
One Mount Vernon Digital Newsletter

MESSAGE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT
Greetings MVCSD Community,
Welcome to the final edition of the One Mount Vernon Digital Newsletter! It has been a joy keeping everyone up to date with all the great things happening in the Mount Vernon City School District over the past few years. Thank you for taking this journey with us.
A hearty congratulations are in order for our outstanding graduates – a total of 493 – from Mount Vernon High School, Rebecca Turner Academy, the Denzel Washington School of the Arts and STEAM Academy. I wish them all much success as they prepare for college or begin new jobs. I’m sure their experiences in their respective schools will serve them very well!
As I prepare to retire, I would like to thank my esteemed colleagues and cherished students for making my two and a half-year tenure as Acting Superintendent of the Mount Vernon City School District an immensely rewarding one. Among our accomplishments, we executed a sweeping reorganization resulting in a 13-school configuration that is projected to yield at least $16.9 million in savings annually -- resources that will be earmarked for instruction and innovation. I’m also pleased that the community approved a $272,206,615 budget with a vital 3.3 % increase to the tax levy. Moreover, the District last year recorded its highest graduation rate in decades — excluding the period of the COVID-19 pandemic.
I leave the District in the very capable hands of incoming Superintendent Dr. Demario Strickland, who has my full support and will host another community forum at 11 a.m. on July 12 at DWSA. Please make a point to attend and learn more about Dr. Strickland and the future of our District.
A reminder that Congressman George Latimer and former State Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson will be inducted into the 2025 MVHS Hall of Fame at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 28, at MVHS. Meteorologist Elise Finch Henriques will receive the prestigious award posthumously. Tickets are $40 and can be paid by clicking here.
Also, today is the final day to register your child for pre-K3 and pre-K4, please click here to visit the registration page and learn more.
I also want to take this opportunity to offer my deep gratitude and best wishes to three outgoing Board of Education members: Adriane Saunders, Helene Thompson-Njenga and Lorna Kirwan, whose terms end on June 30. We thank them for their invaluable contributions and steadfast commitment to the District.
Finally, I wish the entire Mount Vernon schools community a very pleasant and safe summer. Don’t forget the sunscreen! Thank you for the privilege of serving you.
Kindest Regards,
Dr. K. Veronica Smith
Acting Superintendent of Schools
ONE MOUNT VERNON CATALOG
MVHS AND RTA GRADUATE 274 FROM CLASS OF 2025 AT MEMORIAL FIELD CEREMONY
Graduates from Mount Vernon High School and Rebecca Turner Academy walked the stage at Memorial Field on Wednesday evening, as 274 from the Class of 2025 received their diplomas. Students waved and smiled to their families and friends in the packed stadium as they took their places at the front of the ceremony, accompanied by percussion from the Ice Cold Performing Arts, a group made up of Mount Vernon students. Click here to view the full photo gallery!
ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY-THREE FROM MV STEAM ACADEMY GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL
One hundred seventy-three seniors at the Mount Vernon STEAM Academy officially ended their high school careers Wednesday afternoon at Mount Vernon High School to loud cheers, hearty congratulations and words of wisdom from fellow graduates and several speakers, including keynote speaker Maame Forson, STEAM Class of 2021 graduate and Harvard University Class of 2025 graduate. Click here to view photos from the day!
DWSA'S CLASS OF 2025 AWARDED WITH DIPLOMAS AT GRADUATION
Forty-six graduating seniors at the Denzel Washington School of the Arts were cheered and congratulated by their families, friends and educators on Tuesday during a commencement ceremony where they heard speeches that evoked nostalgia and friendly advice for the future. Click here to view the full photo gallery!
FAREWELL MESSAGE
Dr. K. Veronica Smith, Acting Superintendent of Schools:
It has been the singular honor of my professional life to serve as Acting Superintendent of the Mount Vernon City School District over the past two and a half years. I offer my deepest gratitude to the Mount Vernon community for your trust, your collaboration, and your steadfast commitment to our shared mission: the success of every scholar. Click here to read the full message.
DISTRICT ACCOMPLISHMENTS UNDER ACTING SUPERINTENDENT DR. K. VERONICA SMITH
At the final regular Board of Education meeting of the 2024-2025 school year, the Mount Vernon City School District’s accomplishments under Acting Superintendent Dr. K. Veronica Smith were highlighted. Dr. Smith was appointed as Acting Superintendent in February 2023. Click here to view the brochure, highlighting just some of the accomplishments since February 2023.
MESSAGE TO OUTGOING TRUSTEES FROM DR. K. VERONICA SMITH
As their terms as trustees of the Mount Vernon City School District come to an end, I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Trustee Adriane Saunders, Trustee Lorna Kirwan, and Trustee Helene Thompson-Njenga for all they have done for our District during their time in office. They served as champions for education, always making decisions to better serve the children of Mount Vernon. Our District will wear the mark of the work they have done for years to come, and I am so appreciative of everything we were able to accomplish together for our scholars. Click here to view the full message.
(Photo left to right: Dr. Smith, Trustee Kirwan, Trustee Saunders, In-House Counsel Royce Russell, Trustee Thompson Njenga).
LET'S TALK: CONVERSATIONS WITH DR. STRICKLAND JULY 12 AT 11 AM AT DWSA
Incoming Superintendent of Schools Dr. Demario Strickland is inviting the Mount Vernon Community to participate in his “Let’s Talk: Conversations with Dr. Strickland” community forums. The next forum will take place at Denzel Washington School of the Arts at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 12.
2025 MVHS HALL OF FAME INDUCTION ON JUNE 28
Congressman George Latimer and Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson will be inducted into the 2025 MVHS Hall of Fame. Meteorologist Elise Finch Henriques will be bestowed with this prestigious award posthumously. These trailblazers will receive their induction at Mount Vernon High School at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 28, 2025. Tickets are $40 and can be paid by clicking here.
MVCSD PRE-K3 AND PRE-K4 LOTTERY REGISTRATION CLOSING JUNE 27
The deadline for registration for the pre-K3 and pre-K4 lotteries is June 27. Click here to visit the online registration page.