Mount Vernon School District Revised Budget Vote Tuesday

MOUNT VERNON, NY — The voters will have the final say on the revised school budget on Tuesday, after the original draft was not approved on May 17.

On June 21, from 7 a.m. - 9 p.m., Mount Vernon voters will decide whether to approved the revised school district budget of $266,063,496, a 2.49 percent increase over the previous year.

The new figure calls for a 0 percent increase in the tax levy, unlike the 0.5 percent increased voted against last month. The Mount Vernon City School District says that it is the seventh budget in the last nine years that has not called for an increase in the tax levy.

"We heard the message sent by the voters in our community and responded with a budget that does not require the district to raise taxes of residents," Acting Superintendent Waveline Bennett-Conroy said. "We take our fiduciary responsibility very seriously and we are working hard to balance that responsibility with the need to improve our schools and programs for our students."

The school board says the proposed budget will allow Mount Vernon schools to provide additional security resources, maintain teaching and staffing levels, address the pandemic's impact with two additional social workers and four additional school psychologists, continue a pilot dual-language kindergarten program, expand the International Baccalaureate program and cover repairs, renovations and upgrades to schools.

More information on registering to vote, voting locations and absentee ballots can be found here.