Mt. Vernon School District

On Thursday, September 20 the Mount Vernon R-V School Board held its Regular School Board Meeting.  Below are some items of interest:

• A large group of students from MVIS representing their SWAG (Students Working to Achieve Goals) organization led us in the Pledge of Allegiance.
• I presented a report to the Board on enrollment data for the District.  We have traditionally used the Tuesday after Labor Day as a benchmark to compare enrollment numbers.
  • The District is was at 1,425 students on September 4 down 15 students from this time last year.
  • I have attached enrollment charts and an enrollment history to this post.
• In new business, I presented a report to the Board on the condition of our District Facilities.  Over the past few years, several issues have popped up in regards to deferred maintenance.  Our older campuses in particular have had needed repairs to infrastructure postponed due to lack of funding or competing financial priorities.  A third party company conducted an assessment to help us understand the urgency and prioritize the most important recommendations.
  • There were several recommendations which applied to all three of our oldest campuses:  Elementary, Middle, and South Campus.
    • At each campus a great deal of electrical reconfiguration is needed to provide our classrooms with the power needed to operate in an environment dependent on the use of technology.
    • New windows are also needed at all three campuses as most classrooms have single pane windows which do not contribute to energy efficiency.
    • There are several HVAC units in need of replacement.
    • Finally, each of these campuses need fire alarms installed.  The campuses were built in a time which did not require fire alarms but we have a goal to go back and install to ensure the safest possible campus.
  • There have been a significant settling issues on the north end of the Middle School Campus.  The classrooms on the north end have dropped nearly three inches causing some issues with plumbing.  Engineers have evaluated this situation and believe the cause is related to roof drainage issues.  However, more study is needed and already underway.
  • There are large sections of roof that need to be replaced immediately and larger portions will need replacement within the next three years.
  • Finally, we had the Rock Building on the MVMS campus evaluated.  The goal was to see if the building could be renovated and used. 
    • However, the estimated cost of renovation to save the Rock Building was estimated between 1.7 and 2.2 million dollars.  
    • We were informed that even if we invested large amounts of money is trying to save the structure, we could still find that these attempts began too late and might be unsuccessful.
    • Furthermore, the evaluation showed that the interior of the building was beginning to be a safety hazard due to unstable flooring and large amounts of mold.
    • The recommendation is certainly to not renovate the building and to consider demolition.
  • The difficult questions and conversations raised by this study will be the cause for much discussion by the Board moving forward.  We hope to develop a proactive plan to help us take care of the facilities we have been given by the community.  
  • I have attached a presentation given at last night's meeting which outlines the report in greater detail.
• The Board approved the Special Education Local Compliance Plan, the Proportionate Share Expenditure Amount, and several MSBA Policy updates.
• Finally, the Board considered adoption of the 2018-2019 Budget Document.  There were several factors, both positive and negative, which impacted the budget this year:
  • All Districts are benefitting from continued strong projections for the state formula funding.  This has been a high priority for the Legislature in the past few sessions and we are benefitting from their support.
  • The District experienced an increase in Weighted-Average-Daily-Attendance in 2018-19 which is the foundation for our state funding.  
  • We have also been fortunate to enjoy another increase in Assessed Valuation this year leading to an increase in funding from local sources.
  • Two revenue sources did decrease in this budget year:  Title I and the High Need Fund.
    • Title I reductions have been particularly troubling as we have seen a steady decline over the past four years amounting to over $116,000.  
    • To this point, we are pleased to have been able to continue to provide a high level of support with the funds available and hope to continue to do so in the future.
  • The 2018-19 Budget was approved and includes:
    • Significant increases to certified and classified salary schedules as well as comparable raises for those not on salary schedules.
    • A continued investment in Maintenance Budgets to help improve our facilities.
    • Continued full-funding for STEPS and employee insurance premiums.
    • Significant equipment purchases for Band and the Vocational Agriculture Department.
      • We were pleased to spend nearly $100,000 in support of the Band as they were able to replace aging uniforms and a very large number of instruments which were beyond repair.
      • The District also funded an Enhancement Grant to support the Vocational Agriculture department.
• In Closed Executive Session:
  • The Board approved an additional Paraprofessional position to meet student needs in the Special Education Department and hired Jaime Harris to fill that position.  

The next meeting of the Mount Vernon R-V Board of Education will be Thursday, October 18 at 7:30 PM in the Middle School Board Room.