The Knight Times - 2025-2026 School Year Budget Newsletter

Mount Vernon City School District Superintendent Dr. Demario Strickland made his rounds across all school buildings on the first day of the new academic year, personally welcoming students as classrooms once again came alive with the excitement of a new beginning. Check out photos from Dr. Strickland's day here!

Mount Vernon City School District Superintendent Dr. Demario Strickland is putting literacy, attendance and student voice among the district’s top priorities for the new school year, while rolling out new technology, expanding access for families and pledging continued transparency about district finances. Dr. Strickland laid out those priorities in his Aug. 25 Superintendent’s Report, describing a districtwide effort to strengthen instruction and the systems that support students. The work is being framed by a new theme, “Excellence by Design,” which he said reflects a deliberate approach to improvement.

Thirty-eight Mount Vernon City School District lunch monitors returned to school this week with an important new set of skills: the ability to respond when a child or adult faces a potentially life-threatening emergency. The monitors, along with two Central Office staff members, were trained Wednesday in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, first aid and the use of an automated external defibrillator during the District’s first Superintendent’s Conference Day of the 2026-27 school year.

Mount Vernon City School District lunch monitors, head chefs, managers and other food service workers kicked off the new school year with their annual professional development retreat, which served up valuable training, teamwork and a taste of what’s ahead for 2026-27. Staff members from Sodexo – the District’s K-12 food services provide -- gathered at Mount Vernon High School for the various activities, including food tasting, as they prepared to welcome students back from summer vacation. The annual professional development sessions help employees review procedures and regulations while strengthening the teamwork necessary to provide exceptional service to students.

Welcome back to school! This week, The Mount Vernon City School District greeted students and staff with warm smiles for another exciting school year. Teachers quickly began diving into curriculum, starting off the academic year strong. You can also view Mount Vernon’s Jewel Box on our Facebook, Instagram or YouTube! #ExcellencebyDesign

Students streamed into schools with smiles on their faces, hugging their favorite teachers and reconnecting with their friends to start the school year. Today was the first day of school in the Mount Vernon City School District, and students got right to learning once they got in class! Click here to view the photo gallery!

Assistant Superintendent for Business Joe Lin presented the monthly treasurer’s financial report for July at the Board of Education meeting last Tuesday. He provided details on financial information such as cash flow, balances, and how the district is executing the budget.

Click here to watch the report to the Board

 Click here to view the presentation

With the first day of school right around the corner, faculty, administrators and staff from all 13 schools gathered at Mount Vernon High School Tuesday morning for the District’s annual convocation, where Superintendent Dr. Demario Strickland introduced this year’s theme of Excellence by Design. Check out photos from the day here!