Mount Vernon City Schools has been named an Ohio “District on the Rise” in the National Education Scorecard 2026, recognized for leading growth in both reading and mathematics achievement.
The announcement was made when the Education Scorecard—produced by Harvard’s Center for Education Policy Research, Stanford’s Educational Opportunity Project, and Dartmouth faculty—released its fourth annual report on district‑level student growth. Mount Vernon was highlighted alongside Troy City, Anthony Wayne Local, and Mayfield City Schools, but led the group in measurable gains.
The Scorecard shows Mount Vernon outperforming similar districts, posting a +0.74 improvement in mathematics and a +0.68 gain in reading. These results, tracked from 2019 through 2025 and adjusted for enrollment and demographics, reflect genuine academic progress rather than population shifts.
“A core group of districts is excelling in both math and reading, with districts like Mount Vernon City, Troy City, Anthony Wayne Local, and Mayfield City outperforming their peers,” the report noted.
“The pandemic was the mudslide that followed seven years of erosion in student achievement,” Professor Tom Kane, faculty director of the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University, said. “The ‘learning recession’ started a decade ago, after policymakers switched off the early warning system of test‑based accountability and social media took over children’s lives. In this report, we highlight the work of a small group of state leaders who have started digging out by changing how students learn to read, and 108 local school districts that are finding ways to get students learning again.”
Kane added that the recovery of U.S. education has begun, but emphasized that “it’s up to the rest of us to spread it.”
Ohio’s broader performance provides context for Mount Vernon’s recognition. The state ranks 14th nationally in math recovery and 24th in reading. While math recovery places Ohio in the top third, reading remains more than half a grade level below 2019 benchmarks. Chronic absenteeism, though improved, still sits about nine percentage points above pre‑pandemic levels.
The report also notes Ohio received $6.95 billion in federal pandemic relief for K–12 schools, averaging $4,100 per student. Gains in many high‑poverty districts were driven by this support, but middle‑poverty districts received less aid and remain behind pre‑pandemic levels.
The “District on the Rise” honor reflects a trajectory of continued improvement, reinforcing confidence in the district’s commitment to student success. Mount Vernon now stands as a leader in Ohio’s academic recovery, recognized nationally for its gains in literacy and numeracy.
Mount Vernon City Schools educates about 3,600 K–12 students, ranking 111th among Ohio’s 610 public districts.
