Mount Vernon committee recommends OFCC partnership, four K-5 elementary plan

A facility advisory committee for Mount Vernon City Schools recommended that the district pursue a master facility plan with the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission and that the district move toward four new K‑5 elementary schools of about 400–450 students, while renovating the middle and high schools, the committee said during a public presentation.

The group told the community the recommendation responds to aging buildings, safety and accessibility shortfalls, limited instructional and special‑needs spaces, and declining enrollment trends that have left some buildings expensive to maintain.

Committee members outlined the process and key facts: the group met across seven committee meetings and multiple building tours over nine months; the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC) has inspected the district’s buildings and applies a “renovate versus replace” threshold (commonly described as a two‑thirds rule) that will disqualify some older elementaries from state funding if renovation costs exceed roughly 66 percent of replacement cost. The committee reported that five of the district’s six elementaries exceed that threshold, and that teaming with the OFCC could bring state participation estimated at 36 percent of eligible project costs and a credit of $7,000,000 for prior Twin Oak work — together amounting to roughly $52,000,000 of state support, the presenters said.

The committee characterized the district’s enrollment picture: the district has lost about 252 students since 2014–15, a decline similar to statewide trends of nearly 10 percent, and consultants projected that recent housing developments in and near Mount Vernon could…