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Building Reconfiguration Message - School meetings and overview of Option 2 (with translations)

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Building Reconfiguration Message - School meetings and overview of Option 2 (with translations)

Acting Superintendent Dr. K. Veronica Smith recently held a Zoom meeting with families from Cecil H. Parker School, Mount Vernon Honor Academy and Mount Vernon Leadership Academy, the three schools with proposals to be closed. The District is proposing these closures due to declining enrollment, costly repairs of its older buildings and costs associated with maintaining the K-8 school model, as well as a NYS designation of significant fiscal stress. A long-term solution is essential, but no decisions have been made yet.

Based on survey data from the Town Hall (held both in-person and on Zoom) on December 6, 2024, Option 2, the modified K-8 model, is preferred by the community (117 votes for Option 2, compared to 98 for Option 3). In this proposed configuration, there would be four K-8 schools. These 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. While a school building configuration has not been decided yet, his model would allow for each student to attend a school in close proximity to their home.

You can view a translatable version of the fact sheet presented at the Town Hall on our website at https://www.mtvernoncsd.org/our-district/building-reorganization-info/town-hall-fact-sheet.

Further updates to these plans will be announced regularly as the District nears a decision 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. 

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BoE Regular Meeting 4/22
STEAM Academy students visit Montefiore Mount Vernon to participate in disaster drill

Acting can be scientific too; Mount Vernon STEAM Academy students recently participated in a disaster drill at Montefiore Mount Vernon Hospital, acting as patients and family members. Students in Project Lead the Way (PLTW) classes visited to be a part of the hospital’s annual stress test, serving as patients in an active emergency room. 

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Placements for Student Transfers in Building Reorganization

Students will receive an official notification of which school they will be placed in during the first week of June. These assignments apply only to students who are not in a special placement or program class assignment, such as special education. Those placements will be determined based on their Individualized Education Program (IEP) and the Special Education Department. The current placements of students who are transferring can be viewed in this news post.

These placements are subject to change based on student residency.

Students cooking with their parents.
Kids in the Kitchen returns as parents and students learn about nutrition with Feeding Westchester

Prekindergarten students and their parents learned about nutrition and cooked together during the Kids in the Kitchen workshop last Thursday. Through a partnership with Feeding Westchester and with support from the students in the Culinary Arts Program, families received important information about feeding their children a healthy diet and practiced preparing a healthy meal.

Kids in the Kitchen workshops are held throughout the year for pre-K students. If you have not registered your child for pre-K3 or pre-K4 lotteries for next school year, you can find more information about registration on the registration webpage at https://www.mtvernoncsd.org/family-community/registration/online-registration. Pre-K lottery registration closes on June 27.

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Community Message - May 16, 2025

Dr. K. Veronica Smith, Acting Superintendent of Schools: 

As has been recently reported and thereafter confirmed by the Westchester County District Attorney’s office, a former volunteer coach for the District, Dwayne Murray, has been arrested for certain alleged acts of sexual misconduct involving a minor. The organization identified as being affiliated with Mr. Murray in a recent Journal News report, the Junior Knights, is an independent entity from the District. As of this morning, the District has not been made aware that any of our students or former students are in any way connected to this matter. 

 

Overcoming the Odds Awards
Two MVCSD students recognized at Student Advocacy's Overcoming the Odds Awards

Students show resilience by thriving in challenging situations, and two Mount Vernon City School District students were recognized for their academic excellence and accomplishments at Student Advocacy’s Overcoming the Odds Awards. Kwanell Williams, a senior at Mount Vernon STEAM Academy, and Prosper Ibeto, a senior at Mount Vernon High School, received about $700 in financial assistance to help start their post-secondary education.