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!!

JPS Considers 2022-27 Capital Improvement Project

JPS Superintendent Dr. Kevin Whitaker presented a preliminary look at a potential 2022-27 Capital Improvement Project at last night’s Board of Education meeting. The proposed Capital Improvement Project is currently a work-in-progress and would be dependent on Board of Education approval on March 30th and a vote by the local community on May 18^th. 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 in their Capital Reserve, there would be no local tax increase for the proposed $86 million project.

There are three goals for the proposed Capital Improvement Project: modernizing instructional spaces, improving safety and security, and maintaining our investment in our school buildings. “Our overall goal is to keep our kids warm, safe, and dry,” 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. Like your home, we must do continued maintenance such as replacing roofs and updating heating and cooling, along with updating infrastructure including Wi-Fi, in order for our district to run smoothly and 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 to local taxes.”

As the 2022-27 Capital Improvement Project is a work-in-progress, Dr. Whitaker talked about the Building Condition Report that has already been completed that identifies where the most need is in the district. Based on that report, the Capital Improvement Project will start with five schools - Jamestown High School, Persell Middle School, Fletcher Elementary School, Ring Elementary School, Bus Garage, Tech Academy - along with Districtwide IT updates.

“The district will be sending out additional information to the community regarding the proposed project once the details are finalized,” said Dr. Whitaker. “It is essential for the district to remain forward-thinking and continue to address capital project needs for our school community, but we also very much understand that we need to do so in the most prudent and responsible way for our taxpayers.”

Jamestown BOE Adopts Equity, Inclusivity & Diversity in Education Policy

The Jamestown Board of Education adopted the Equity, Inclusivity and Diversity in Education policy at their 1/5/21 meeting. The policy states that the Board of Education is committed to creating and maintaining a positive and inclusive learning environment where all students, especially those currently and historically marginalized, feel safe, included, welcomed, and accepted, and experience a sense of belonging and academic success. The Equity, Inclusivity and Diversity in Education policy is posted in its entirety at www.jpsny.org/equity for public review.