The Mount Vernon R-V Board of Education held a Regular Meeting on Thursday, November 20, 2025. Below are some items of information from the meeting:
Recognitions & Celebrations
- The district recognized David Hood as MV-MVP for November.
Teaching has been a recent career change for Mr. Hood and our district is better off for it! He was BORN to teach. He is an amazing math teacher--getting kids back to fundamentals and setting the bar high for his students. He has a great sense of humor that middle school students love and he connects with them SO well. He has been such a great addition to our building in the last seven years--I only wish we could have had him longer! He's a phenomenal teacher and colleague.
Mr. Hood is always smiling (until he isn't. . . just ask a sixth grade boy who gets a lunch detention. . lol) and he has the BEST attitude. He brings so much fun to our building--leading group singing in the cafeteria whenever a student has a birthday, absolutely KILLING Spirit Days with his fun costumes, and pranking students--I hear he has a water gun somewhere. . . He keeps all of us on our toes and I've honestly never seen him in a bad mood.
In addition to teaching, Mr. Hood is THE biggest Mt. Vernon Booster. He single-handedly runs EVERY high school concession stand for EVERY home game ALL. YEAR. LONG. He often heads to the high school during his 7th hour planning period to get things set up. He orders everything for each week and he's the MOST hospitable person--allowing businesses, Mighty Mites, band parents, and other groups to use the space. As far as I know, he does all of this WITHOUT any compensation--and way after his own kids have been students here. I don't know how many shifts he works at Apple Butter Makin' Days but he's always there running everything. I honestly don't know who will step up when he retires to take over--or who can possibly take over in the capacity that he does. He has the BIGGEST heart for his community and if you've been to a home game, you know that Mr. Hood will be there running concessions, cleaning the stands, cheering on his hometown teams, and smiling the whole time.
Congratulations Mr. Hood, and thank you for all you do for MV Students!
- Board members who attended the Missouri School Boards’ Association (MSBA) Conference shared key learning and updates.
- First Student bus drivers were honored for their continued commitment to student safety.
- Principals reported a positive turnout from Parent-Teacher Conferences.
Superintendent & District Updates
- Attendance: October’s attendance rate was 95.37%, with 1,324 students attending daily on average, which was slightly lower than this time last year.
Program, Academic & Activity Updates
- Basketball Programs: Coach Alexis Cauthon shared updates on upcoming seasons, schedules, and player progress. Coach Cauthon brought a representation of the basketball team including three juniors on that team. Mr. Johnston shared an update on the boys’ basketball program in the absence of Coach Ryan Worley. Coach Worley and his team were playing in a basketball jamboree at Greenwood.
- Performing Arts Center (PAC):
- Veregy shared a project update.
- Bids for audio/visual, stage, and lighting equipment were reviewed and approved, granting the bid to Paragon 360.
- Academic Reports:
- Mrs. West presented the Annual Performance Report (APR). Mt. Vernon improved by 6.3% on overall performance. Areas of strength included overall achievement and growth in ELA and Growth performance on ELA and Math subgroups.
- Mrs. Elsey shared a report on MAP/EOC scores, district benchmark data, and results from climate surveys. Information on the results of those surveys will be shared out to families in the upcoming weeks.
- Approval was requested for several out-of-state student trips, including Winter Guard and band competitions in Arkansas and Kansas.
- Alternative Education: Dr. Prevo and Mr. Johnston shared progress on developing an updated Alternative Education policy to ensure accountability for progress at various points in the semester.
District Leadership Structure Discussion
The board reviewed a proposal to change the title of Director of Academic Services to Assistant Superintendent to better match the scope of leadership responsibilities.
Responsibilities include:
- Curriculum & Instruction
- Assessments
- Federal Programs
- Food Services
- Title IX
- Emergency Planning
The proposed change aligns with neighboring districts, strengthens clarity for staff and families, and does not add an additional administrative position—only updates the title and adjusts the contract to 12 months. This change of title will be posted as the district looks to fill this position for the upcoming school year with the recent announcement of Mrs. Elsey’s retirement.
Personnel Updates
During Closed Executive Session:
Retirement
- Sarah Garner announced her retirement effective at the end of the school year.
Mrs. Garner has spent three years in Mt. Vernon, capping a distinguished 32-year career in education and 18 years in administration. Congratulations to Mrs. Garner, and thank you for your commitment to MV students and staff.
Staffing Changes
- Samantha Oehlschlager moved to the Special Education Administrative Assistant opening, and Katie Parrish has accepted the Central Office Administrative Assistant position. This move follows an internal shift and will result in an opening at the Elementary School.
Personnel Recommendations
- Several new hires were approved:
- Lori Riott: Elementary custodian position. She previously worked in custodial roles for Mt. Vernon and is returning to the district.
- Kristin Sharples: ECSE para position at the Early Learning Center. She brings 11 years of para experience from Pierce City.
- Michael Hare: Substitute custodian, supporting the all campuses when needed
- Lidia Herman: High School custodian position. She is bringing three years of custodial experience from Springfield Public Schools.
- Color Guard Volunteers:
- Taylor Schwendemann and Madison Gillham were approved to assist the program.
Substitutes & Summit Workers
- A list of substitutes and Summit Workers were approved.
The next scheduled Board Meeting will be on Thursday, December 18 at 7:00 PM at Mt. Vernon Central Office Boardroom.