VERNON TOWNSHIP — The Mt. Vernon School Board has approved a growth plan calling for turning an elementary school into an intermediate school and creating a new elementary school.
The school corporation sought the plan to prepare for the nearly 2,000 new students expected over the next decade. That plan capped a seven-month initiative called MV Community Champions, which included public meetings and an advisory committee made up of about 50 members.
Jack Parker, Mt. Vernon superintendent, presented the plan on March 16 to the corporation’s school board, which approved it unanimously.
The plan calls for turning Fortville Elementary School into an intermediate school for grades five and six.
“As we know, Fortville was built to be an intermediate school,” Parker said. “It has a big cafeteria, big gymnasium, locker bays; it’s designed as an intermediate school, that Mt. Vernon redeployed as an elementary school a few years ago for cost savings. So we felt like that could be quickly turned back into an intermediate school, because that is what our community really wants, they want an intermediate school again.”
What’s currently Fortville Elementary School will also have to have its classroom capacity increased to accommodate the enrollment needs of the future intermediate school, Parker continued.
Mt. Vernon will need a new elementary school to replace the one lost as Fortville Elementary is turned into an intermediate school. The future growth plan has yet to determine whether the new elementary school will be in a newly constructed building or by renovating the school corporation’s administration building, which would require some additions. Whichever path is chosen, the plan calls for work to be carried out in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years.
To further prepare for the school corporation’s expected growth over the coming years, the plan outlines classroom additions at Mt. Vernon High School during the 2023-24 school year and at Mt. Vernon Middle School during the 2026-27 school year.
Parker said he was encouraged by what he described as an overwhelming consent among advisory committee members over the plan throughout its drafting.
“I am very heartened and pleased at how tightly people feel about the ideas we are advancing,” he said.
Kellie Freeman, school board president, agreed.
“It was all very positive,” she said.
Tony May, a school board member, thanked the advisory committee for their efforts.
“This was a lot of work,” he said. “It was amazing the amount of time that was spent over the course of the year and what they’ve come together with is just really great, really helpful.”
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Mt. Vernon future growth plan
- Turn Fortville Elementary School into an intermediate school for grades five and six
- Create a new elementary school either by developing a new building or by renovating the corporation’s administration building
- Add classroom capacity at Mt. Vernon High School and Mt. Vernon Middle School
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