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Mount Vernon City School District Superintendent Dr. K. Veronica Smith announced the upcoming layoffs on Wednesday, April 30, citing the district's current financial situation as the reason why.
The layoffs will include:
- 84 certified staff members, such as teachers, teaching assistants, and administrators;
- 40 civil service employees.
All layoffs will take effect at the end of the 2024–2025 school year.
"I am saddened that our financial situation required a reduction of workforce," Veronica Smith wrote in her announcement on Wednesday, adding, "I want to thank every one of them for the great work they have done for the district."
The news comes months after the district revealed in January that it would be closing three schools in July, as Daily Voice reported.
The schools to be closed include Mount Vernon Leadership Academy, Cecil H. Parker School, and the Mount Vernon Honor Academy.
Additionally, the district will also modify the remaining schools' kindergarten through 8th-grade model to consist of four K-8 schools; six K-6 schools; and three 7-12 high schools.
In December, Mount Vernon school officials said the city is one of only three districts in New York State designated as having significant fiscal distress by the State Comptroller’s Office. Officials said the district faces challenges such as declining enrollment, aging buildings, and high operational costs under its current K-8 neighborhood school model.
Officials also said Mount Vernon’s student population has steadily fallen, dropping from over 10,000 students in past decades to approximately 8,000 students in 2016. Current projections estimate enrollment could decline to 6,000 students by 2027 and fall further to 5,100 students by 2033. Officials added that no data suggests future increases.
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