Partnerships throughout the District foster academic growth

In the past 10 years, the Mount Vernon City School District has introduced and grown partnerships with a number of organizations, colleges and universities to deliver exceptional academic programming to students. The District has also increased its offering of trade programs during this time, expanding possibilities for all scholars.

The District’s partnerships currently include:

● City of Mount Vernon

● Ford Motor Company – Partnership with Career and Technical Education (CTE)

● Rockland Community College – Partnership with CTE

● Con Edison – Academic Career Exploration Cohort students learn from electrical and mechanical engineers, construction engineers and architects

● Mercy University – Smart Scholars; 100 students will graduate this year with an associate’s degree. HEART Grant for counselor training

● Iona University – Artificial intelligence courses

● Lehman College – Pipeline to College Partnership Program

● Fordham University

● Monroe College

● Westchester Health Center

● Pace University.

● Westchester Community College

● Department of Social Services

“Our partnerships have been vital to us, and we are so grateful for everyone who plays a role in educating our scholars,” said Acting Superintendent Dr. K. Veronica Smith. “We always are open to establishing partnerships that can provide students with resources that can help them succeed socially, emotionally and academically.”

The District has also added several trade programs with state approval during that time including cosmetology, culinary arts, graphic arts design, computer systems networking and troubleshooting and nursing assistant programs. Two specialized high schools, Mount Vernon STEAM Academy and Denzel Washington School of the Arts, were also opened.

“Providing our students with rigorous academic programs is a priority in everything we do, and the partnerships that we have introduced do just that,” said Board of Education President Lorna Kirwan. “These programs provide great value to our scholars, and we are continuously looking for ways to grow and expand our academic and extracurricular offerings.”

In the past five years, these partnerships have helped Mount Vernon students get accepted and attend prestigious universities such as the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University, Cornell University, Yale University and many more. 84% of Mount Vernon graduates attend a four-year college or university.

The District has grown their partnerships and programs, increasing student performance, all while staying within the New York State tax cap. Between the 2014-15 school year and the 2023-24 school year, taxes only rose three times for a total of 1.89%.