Mount Vernon City School District (New York)

The Mount Vernon City School District (MVCSD) is a public school district located in Mount Vernon, New York. Consisting over 11 Pre-K through 8th grade neighborhood schools and two high schools, the district serves over 8,000 students from the City of Mount Vernon.

Mount Vernon School District
Emblem of Mount Vernon School District
Location
United States
Coordinates40°54′51″N 73°49′50″W / 40.91417°N 73.83056°W / 40.91417; -73.83056
District information
TypePublic School District
MottoHome of the Knights
PresidentWanda White
Vice-presidentArlene Torres
SuperintendentDr. Kenneth R. Hamilton
Asst. superintendent(s)Ken Silver, Dr. Waveline Bennett-Conroy, Denise Gagne Kurpiewski
Schools15 School Buildings- Three High Schools, Ten Pre-K-8th Grade Schools, One Pre-K-6th Grade School & One 7th-8th Grade School
Budget$251.9 million
Students and staff
Students8,000+
District mascotKnights
ColorsGold and Maroon
Other information
Websitewww.mtvernoncsd.org

In August 2015 the Mount Vernon Board of Trustees appointed Dr. Kenneth R. Hamilton as the Superintendent of Schools and with him a knew district-level administrative team committed to improving the school system and educational outcomes for the district's students.

In March 2016, the District put forward a $108 million bond referendum tied to a 20/20 Vision for Academic Excellence. The bond referendum was approved by an overwhelming majority of district voters.[1] The bond not only focused on facility upgrades and improvements, but was designed around an academic vision to convert the district's K-6 elementary schools to Pre-K through 8th grade neighborhood schools. The bond would also allow students choose between three high schools.[2]

It would also create the Mount Vernon STEAM Academy, A 9th-12th grade building, house in the former A.B. Davis Middle School, that would focus on Science, Technology, Arts, Engineering and Math Academy.

Additionally, the bond would allow Nellie A. Thornton High School to become the permanent home of the district's popular Performing and Visual Arts Magnet Program for students in 6th through 12th grades.

Mount Vernon High School would also undergo a renaissance under the approved bond referendum. The 20/20 Vision called for restoration of Mount Vernon High School's storied Career and Technical Education Program and the implementation of an International Baccalaureate program.

History

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In 2016 The Journal News editorial board posted an article favoring the Mount Vernon school bond.[3]

Schools in Good Standing

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In the Spring of 2019 the Mount Vernon City School District received notification from the New York State Education Department that 14 of the district's schools were now designated as Schools in Good Standing.[4]

The Education Department defines a “school in good standing” as one “which has not been identified as a school in need of improvement, requiring corrective action, planning for restructuring, or requiring academic progress, or as a school under registration review.”

Taxes

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The Mount Vernon City School District have been committed to improving the school system and being responsible stewards of the public monies in the operation of the district. Since the 2016-2017 budget, the District Administration has presented and the Board of Trustees adopted, 4 budgets (2016-2017,[5] 2017–2018[6] & 2019-2020[7]) that would result in a ===0% increase on the tax levy===. The 2018-2019 budget reflected a .89% increase on the tax levy.[8]

List of current schools

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There are sixteen public schools in the district as follows:[9]

School Type
Mount Vernon STEAM Academy High School
Cecil H. Parker Pre-K- 8th Grade
Columbus Pre-K- 8th Grade
Edward Williams Pre-K- 8th Grade
Graham Pre-K- 8th Grade
Grimes Pre-K- 8th Grade
Hamilton Pre-K- 8th Grade
Lincoln K- 8th Grade
Rebecca Turner Elementary School
Benjamin Turner Middle School
Mount Vernon High School High School School
Thornton High School (Performing and Visual Arts Magnet Program 6th-12 Grade
Pennington Pre-K- 8th Grade
Traphagen Pre-K- 8th Grade
William H. Holmes Pre-K- 8th Grade

Notable alumni

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References

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  1. ^ "$108M schools bond for Mount Vernon passes". lohud.com. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  2. ^ "A guide to Mount Vernon's new high schools, starting in September". lohud.com. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  3. ^ "Editorial: Back Mount Vernon schools bond". The Journal News. March 1, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  4. ^ "13 District Schools Recognized by State as Schools in Good Standing". www.mtvernoncsd.org. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  5. ^ "Mount Vernon Board of Education Adopts 2015-2016 Budget Adopted Budget to Have 0% Impact on Tax Levy". www.mtvernoncsd.org. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  6. ^ "Mount Vernon Board of Education adopts $246 million budget". www.mtvernoncsd.org. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  7. ^ "Board Adopts 2019-2020 Budget with Zero Percent Increase in Tax Levy". www.mtvernoncsd.org. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  8. ^ "Mount Vernon Board of Education approves proposed $251.9 million budget for the 2018-2019 school year". www.mtvernoncsd.org. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  9. ^ "Schools in Mount Vernon, New York, School District: MOUNT VERNON CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT - List of Elementary, Middle, and High Schools: Grades, Scores, Classes, Enrollment, Ratings, Teachers, Students". City-Data.com. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
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