Mount Vernon will elect a new school board president and discuss a new sports complex and auditorium

MOUNT VERNON - The Mount Vernon School Board will elect a new president on Monday and discuss the possibility of building a new auditorium and multi-sports complex in the district.

Darrin Gage, the current president, served the position for two years but said he would not seek another year on Monday,

'I think it's healthy for the board to share leadership responsibility,” he said.

Gage added that the multi-activity complex would likely become a primary issue for the next president.

'I think this issue is becoming pervasive enough in the community that during the next year the school board will have to make a decision,” he said.

The board will hold public discussions about the issue before voting on whether or not to make the project a referendum.

The complex would solve sports programming issues in Mount Vernon

Right now, Mount Vernon can't hold home tennis or track meets because of the size of the school's track and number and condition of its tennis courts.

Mark Weldon, vice president for the school board, said he hopes to see more financial information about long-term facility needs before voting on the bond.

'My hope is that we have a series of discussions over the next few months so we can all better understand the pluses and minuses of the referendum,” he said. 'And give the public an opportunity to express their opinions.”