Community Message: Apalachee High School Tragedy

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

Unfortunately, as I am sure you have heard, there has been another devastating and senseless attack in a school in our country. Our hearts go out to the community, families and students of Apalachee High School in Barrow County, Georgia. The Mount Vernon City School District extends its sincerest sympathies to all those who were affected by this violence. 

To our Mount Vernon parents and community, please be assured that the District is committed to continually bolstering our security in our schools. We all must remain mindful of the threats students may face in today’s world as a school district and do everything possible to protect them. We want to assure you that we have strict security measures that are consistently being improved to align with the safest and most cautious practices. These include bag searches at every school, security monitors stationed at every entrance of each school and metal detectors at high schools. We also have a robust security camera system that covers the inside and outside of our buildings to monitor for threats. 

The District also has protocols in place to provide for the mental health of our students. If you are a student and are feeling left out or struggling with your home life, please reach out to someone at your school. The District has a team of counselors, psychologists and social workers in place at each school to assist students with a wide range of problems, and there is nothing wrong with asking for this help. If you see anything that concerns you in regard to another student, please also speak with an adult as soon as possible.

Again, our sincerest condolences go out to those in Georgia, and we are hopeful that this tragedy will serve as a reminder that we must protect our students at all costs. There is never too much we can do to keep them safe.