INDIANAPOLIS—Indiana Secretary of Education Dr. Katie Jenner has recognized Muncie Community Schools (MCS) among a handful of districts around the state for its significant improvement in Indiana Reading Evaluation and Determination (IREAD) third grade assessment scores. The recognition came at today’s State Board of Education meeting where it was announced that schools statewide saw an unprecedented increase in third grade literacy proficiency.
“Indiana has made extraordinary progress from where we began just a few years ago, when nearly one in five Indiana third graders could not read, to today when literacy rates have increased by nearly five percentage points in just one year,” Dr. Jenner said.
Overall, MCS improved approximately twice the state average. Its 79.2% passing rate is 9.4% better than last year.
“It’s very gratifying to see this kind of payoff for all the hard work put in by our teachers and students,” MCS Director of Public Education and CEO Dr. Chuck Reynolds said. “We are not nearly where we want to ultimately be, but it’s clear we’re headed in the right direction. I’m grateful to all our staff and to our parents for buying in to our revamped curriculum and teaching methods.”
Among MCS schools, Grissom Elementary School showed the biggest jump, going from 46.6% passing in 2024 to 79% passing in 2025. Principal Brittney Charles said there is no magic involved in the gains, just a lot of effort by everyone in the school.
“I’m deeply honored to be recognized by the Department of Education for achieving some of the highest IREAD‑3 growth in the state,” Charles said. “This incredible milestone is a testament to the hard work of our teachers, the dedication of our students and the invaluable support we receive from our community partners. Our intentional approach is paying off, and I’m so proud of what we’re accomplishing together.”
Among those community partners are The Bridge Community Church, Heart of Indiana United Way, Kiwanis Club of Muncie and many others, all of which are part of the Cradle to Career Muncie initiative spearheaded by the George and Frances Ball Foundation.
While Grissom showed the biggest improvement in the district, North View Elementary boasted the corporation’s most proficient readers with 88.0% of third graders passing. They were followed by South View Elementary at 83.3%, East Washington Academy at 82.5%, West View Elementary at 75.5% and Longfellow Elementary at 67.9%.
State officials credit the historic gains to several factors, including a substantial investment of resources fueled by Lily Endowment, Inc., and the creation of the Indiana Literacy Cadre in August 2022. The Indiana Literacy Cadre is a partnership between the State of Indiana, the University of Indianapolis’s Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning (CELL) and Marian University’s Center for Vibrant Schools. The cadre provides early elementary teachers with embedded instructional coaching and support aligned with science of reading.
For more information about Indiana’s IREAD results, please visit www.in.gov/doe/it/data-center-and-reports/.
About Muncie Community Schools
Serving the local community since 1855, Muncie Community Schools (MCS) educates more than 5,000 students at six elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school while also managing several other educational facilities. Through its unique partnership with Ball State University, MCS strives to maximize each student’s potential so he or she can be a positive, productive member of society.
