The Mt. Vernon R-V School District Board of Education met in regular session on May 21, 2026.
Celebrations & Student Spotlights
- MV-MVP Recognition: The board recognized the MVP for May, Mrs. Sherri Kirk. Congratulations to Mrs. Kirk!
Mrs. Kirk is amazing! She has willingly taken on additional students when her plate already was full. Not only does she work with students assigned to her, she will help anyone who asks for assistance. She works all day at the high school then goes to work at the Elementary in the Summit After School Program. She takes whatever comes head on and just keeps going!
Mrs. Kirk spent her Easter break finding and obtaining prom dresses for students and managed to get them donated with no charge to the students. The dresses were beautiful, and recipients were both relieved and delighted with their choices.
Mrs. Kirk’s calming presence is reflected in students’ response to her. She has such a sweet spirit that draws people in. She really is AMAZING!
- MVP for 2025-2026: Mrs. Trish Johnston was recognized as the overall MVP for the 2025-2026 school year. Congratulations to Mrs. Johnston!
Superintendent’s Report
- Attendance Update: The average in-person daily attendance for April was 1,292.98 students, bringing the overall attendance rate to 94.01%. While April saw a small increase of 5.70 students compared to March, overall attendance represents a decrease of 44.07 students from this same time last year.
Updates
- PAC Update: Mrs. West presented a slide show to update the progress on the PAC.
- Staff Salary & Benefits: The CTA (Community Teachers Association) has gathered feedback on staff priorities regarding salaries and benefits for the upcoming 2026–2027 school year. These recommendations reflect the joint efforts of the Salary / Welfare Committee. The Board will review the feedback now but will postpone taking official action until the June meeting to align with final budget determinations.
- Student Handbook Revisions: Principals are proposed updates to the 2026–2027 Student Handbooks. Only slight changes were made to be in alignment with current policy for next year.
- Federal Program Participation: The Board gave approval to continue the district's participation in Federal Title Programs for the 2026–2027 academic year to secure vital student support funding.
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- Strategic Planning (CSIP) Review and Updates: Mrs. Elsey will present updates on the district's Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP), detailing current progress and requesting approval to transition to the newly updated strategic plan.
- MSBA Policies: Several MSBA policies were approved. Changes were made to update the current legislation, and revisions were made to improve clarity and brevity.
In Closed Session:
Resignations: There were several retirements ending the school year.
Sandy Seitz: Resigned from her paraprofessional position at the Early Childhood Center. Mrs. Seitz has been with the district since March, 2024.
Danielle Brown: Resigned from her paraprofessional position at the Intermediate School. Ms. Brown joined the district this year.
Lainey Smith: Resigned from her paraprofessional position at the Intermediate School. Ms. Smith joined the district at the beginning of this school year.
Maddy Ross: Resigned from her paraprofessional position at the Early Childhood Center. Ms. Ross has been with the district since August of 2023.
Tim Hardyman: Resigned from his paraprofessional position at the Middle School. Mr. Hardyman joined the district this school year.
New Hires and New Assignments:
- Maintenance: Randall Hurd was hired for the vacant maintenance position, bringing over 20 years of experience in plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and construction.
- Athletics: Joey Parks was approved to serve as the Middle School girls’ basketball coach for the upcoming school year. He will continue coaching the Middle School boys' basketball team as well.
- Custodial:
- Nicole Hembree was approved for the vacant custodial position at the Elementary School.
- Maria Elizondo-Lopez was approved for the vacant custodial position at the Middle School.
Other Information:
- Substitutes were also approved.
The next regular Board of Education meeting is scheduled for Thursday, June 25, 2026 at 7:00 in the Mt. Vernon R-V Boardroom.