Jamestown BOE Approves Capital Improvement Project For Community Vote

The Jamestown Board of Education approved a five-year, $86.5 million dollar Capital Improvement Project to be presented to community members for a vote on Tuesday, May 18. As JPS is reimbursed at a rate of 98 percent for capital projects, and the district has saved the remaining two percent needed to fund the local share, there would be no local tax impact for the proposed $86.5 million project. The Capital Improvement Project has three goals: modernizing classrooms and student spaces, improving safety and security, and maintaining our investment in our school buildings.

“The Board of Education understands the importance of being forward-thinking in ensuring that our district’s buildings and infrastructure stay up-to-date but that we also do it in the most cost-effective way for our community,” said Jamestown Board of Education President Paul Abbott. “By utilizing funds from the 98% state aid and paying the remaining 2% through money the district has saved, we ensure that there is no local tax impact for the community. But just as important, this capital improvement project ensures that we continue to invest in the important goal of educating our students by providing the best environment possible for them to learn.”

The Capital Improvement Project will start with six schools - Jamestown High School, Persell Middle School, Fletcher Elementary School, Lincoln Elementary School, Ring Elementary School, Tech Academy & the Bus Garage. In addition, there will be district wide IT upgrades at all Jamestown schools.

“The district has additional information on the project at www.jpsny.org/capitalproject and will be sending out more details in the JPS budget/capital projects newsletter, by direct messaging to families and staff, and through the local media and social media,” said Dr. Whitaker. “It is important for the public to note that we can only use capital project funds for capital projects, we cannot use it for instruction or operations. It is essential to keep the investments that the community has already made up to date.  Like your home, we must do continued maintenance in order for our district to provide an exceptional learning environment for our students now, and into the future. Utilizing capital funds from the state allows us to do these things with no impact on local taxes. We ask that the community help us by coming out and voting on May 18.”

There will be a public hearing on the Capital Improvement Project as part of the Budget Hearing on Tuesday, May 11 at 6 p.m. in the Persell Middle School auditorium. The vote for the Capital Improvement Project will take place for registered voters on Tuesday, May 18 from noon to 9 p.m. at Lincoln Elementary School, Jefferson Middle School and Washington Middle School. If a community member has questions on registering to vote, please contact JPS District Clerk, Jaunita Walter, at 716-483-4420 or email jaunita.a.walter@jpsny.org by May 4, 2021.     

Petitions for JPS School Board Election Available Beginning March 24th

Petitions for the Jamestown Board of Education Election on May 18, 2021 are available beginning today, Wednesday, March 24th. There will be two JPS board seats on the May 18^th ballot, each for a three-year term, beginning July 1, 2021. Candidates must submit a completed petition containing the names of 50 or more qualified voters within the school district to be eligible for the May 18^th ballot. Petitions are due back to the Superintendent’s Office, 197 Martin Road, Jamestown, New York, by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 28, 2021.

Any questions about the Board of Education petition process, can be directed to Mrs. Walter at 483-4420 or jaunita.m.walter@jpsny.org.

The 2021-22 Proposed Budget will be available for public review in the Superintendent’s Office, 197 Martin Road or on the JPS website (www.jamestownpublicschools.org) and at Prendergast Library beginning May 12, 2021. A public hearing on the 2021-22 Proposed Budget will be held on Tuesday, May 11th at 6 p.m. in the Persell Middle School auditorium. The 2021-22 Budget Vote & School Board Election will be held on May 18th from noon to 9 p.m. for registered voters at Lincoln, Jefferson & Washington Schools.

JPS 2021-22 Kindergarten Registration

Jamestown Public School District is currently pre-registering Kindergartners for the 2020-2021 school year.  This registration is only for students who are new to Jamestown Public Schools.  Students who are pre-registered for the Kindergarten Registration screening day on May 6, 2021, will be scheduled to meet with a speech teacher, occupational therapy teacher and a school nurse for brief screenings in a safe, one-on-one setting. An interpreter will be available for Spanish speaking families.

For questions or to make an appointment, please call 716-483-4344 or email the registration office at:  marybeth.southwick@jpsny.org

Students who are currently enrolled in UPK programs at any Jamestown Public School UPK site, including Head Start at Bush Elementary School, Holy Family, A Children's Place, YMCA, or YWCA do not need to re-register.

Governor Cuomo Signs Bill Requiring All Public, Single-Occupancy Bathroom Posted Gender Neutral - All School Group Bathrooms Will Still Be Designated Male & Female

Governor Cuomo recently signed into law Assembly Bill A5240A, that requires all single-occupancy bathrooms to be posted as gender-neutral. In the schools, this bill applies to any single-occupancy bathrooms designated for staff use only, as well as any that may be designated for student use. This does NOT apply to the group bathrooms in the schools, they are still designated male or female.

The bill applies to ANY public, single-use bathroom, not just in schools. Under the law, all existing single-occupancy bathrooms must remove any signage designating the bathroom as “male” or “female” and replace it with signage indicating it is open to people of all genders. New signage must be posted by March 23, and must be ADA compliant. Jamestown Public Schools will be compliant with the new law prior to March 23rd.

Do You Have A 5th Grader Interested in Playing an Instrument? Check This Out!

Jamestown Middle School band & orchestra directors recently visited 5th grade classrooms - including distance learning classes - to introduce students to the possibility of playing an instrument! Beginning band & orchestra is typically offered to 5th grade students, but due to the unique situation this year, students weren’t offered this opportunity. In order to get students excited about playing next year, the directors have created interactive slideshows. If you are the parent of a 5th grade student, talk to them about what they learned & check out their presentations. Click HERE to see the presentation - make sure you click on Band or Orchestra to see the individual presentations!!