Mount Vernon voters approve budget for 2023-2024 school year

Voters approved the Mount Vernon City School District’s $265,969,821 school budget for the 2023-2024 school year by a 1,150-546 vote – unofficially – today, Tuesday, May 16, 2023. Results will be certified and made official on Wednesday.

The budget decreases by $93,675, or 0.04 percent, from the current year’s approved budget. The plan provides additional resources for safety and security, afterschool programs, repairs and renovations for most district schools, and curriculum and instruction.

"I want to thank the Mount Vernon community for supporting this very important budget,” said Acting Superintendent Dr. K. Veronica Smith. “This is a sound spending plan that will keep our students safe, improve our programs and repair buildings to ensure that students can learn in comfortable, healthy spaces.”

The spending plan includes a 0% change to the $135,947,117 tax levy. State foundation aid will increase by $2,445,886 to $79,625,448. That accounts for 29.9% of the district’s revenue.

The budget, which takes effect July 1, maintains teaching and staffing levels and addresses safety with five school resource officers. It also includes nine additional reading teachers, four math specialists and four attendance teachers. 

The largest increase in spending is $2,946,999 for school operations, more than half of which – $1.9 million – is earmarked for new charter school tuition. 

The budget includes $493,414 for additional safety and security measures.

"Thank you to everyone who supported this budget,” said Board of Education President Adriane Saunders. “Thanks to you, we can continue the work of educating our scholars across Mount Vernon in a fiscally sound manner as they develop into the young men and women who will lead our future.”

Lynne Middleton (858 votes) was sworn in for a term expiring June 30, 2026. The remaining school board seats will be decided after counting and verifying the 24 affidavit ballots, which is expected to be completed on Wednesday, May 17. The District will provide updates when the votes are tabulated.