The Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities
| Established | 1988 |
|---|---|
| School type | Public, Residential High School |
| Directors | Dr. David Williams and Dr. Vickie Barton |
| Location | Muncie, IN, USA |
| Enrollment | 300 |
| Faculty | 45 |
| Campus | Ball State University |
| Website | www.bsu.edu/academy/ |
The Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities (also "'The Indiana Academy,'", or simply "'IASMH,'") is a two-year residential public high school located on the campus of Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, although it operates as a separate entity. It is a member of the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science and Technology.
The school's student body consists of approximately 150 juniors and 150 seniors selected from gifted and talented applicants from across Indiana. In addition to regular, state-mandated public school curriculum, Academy students take advanced, college-level courses. Each student works towards the Indiana Honors Diploma, which is the only diploma awarded by the school.
Established by the Indiana General Assembly in 1988,[1] it is the only tax-supported statewide high school in Indiana. For accepted students, the school did not charge tuition or meal costs until 2006. The Academy started to charge room and board fees in Fall of 2006. Currently, room and board costs $750 a semester, in addition to an annual book and technology fee of $150. Increases in these fees are possible in future years. However, it costs the state about $21,000 a year to support one Academy student. The fees charged to the individual student are merely a supplement.
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Students reside in Wagoner Hall on the southern end of the Ball State campus. The school administration is in a separate building known as the Academy House. Some administrative offices may be found in the basement of Elliot Hall, the neighboring dorm. Classes are held next door at Burris Laboratory School and are scheduled in a manner similar to colleges. Students also have the opportunity to take classes at Ball State for a fee and apply those credits toward graduation requirements. Earning Wellness Credits, as well as doing Academy Service and Community Service, are also required for graduation.
Each student is given a laptop (currently MacBooks) to use while they attend the Academy. This started with the class of 2004 (16 years after the inception of the academy). Students are given these laptops to ensure they have constant access to the Internet and applications such as Microsoft Word and Excel, which was not made available for these students in any of the previous years.
Students are eligible to participate in certain IHSAA varsity athletics in conjunction with Burris Laboratory School, including: tennis, cross country, soccer, basketball, golf (boys), track, baseball (boys), volleyball (girls), and cheerleading (girls).[2]
Because it is a part of the University Schools organization and open only to gifted and talented students, the Academy performs research and studies on students. Dr. Tracy Cross, former Executive Director of the Academy and writer of several important studies into gifted and talented students, was among leading researchers involved with the Academy.
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