About Burris
What Makes Burris Different?
A Model School
A learning community focused on best practices and continuous improvement.
A Place for Future Educators
Partnering with Ball State to prepare highly effective teachers.
A School for Indiana Families
Serving students across the state with a strong academic and community culture.
Mission
Burris Laboratory School fosters a culture of respect and trust where every student is challenged to pursue excellence by engaging in a well-rounded, technologically enhanced, rigorous curriculum in a safe and secure environment. As a model school, engaged in best-practice research and the preparation of highly effective educators, we collaborate with community partners to prepare students for success in an ever-changing world.
Vision
We aspire to be a world-class community of scholars focused on developing responsible global citizens.
Quick Facts
- Established: 1929
- Grades served: K-12
- Enrollment district: State of Indiana
- Governance: Ball State University Board of Trustees
History
Burris Laboratory School was established in 1929 as part of Teachers College at Ball State University and Muncie Community Schools. The school is named for Dr. Benjamin Burris, who served as Dean of Ball State’s Teachers College at the time Burris was built. Today, Burris Laboratory School is the only school in the Burris Laboratory School Corporation and serves as a K–12 laboratory school with the entire state of Indiana as its enrollment district.
As a laboratory school, Burris is dedicated to advancing education through innovation, research, and exemplary practice. The school maintains deep partnerships with Ball State University while also engaging in national and international collaboration. Burris is an active member of the International Association of Laboratory Schools (IALS), contributing to global conversations around inquiry-based learning, teacher preparation, and educational research.
Burris’s leadership within the laboratory school community was recognized when the school was named IALS Lab School of the Year, honoring its sustained commitment to educational experimentation, practitioner scholarship, and student-centered learning with impact beyond its local context.
Connect & Learn More
Explore our staff directory, view school performance information, or contact Burris directly.