The history of our school covers over 100 years. MVE started in a house across the road from Mount Vernon Academy / College on what was at the time know as Taylor Street; today it is around the intersection of Avalon and Morris Roads. As MVE's enrollment grew, a new school building was created across the road from the original house structured school. It was a one story wood framed building with three large classrooms with no indoor plumbing and a playground behind the building.
Like the academy across the street, MVE continued to grow and upgrade over the years. During the summer of 1942, additions were added to the Avalon Road building. To the delight of the students, the entire structure was raised to provide a basement with restrooms and space for indoor play & activities during bad weather. Another classroom was also added to the back of the building.
By the 1960s the school building was in need of multiple repairs, with warped floors, poor heating in colder months, and no cooling in warmer months; teaching items and equipment were also in need of repair or replacement. At this time all four classrooms were being used with two grades in each room, with 20 - 30 students per classroom. The school was bursting at the seams.
To solve these issues, on December 20, 1964 the decision was made to approve the purchase of 5 acres of land and construct a new building on Sychar Road, the school’s current location. This site was owned by a local church member, Effie Perrine Skeen, whose family moved to Ohio in 1905 so their children could receive a Christian education. The new school was made of brick with large windows. It had four spacious classrooms, a library/music room, and an office for the principal. While most of the equipment was new, some of the old wooden desks were brought from the Avalon Road school.
Improvements continued at MVE and in 1971, the gymnasium was added. Local builder and Mount Vernon Hill church member Bob McKenzie led out in the project, doing the brickwork himself. The gym complex included storage rooms, a large center stage, lockers & restrooms, and a kitchen. An entry area connecting the original classroom building and the new gymnasium completed the work. This is exactly how our building exists today.