FORTVILLE — As the Mt. Vernon Community School Corp. considers where to make $1.5 million in necessary cuts, local parents have united in support of the financially strapped district. 

    Led by Mt. Vernon mom Kim Boyd, the group, calling itself Operation SOS (Save Our Staff), is hoping to raise $1 million to minimize the possible cuts to teachers and support staff in the Mt. Vernon district. 

    In conjunction with the Mt. Vernon Education Foundation, all donations will be processed and donated directly to the school corporation’s general fund, where the school board and staff members will decide allocation. 

    “We love our schools, and we’re going to do what we can to keep them the way they are,” Boyd said. 

    The $1 million goal might seem like a lofty prospect, but Boyd and fellow committee member Peggy Schleter say they are optimistic. Their plan is to raise $276 per student in the district, which would propel them to their $1 million goal. 

    “We’re looking for pennies to thousands to whatever people can give,” Boyd said. “There’s no donation too small.” 

    Soon, donation boxes will be popping up around the district in businesses, during local events and at schools for people to give to SOS. 

    Now, Boyd and her group of parents are working to get individual fundraisers set up for every day in May. The official kick-off is Monday, May 2, and each of the schools will hold a pep rally to get the students to be a part of the program. 

    “We’re going to try to get the kids involved as much as we can,” Boyd said. “We’ve got a lot of the administrators and principals involved already. First and foremost, it’s the teachers and support staff that we want to save.” 

    So far, the support from the community has been incredible, according to Boyd. She was able to outline her ideas to the Mt. Vernon School Board at the public hearing for the proposed budget cuts on March 9. 

    After the meeting, she had 135 signatures of people who wanted to help out in some way. Now, there are more than 220 people involved and the number is growing. 

    Some schools have gotten on board with Operation SOS. Teachers at McCordsville Elementary have started to brainstorm ideas and ways that they can help the Save Our Staff program. The staff at MES decided to pay $10 each to wear jeans to work until spring break. Donations have been collected at school dances as well. 
 
    Boyd and her fellow organizers have drawn inspiration for Operation SOS from the Monroe County Community School Corp. in southwestern Indiana. 

    There, a group of active parents who were worried about the state of their school district, as it faced a deafening budget crunch, rallied the community to raise $675,000 in just 46 days last year through events such as those planned in Fortville and McCordsville.
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