Mt. Vernon superintendent reports bullying decreasing at Mt. Vernon High School

At the May 23 Mt. Vernon Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Scott Cook presented the annual bullying/harassment report which included some positive news. Cook said that the total bullying reports were down this year and there were only 30 reports total. Only 10 of the reports required disciplinary actions and only two of those needed multiple interventions.
Mt. Vernon High School has adopted a new strategy to aid in the problem of bullying by teaching students to be able to separate the difference between bullying and conflict. When the students report an issue they are now given a chart separating the difference between bullying and conflict and the students decide for themselves if the situation is true bullying. Both situations do require intervention and a meeting with the students and/or parents.
Bullying, however, is more serious and often requires more disciplinary actions to be taken. The principals also said that social media was involved with close to half of the bullying reports. This is a difficult area for the school because there is only so much that they are allowed to do as a result of social media bullying that happens off of school grounds.
In other news, third grade teacher Tammy Brasher presented salary and welfare information to the board and shared the results of the annual salary/welfare survey.
Requests from certified staff were: continued board paid insurance; increase to base salary; continuation of the STEPS program; and increase to summer school pay. Classified staff requests were: continued board paid insurance; increase hourly wage; and increase in substitute teacher pay. Salary and welfare decisions will be made during the June meeting.
Representatives from the FFA and agriculture department were also at the meeting and reported their successful year to the board. There are two teachers, 10 classes, 210 students with duplicated enrollment and 176 with single enrollment. Classes offered are: Ag Science I, three sections and 54 students; agronomy, 23 students; ag power 22 students; conservation, 18 students; floriculture, 12 students; vet science, 24 students; ag construction, 20 students; ag co-op, three students; and ag sales, 17 students. This year, one the students planted 30 fruit trees such as peaches, apples, cherries and plumb bearing fruit, 40 nut trees, 50 pine trees and 50 maple trees. All of these materials were paid for by ag department booster Cecil Settle.