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Mount Vernon School District

Police & Fire
2 Students Found With Gun, Knife At Schools In Mount Vernon On Same Day: Officials 2 Students Found With Gun, Knife At Schools In Mount Vernon On Same Day: Officials
2 Students Found With Gun, Knife At Schools In Mount Vernon On Same Day: Officials Two students in both a middle and high school in a city in Westchester were arrested after they were found with a gun and a knife in unrelated incidents, officials said.  The separate incidents happened in two schools in Mount Vernon on Friday, April 21, according to Mount Vernon city officials.  The first incident happened around 8 a.m. when Mount Vernon High School officials told police that they had discovered a student in possession of a knife.  Police then arrived at the school, confiscated the knife, and took the 15-year-old student into custody. The student, who was t…

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by Ben Crnic
Schools
US Attorney Investigating School District, Superintendent In Mount Vernon US Attorney Investigating School District, Superintendent In Mount Vernon
US Attorney Investigating School District, Superintendent In Mount Vernon A school district in Westchester County has confirmed that it is under investigation by federal officials.  The Mount Vernon School District as well as Superintendent Waveline Bennett-Conroy are currently under investigation by the United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of New York, the school district announced on Friday, Feb. 10.  The investigation is centering on records associated with grants previously given to the district by the federal government, school officials said. The district said it would cooperate with the probe.  "The Board of Educa…

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by Ben Crnic
Schools
Independent Investigator To Probe Accusations Of Corruption At School District In Mount Vernon Independent Investigator To Probe Accusations Of Corruption At School District In Mount Vernon
Independent Investigator To Probe Accusations Of Corruption At School District In Mount Vernon A Westchester County school district is hiring a third-party investigator to investigate corruption accusations that residents have raised. On Thursday, Oct. 27, Mount Vernon School District Superintendent Waveline Bennett-Conroy and Board of Education President Adriane Saunders released a joint statement in which they announced that the city's school district would "immediately retain the professional services of outside experts" to answer questions about the district's contractual procurement process and use of grant funding.  In the statement, Bennett-Conroy and&…

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by Ben Crnic
News
COVID-19: Mount Vernon City School District Employee Tests Positive COVID-19: Mount Vernon City School District Employee Tests Positive
Covid-19: Mount Vernon City School District Employee Tests Positive Another school staffer in Westchester has tested positive for COVID-19, this time on the eve of the first day of classes. The employee in the Mount Vernon School District confirmed the case on Wednesday, Sept. 9, as classes are set to begin remotely on Thursday, Sept. 10. It's the second COVID-19 case involving a staff member in a Westchester school district. Earlier story - COVID-19: Staffer Tests Positive At School In Yonkers District officials said they received confirmation of the positive test last week, the employee has been isolated, and are working with the county Health Departmen…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
COVID-19: Mount Vernon Latest Westchester School District To Opt For Distance Learning COVID-19: Mount Vernon Latest Westchester School District To Opt For Distance Learning
Covid-19: Mount Vernon Latest Westchester School District To Opt For Distance Learning The Mount Vernon School District is the latest in a Westchester city to announce that it will begin the academic year with 100 percent remote learning for students. On Friday, Aug. 21, district officials announced that classes will start remotely on Thursday, Sept. 10, and will remain that way for at least the first month. Following the initial remote learning period, the district intends to switch to a hybrid learning model, with parents having the option to keep their children home and continue learning from there. Earlier story - COVID-19: Teachers From Westchester Express Concerns Ab…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Mount Vernon School District Under Fiscal Stress, State Comptroller Says Mount Vernon School District Under Fiscal Stress, State Comptroller Says
Mount Vernon School District Under Fiscal Stress, State Comptroller Says A Westchester County school district was among 33 statewide to be under “fiscal stress,” according to the New York State Comptroller. According to Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli’s Fiscal Stress Monitoring System, the Mount Vernon School District was “susceptible to fiscal stress,” for the school year that ended in 2019. The Comptroller said that the Fiscal Stress Monitoring System “analyzes a set of six financial indicators to create an overall stress score. The fiscal stress score determines if a district is in ‘significant fiscal stress,’ ‘moderate stress,’ ‘susceptible to stress’ or ha…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Mount Vernon Schools Dismiss Teacher Who Hosted Mock Slave Auction Mount Vernon Schools Dismiss Teacher Who Hosted Mock Slave Auction
Mount Vernon Schools Dismiss Teacher Who Hosted Mock Slave Auction The Mount Vernon School District is hitting the brakes after coming under fire for hiring a teacher who was fired earlier this year for holding a mock slave auction with students. The district is reversing course after hiring Rebecca Antinozzi, a former fifth-grade teacher at the Chapel School in Bronxville who was fired after a parent accused her of staging mock slave auctions. The parent alleged that African-American students were placed in imaginary chains and were bid on by other students. Antinozzi was reportedly hired last week to teach at the Cecil H. Parker Elementary School with …

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by Zak Failla
Politics
Battle Between Mount Vernon Mayor, Comptroller, Reaches Fever Pitch Battle Between Mount Vernon Mayor, Comptroller, Reaches Fever Pitch
Battle Between Mount Vernon Mayor, Comptroller, Reaches Fever Pitch The ongoing battle between Mount Vernon Mayor Richard Thomas and Comptroller Deborah Reynolds has reached new heights. This week, Reynolds reportedly removed Thomas and Mount Vernon City Council President Lisa Copeland from the city’s bank-account signature card, which the mayor argues is a violation of the City Charter. Thomas stated that “ if Comptroller Reynolds were to become incapacitated or unable to fulfill her duties, there is no one empowered to officially sign the City's checks.” On Friday, Thomas went after Reynolds again, this time because the Comptroller’s office was clos…

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by Zak Failla
Obituaries
Fundraising Effort Launched For Funeral Of Mount Vernon Boy Struck, Killed Fundraising Effort Launched For Funeral Of Mount Vernon Boy Struck, Killed
Fundraising Effort Launched For Funeral Of Mount Vernon Boy Struck, Killed A fundraising campaign has been started for the family of 9-year-old Drew Faustin, who was struck and killed by a minivan in Westchester while crossing the street just days before his 10th birthday. Faustin, a fourth-grade student at Graham Elementary School in Mount Vernon was struck by the vehicle driven by 27-year-old Connecticut resident Janay Ruiz, 27, shortly after 6:45 p.m. on Wednesday, May 8, while crossing South Columbus Avenue in Mount Vernon, officials said. The boy was transported to Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx for treatment, where he was pronounced dead. In response, a …

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Victim, Driver ID'd: Boy Dies After Being Hit By Minivan In Mount Vernon Victim, Driver ID'd: Boy Dies After Being Hit By Minivan In Mount Vernon
Victim, Driver ID'd: Boy Dies After Being Hit By Minivan In Mount Vernon Police have released new details regarding the tragic incident in which a minivan struck and killed a 9-year-old boy while crossing the street in Westchester. Drew Faustin, a fourth-grade student at Graham Elementary School in Mount Vernon was struck by the vehicle driven by 27-year-old Connecticut resident Janay Ruiz, 27, shortly after 6:45 p.m. on Wednesday, May 8, while crossing South Columbus Avenue in Mount Vernon, officials said. The boy was transported to Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx for treatment, where he was pronounced dead. Ruiz, whose place of residence in Connecticut was …

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by Zak Failla
News
Fights Still Going On Following Mayor's Unannounced Visit To Mount Vernon HS With Rapper Fatboy Fights Still Going On Following Mayor's Unannounced Visit To Mount Vernon HS With Rapper Fatboy
Fights Still Going On Following Mayor's Unannounced Visit To Mount Vernon HS With Rapper Fatboy The fallout from Mount Vernon Mayor Richard Thomas’ unexpected visit to the high school last week continues to reverberate throughout the city and school district as fighting has continued into this week. Mount Vernon Mayor Richard Thomas and rapper Fatboy made an appearance at the high school on Friday, Jan. 11, unbeknownst to the school, Principal Ronald Gonzalez, or Mount Vernon Superintendent Kenneth Hamilton. During the visit - which was without notice or authorization - students got riled up and proceeded to begin fighting when the rapper reportedly “made it rain,” throwing money arou…

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by Zak Failla
Lifestyle
Cannon Ball! Mount Vernon To Open Renovated HS Swimming Pool To Public Cannon Ball! Mount Vernon To Open Renovated HS Swimming Pool To Public
Cannon Ball! Mount Vernon To Open Renovated HS Swimming Pool To Public Local residents looking to beat the heat with the dog days of summer fast approaching will be able to do so at an area high school’s pool, which will be open to local families. The Mount Vernon School District announced that this summer, the pool at the high school will be open to host family laps and general swimming, beginning on Monday, July 9. The pool will be available to the public on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon. Residents interested in enjoying the pool will need to bring proof of residency and pay a fee of $5 per person per visit. Four lanes of th…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Three Mount Vernon Schools Upgraded From Focus Schools To Good Standing Three Mount Vernon Schools Upgraded From Focus Schools To Good Standing
Three Mount Vernon Schools Upgraded From Focus Schools To Good Standing Good news keeps pouring in for the Mount Vernon School District. After years of student struggles, Columbus, Hamilton and Rebecca Turner elementary schools have been awarded designation upgrades to “schools in good standing” after being designated as “focus schools’ by the New York State Education Department. The NYSED defines a “school in good standing” as one “which has not been identified as a school in need of improvement, requiring corrective action, planning for restructuring, or requiring academic progress, or as a school under registration review.” School officials attributed the t…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Report: Mount Vernon Teacher Suing District Faces 40 Disciplinary Charges Report: Mount Vernon Teacher Suing District Faces 40 Disciplinary Charges
Report: Mount Vernon Teacher Suing District Faces 40 Disciplinary Charges The Mount Vernon math teacher who is suing the school district for alleged discrimination has had dozens of disciplinary charges filed against him, according to a lohud report. Hilary Bailey, 61, has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the district and Benjamin Turner Middle School Principal Jonathan Brown, claiming that he was unfairly treated due to his age and a medical condition he suffers from. Bailey was hired by the district in 2000, while Brown became principal at the middle school in 2013. According to the report, Bailey is facing 40 disciplinary charges, including insubor…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Mount Vernon Students Receive Free Smartphones, Internet From Sprint Mount Vernon Students Receive Free Smartphones, Internet From Sprint
Mount Vernon Students Receive Free Smartphones, Internet From Sprint MOUNT VERNON, N.Y. - Several hundred Mount Vernon students-in-need will soon have access to high-speed Internet and smart devices through a collaborative effort with Sprint. The Mount Vernon School District will provide 300 students with devices and free high-speed Internet access through Sprint’s “1Million Project,” a give year program that seeks to provide that access to one million students across the country, “giving them the resources they need to achieve their full academic potential.” According to the project’s website, 70 percent of America’s high school teachers assign homework tha…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Former Mount Vernon Teacher Sues District For Alleged Discrimination Former Mount Vernon Teacher Sues District For Alleged Discrimination
Former Mount Vernon Teacher Sues District For Alleged Discrimination A former Mount Vernon School District educator is suing the district claiming that he was unjustly treated before departing, according to a lawsuit filed last month. Hilary Bailey, 61, has reportedly filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the district and Benjamin Turner Middle School Principal Jonathan Brown claiming that he was unfairly treated due to his age and a medical condition he suffers from. Bailey was hired by the district in 2000, while Brown became principal at the middle school in 2013. According to reports, the conflict between the two men came to a head in 2014 when B…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Mount Vernon Teacher Files Discrimination Lawsuit Over Age, Report Says Mount Vernon Teacher Files Discrimination Lawsuit Over Age, Report Says
Mount Vernon Teacher Files Discrimination Lawsuit Over Age, Report Says MOUNT VERNON, N.Y. - A former Mount Vernon School District educator is suing the district claiming that he was unjustly treated before departing, according to a lohud report released on Tuesday. Hilary Bailey, 61, has reportedly filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the district and Benjamin Turner Middle School Principal Jonathan Brown claiming that he was unfairly treated due to his age and a medical condition he suffers from. Bailey was hired by the district in 2000, while Brown became principal at the middle school in 2013. According to the report, the conflict between the two m…

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by Zak Failla