MOUNT VERNON, N.Y. (March 2, 2016) — While the Mount Vernon City School District’s $108 million 20/20 Vision bond referendum includes infrastructure, technology and field enhancements, the plan’s fundamental essence lies in the $41 million allocated to its academic transformation.
“These preschool, elementary and secondary school proposals will ensure all of our students are college and career ready,” said Dr. Kenneth R. Hamilton, district superintendent. “Our conversations with parents, business leaders and our elected officials reinforce that the status quo is no longer acceptable. We’re doing what we ask our students to do, which is ‘to innovate.’ And our students – who will be the future leaders in our community and our nation – will show us through their eventual college and career success that this bond referendum mattered in their lives.”
The 20/20 Vision starts at the preschool level, where plans are to implement a districtwide, full-day pre-kindergarten program.
“Pre-kindergarten students will begin their academic careers with a rigorous curriculum that will serve as a spring board to their long-term education,” said Hamilton. “This program will be based in our elementary buildings and our early childhood education learning center.”
And the benefits of pre-kindergarten education are tremendous.
“Short-term research informs us that young children who participate in high-quality Pre-K programs enter kindergarten better prepared to learn,” said Hamilton.
Long-term benefits, Hamilton added, include ongoing progress in education achievements, lower delinquency levels and higher post education earnings.
The elementary level 20/20 Vision also includes reconfiguring buildings to K-8 schools.
“Continuity of academic attention and rigor is best maintained in this model,” Hamilton said.
At the secondary school level, the 20/20 Vision will create specially defined high schools of excellence, all designed to restore exceptionally high quality instructional programming while creating multiple educational pathways for success.
Thornton High School will become the district’s performing arts school and be home to students who wish to pursue visual arts, music, dance, voice or drama careers.
Likewise, focused concentrations will be based at A.B. Davis, where a STEAM (Science,
Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) specialization will be offered.
Mount Vernon High School will continue to operate as an innovative high school with a reinvigorated Career and Technical Education program and an International Baccalaureate Program, in addition to general studies and technology.
About Mount Vernon City School District
With more than 8,000 students in 16 schools, the Mount Vernon City School District is committed to providing a quality education to its children as well as developing programs that meet the diverse academic and social needs of its students.
