It's going to be a great 2021-2022!
Excitement abounds as we have begun the 2021-2022 school year. Thursday saw many smiling faces of both students and staff as we returned to a little more normal start to a school year. With the exception of a few high school students, all of our students are returning to in-person learning and the energy spread throughout our buildings is electrifying!
The start of every school year always brings with it schedule adjustments as parents, staff, and busses navigate traffic near our schools. This year is even more challenging with all of the additional road construction in our district. Patience is appreciated as we settle into a schedule that works the best for everyone. Thank you to all of our staff and area police officers who go outside each day and help everyone safely get to school whether in a car or on the bus. Please know that our principals are giving several days of grace before counting students who are late to school.
The short summer also saw a lot of work in our schools as we are working to refinish some roofs and update our HVAC systems. While not everything is working perfectly, we expect folks to be comfortable soon. Please know that in the coming days, many areas in our schools will actually be chilly as the contractors work to balance the systems. Please plan to bring a sweatshirt or sweater as we work through this transition to better and more comfortable air for everyone.
Finally, I want to share that our wonderful technology department is working to enhance our security procedures and everyone will experience some additional measures as we sign-on to our computer network. With so much technology being used by students and staff, this is a big deal! We want to make our digital security system as robust as possible and we appreciate everyones’ patience as we make these changes.
We are exceptionally excited to get this year going and are expecting record enrollment again this year. Thank you for working together and supporting one another as we provide the best opportunity for all students to learn at high levels.
Health, Safety & Facility Protocols
As was shared with Mt. Vernon parents yesterday, although the CDC has recently made some changes in their recommendations, MVCSC will wait until the Indiana State Department of Health provides directives and guidance from the Hancock County Health Department is disseminated to the county school districts. Our current tiered “Health, Safety & Facilities Protocol” is linked in the www.mvcsc.k12.in.us/covid webpage and will be updated, if needed, when new guidance is received from the county or state health departments.
Free breakfasts and lunches for ALL students!
The USDA has provided a waiver that provides ALL students 1 FREE breakfast and 1 FREE lunch per school day. This allows MVCSC to receive 100% federal support for all students taking advantage of this free food offer. Simply put, by having your child receive a meal, you will be supporting the MVCSC Food Service Department. (Please note, if a child wants a second meal, a la carte items, or additional milk, the student would be required to pay for this meal from their lunch account; no charging is available.)
Since meals will continue to be provided at no cost, MVCSC is encouraging families to use this time to pay off any negative balances that may have occurred in previous school years. Please feel free to reach out with any questions to Doris Johnson, Food Service Director (doris.johnson@mvcsc.k12.in.us) or Kasey Voeller, Assistant Food Service Director (kasey.voeller@mvcsc.k12.in.us).
Parents who qualify for free or reduced lunch are still encouraged to fill out the free and reduced application for financial assistance with textbook fees and Chromebook support. Application details can be found on the Food Services webpage.
Smart Finances: Selling Land to Purchase Land Without Incurring Debt
In line with the Future Growth Plan, MVCSC sold the 67 acres that Mt. Vernon owned at 100N and 600W. In the 20 years plus that MVCSC has owned this land (since 1999) the original investment value has nearly doubled. This sale allowed MVCSC to purchase 38 acres adjacent/north of the current administration building on the Fortville campus, as well as make purchase offers on 20 additional acres east of the administration building. Due to the sale of the land, MVCSC is able to purchase the land on the Fortville campus without taking on additional debt. These property transactions will allow for the facility expansion and site improvements outlined in the Future Growth Plan that were approved by the MVCSC School Board in June 2021.
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MVCSC, 1806 W. State Road 234, Fortville, IN 46040 ~ (317) 485-3100