Mt Vernon Community School Corp board approves reconfiguration for new Fortville elementary, construction contract amendment and student-discipline policy

At a regular meeting of the Mt Vernon Community School Corp board, trustees voted 5-0 to approve a grade‑level reconfiguration tied to a new Fortville Elementary School, to extend the district's construction manager contract for ongoing renovation work, and to adopt revised language in student-discipline policy C350.

The board approved Resolution 2503 to reconfigure three elementary schools, add a new intermediate school and adjust the middle-school grade alignment so the district can receive a school number from the Indiana Department of Education. "We are set to open a brand new elementary school in the fall," Mr. Smedley said while describing the district's plan and the Department of Education requirement for board approval. The resolution passed on a 5-0 voice vote.

The board also approved an amendment extending the district's construction manager contract under the same terms and conditions the district has used since November 2021. "It is an amendment to the construction manager contract ... it's just simply an extension of the same terms and conditions," Mr. Elkins told the board, noting the change covers additional management responsibilities created by new contracts tied to the preschool renovation and additions. The motion to approve the contract amendment passed 5-0.

During the meeting, Dr. Parker presented the second reading of Policy C350, student discipline, and the board approved the updated policy on a 5-0 vote. The motion as read to the board included a clarification that the board will not hear expulsion appeals and that such appeals "must be filed with the county courts," a procedural change noted aloud by a board member during the vote.

The board approved its consent agenda, also by a 5-0 vote. The consent packet listed the regular-session minutes from Jan. 27, a personnel report, claims and construction claims, an invoice tied to the preschool renovation, construction change orders, monthly fund transfers, donations, and destruction of records.

The board confirmed the appointment of Mackenzie Harrell as the new assistant principal at Mount Vernon High School; Harrell told trustees she is "really excited about this opportunity to serve Mount Vernon." Harrell's start date was stated as the Monday after the 31st.

Superintendent-level reports and presentations preceded the votes. Highlights included a counseling-department report on student outreach and a curriculum committee presentation recommending Generation Genius for elementary science and McGraw-Hill and Pearson materials for various secondary science courses; the board will take the textbook purchases up next month after a public review period. Dr. Shipley said the district will place resource samples in the administration office and publish notices in school newsletters for parents to review.

The board did not take separate recorded roll-call votes naming each board member; each formal action was approved by a unanimous 5-0 voice vote. No motions failed or were tabled during the session.

What happens next: the district will file the resolution materials with the Indiana Department of Education to obtain a school number for the new Fortville Elementary School; contract paperwork for the construction amendment will proceed to implement the preschool renovation and addition work; and the curriculum purchases will return to the board in a future meeting after the parent review period.