body of Southside joining that of Central in the current Central High School building. The board also voted to convert the former Southside High School building into a middle school (Southside Middle School) and to close Wilson Middle School and place the building on the Indiana Department of Education list of closed, unused, or unoccupied school buildings until 2016. These actions were to become effective beginning with the 2014-2015 academic year. Board members Tony Costello, Debbie Feick, Michael Long, and Robert Warrner voted in favor of the recommendation, while board President Beverly Kelley voted against it. The stated reasons for the board's decision were that the proposed recommendations would result in significant cost savings, provide more educational and extracurricular opportunities for all students, and that Muncie Central was the only facility capable of accommodating all 9-12th grade students in the district.