Town Hall Fact Sheet
Click here to view the downloadable PDF of the fact sheet.
With decreasing enrollment, aging buildings in need of repair, a costly K-8 neighborhood school model, and a NYS designation of significant fiscal stress, the district is creating a plan for both short-term and long-term financial sustainability for our students
FOCUS:
The district is facing major challenges due to declining enrollment, costly repairs of its older buildings and maintaining the K-8 school model as well as a NYS designation of significant fiscal stress. The expenses of operating 16 school buildings - including 13 with middle schools - in a city that is 4 square miles has become too expensive and the district cannot raise enough revenue through local taxes, funding from the state and other sources. A long-term solution is essential.
There are four main factors:
- The district had an enrollment of over 8,000 students in 2016 and at one time had over 10,000 students. Enrollment projections from the state and the district estimate enrollment to fall to 6,000 students by 2027 and 5,100 students by 2033. There is no data indicating an increase in student enrollment in the future.
- The district conducted a building condition survey which identified $395 million in repairs. The amount of repairs needed continues to rise due to an inability to afford repairs. Each school considered for closure needs about $25 million in repairs and is in close proximity to other schools.
- Mount Vernon is one of three school districts with a designation of significant fiscal stress from the New York State Comptroller. Factors such as unpaid taxes, the Payment in Lieu of Taxes program reducing school tax revenue, rising transportation costs, a high-need student population, and expired contracts with unions have contributed to this fiscal stress.
- The K-8 model that was implemented through the 20/20 Vision Bond in 2016 is not currently financially stable. At the time, the planning of that bond did not account for the high costs of operating 13 middle schools. This number of middle schools is unsustainable.
PROCESS:
The district conducted three community surveys between January and October 2024, to determine the thoughts and feelings of a potential change in building configuration. The district formed a Reorganization Committee of administrators, teachers and parents to research the problem and propose options for a solution.
A Town Hall was held on November 7 at Mount Vernon Honor Academy to provide the community with its first solution (Option 1) - to consolidate grades 7 and 8 from the neighborhood schools into Mount Vernon High School, Denzel Washington School of the Arts and Mount Vernon STEAM Academy. Stakeholders asked questions, provided feedback about the proposed configuration and wanted another solution. Based on that feedback, the committee reviewed and developed two more options (Option 2 and Option 3) that include the closing of some elementary schools that have lower enrollment and need significant repairs. Options 2 and 3 will be presented at the December 6 Town Hall meeting.
The district will then make a decision on Option 2 or Option 3 based on the input of the Reorganization Committee and the community and propose the plan to the Board of Trustees. If the board approves, the plan will be formally submitted by March 1, 2025, to the state for its review and approval. Once the state approves, the district will begin implementing the plan to reconfigure the schools for the 2025-26 school year.
FAQ:
With more students in the remaining schools, will class sizes increase?
The district has established class size guidelines that we already use and will be strictly followed to maintain a reasonable number of students in each classroom. While some class sizes may increase slightly, buildings will be utilized more efficiently. Several buildings have many empty classrooms that will be utilized to create classrooms with similar sizes.
Why were these schools chosen to be closed?
The three schools being considered for closure have lower enrollment and need significant repairs, averaging about $25 million each. They are also located in close proximity to other school buildings, to have a minimal impact on families.
OPTION 2:
In this configuration, which takes the community feedback from the first town hall into consideration, there would be four K-8 schools. The four K-8 schools would be Pennington, Lincoln, Graham and Benjamin Turner. Denzel Washington School of the Arts and Mount Vernon STEAM Academy would become grades 7-12 schools, and Mount Vernon High School would be a 9-12 school with grade 7 and 8 Academic and Career Exploration (ACE) students. The remaining schools would become pre-K to grade 6 or K-6. This model would allow for each student to attend a school in close proximity to their home.
FAQ:
Are there other options the district can offer that do not involve closing schools?
The district needs a long-term, future-minded sustainable plan. While it may be difficult, this consolidation will allow the district to focus its resources more efficiently on fewer buildings and provide a higher quality education for all students.
Will the district need to lay off teachers and staff? Will there be a decrease in staffing?
Due to the financial situation the district is in, a staffing reduction is unavoidable. The district is committed to retaining faculty and staff as much as possible. Both of these models will result in the least disruption and minimize the amount of reduction the district needs to make. There are also factors such as retirement and attrition that will reduce reductions.
How would it be determined which schools these children will be relocated to?
The district is working with Southern Westchester Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) on the reconfiguration. School zones will be mapped out to ensure that each student can attend a school in proximity to their home.
OPTION 3:
In the final proposed model, the district would move to a model with two middle schools and two 6-12 schools. Mount Vernon High School would remain as grades 9-12, and ACE students in grades 6-8 would also attend the school. Rebecca Turner Academy and Nelson Mandela/Dr. Hosea Zollicoffer School are potential candidates for 6-8 middle schools in this configuration. DWSA and STEAM would become grades 6-12 schools, and the remaining schools would become pre-K to grade 5 or K-5. This model also keeps students attending schools in close proximity to their schools.
Is the need for a building reconfiguration the result of not managing taxpayer dollars efficiently or appropriately?
No. The District has strict financial management protocols and is overseen by internal and external auditors. This reconfiguration is a result of a combination of long-term issues related to the financial sustainability of the District, such as needing a solution to the expensive and unsustainable K-8 model that includes 13 middle schools with declining enrollment.
How will the district communicate further updates to its plans?
Further updates to these plans will be announced regularly via district news at mtvernoncsd.org and the One Mount Vernon Digital Newsletter that is distributed by email each Friday. Click here to sign up for MVCSD notifications. You can also find up-to-date information about building reorganization at https://www.mtvernoncsd.org/our-district/building-reorganization-info