The New Mt. Vernon Township High School is open for business.
Governor Bruce Rauner joined area lawmakers as well as school and community leaders to officially open the new facility Friday.
Superintendent Mike Smith says this has been a long time coming.
"The last time this county established a new township high school campus was for the 1905-06 school year. Today also marks the culmination of six years of research, planning, design and construction."
Mt. Vernon High School student body president Hannah Pipher says this is an exciting time for the school and the community as a whole.
"New beginnings are often scary and hard. But, if we stick together and rely on each other, there is nothing that we cannot accomplish. As we open the doors to a new future, and a new beginning, let the words of former principal, Mr. Wes Olson, ring loud and true, 'it is without a doubt, a great day to be a Ram.'"
Superintendent Smith says there are seven buildings that create a career academy approach.
"Public service, Arts and Humanities, Business and Industry, STEM, for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, and Multi-Disciplinary Studies. Each academy can support numerous programs of study at three levels of focus: transition directly into the workforce, two-year or technical certificate track, or a four-year college track."
Governor Rauner says the new Mt. Vernon High School illustrates the best in educational opportunities.
"This is facility is dedicated to the way education should be done. This gives parents and students choices in what they want to learn (and) how they want to learn it."
