Mount Vernon High School (Fortville, Indiana) - History

History

During the mid 1950’s the “buzz” word in educational circles in Indiana was consolidation. Most rural schools were considered to be too small to provide quality programs for students; therefore, the state mandated schools consolidate together. Because Fortville and McCordsville Schools were in the same township in Hancock County, they were a natural choices for consolidation. The Fall of 1959 saw these two somewhat rival towns join hands and become Vernon Township Schools, locating the high school at Fortville, the junior high school at McCordsville, and elementary schools at both locations. This arrangement existed for the next four school years. Land was purchased at the corner of Indiana 234 and 200 West, but no construction took place because a small group of citizens attained national publicity by protesting and demonstrating against the spending of tax dollars for the building.

In 1963 Mt. Comfort School, located in Buck Creek Township immediately south of Vernon Township, was faced with the decision of consolidating with the district to their north (Vernon Township) or south (New Palestine). The eventual decision was to the north, thus Vernon Township and Mt. Comfort became what is now known as the Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation. The name was derived from the Mt. in Mt. Comfort and the Vernon in Vernon Township. In the fall of 1963, Mt. Vernon High School opened its doors for the first time and graduated the class of 1964 with 70 students. The class of 2007, with 211 students, was the 44th to graduate from the school.

As a result of the second consolidation, the high school remained in the old Fortville building until February 1969 when the present building was dedicated as it took over ten years of legal "hassles” to build the facility and then without a gym. The gym and outdoor fields were constructed in 1972 when monies became available. Physical education classes were bussed three miles (5 km) one way each period, and all sporting events were held at the old Pendleton High School gym, which served as the home court, or on opponents’ courts during these three years. The school was built on the property purchased in 1959, even though it was not centrally located within the newly created district.

Two major renovations have been made to Mt. Vernon High School over the years. In the mid 1980’s a new roof and heating/air conditioning system were installed, followed by a thirteen million dollar addition and renovation in 1994. This addition included 106,530 square feet (9,897 m2) of new space and 27,820 of renovated space, bringing the total square footage of the high school to 221,130. The 1994 project added numerous classrooms, an auxiliary gymnasium (with indoor running track and weight room), auditorium, and new science and computer labs. The school currently was then designed to accommodate 1,000 students.

In 2007, ground was broken for the school's latest expansion project, which when finished in 2011 brought the capacity up to 1,500 students. This addition included a two-story addition composed of 10 science labs, 4 visual art rooms, 4 FACS classrooms, and 18 general education classrooms. The addition to the main gym included concession stands, a new lobby, a weight room, and a wrestling room. On the west side of the building, a new 610-student cafeteria with four serving lines was erected as well as a new music education area and a new, larger media center. The auditorium, both gymnasiums, and front office areas were renovated, bringing the size of the building from 270,000 square feet (25,000 m2) to 440,000 square feet (41,000 m2).