2026-27 Budget Vote & BOE Election

• March 10 Budget Workshop Presentation
• May 12 Budget Hearing Presentation
• JPS District Report & Budget Information Newsletter
• JPS Budget Notice
• 2026-27 Expenditure Budget

Registration Information 

If a person is not currently registered to vote in the May 19 election, JPS District Clerk Rhonda Frank, is available to register any eligible voter between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on April 24 in the Administration Building at 197 Martin Road, Jamestown, N.Y. Any resident who is not registered with Chautauqua County Board of Elections is able to present themselves, in person, before Ms. Frank with proof of identification and residence in order to be eligible to vote on May 19.  

Applications for Absentee Ballots must be received at least 7 days before the election if the ballot is to be mailed to the voter.

Anyone who has a New York State Driver’s license may register to vote electronically through the Department of Motor Vehicles at https://dmv.ny.gov/more-info/electronic-voter-registration-application. 

Applications are also available for Absentee Voting or Early Voting 30 days prior to the election. Application forms and instructions may also be obtained in the Superintendent’s Office. 

Polling Sites

Jefferson Middle School
195 Martin Road
Jamestown, N.Y. 14701

Lincoln Elementary School
301 Front Street
Jamestown, N.Y. 14701

Washington Middle School
159 Buffalo Street
Jamestown, N.Y. 14701

School Board Candidates

Three candidates are also on the ballot to fill three open seats on the district’s board of education — two three-year terms that will begin in July 2026 and end in June 2029. Voters can cast their vote at any of the three polling sites: Jefferson (195 Martin Road), Lincoln (301 Front Street), and Washington (159 Buffalo Street) schools. The polls will be open from noon to 9 p.m. on May 19. 

In order of appearance on the ballot:

Christine Schnars, an incumbent, is seeking her fourth term since returning to the board in 2017. She first joined the board in 1987 and has previously served as its president and vice president. She was installed as president of the New York State School Boards Association board of directors in October and serves on the E2CCB Board of Education. She is a past president of the Fletcher PTA and served on the NYSPTA Board of Governors. Schnars, her late husband Jim, and her four children are all JHS alumni. She has five grandchildren currently enrolled in JPS.

 

 

Paul Abbott, an incumbent, is seeking his seventh term, having started on the board in July 2008. Mr. Abbott has served as the Board of Education President since 2016. He is a JHS alumnus and graduated from JCC, the Chautauqua County Sheriff's Academy and the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va. He is retired as the Investigative Commander of the Jamestown Police Department and is currently employed by the Chautauqua County Sheriff's Department. Mr. Abbott and his wife, Jennifer, have two daughters: Kelsey, a 2013 JHS graduate and Hannah, a 2017 JHS graduate.

 

 

Carmela Proctor is seeking her first term on the Board of Education. A lifelong resident, Proctor retired from Jamestown Public Schools in 2016 after spending 18 years as Principal of Jefferson Middle School. Prior to that, she served 17 years as an elementary special education teacher in the district. A proud graduate of Jamestown High School, she is a member of Zion Covenant Church and the Jamestown Area YMCA. She received her associates degree from SUNY Jamestown Community College, her undergraduate degree in special education at SUNY Buffalo State, and her master’s and administrative degrees from SUNY Fredonia.

School Board Petitions Available March 27

Petitions for the Jamestown Public Schools Board of Education Election on May 19, 2026 are available beginning Friday, March 27. 

At the May 19 Annual School Budget Vote and School Board Election, there will be three vacancies created by the expiration, on June 30, 2026, of the terms of Paul Abbott, John Panebianco and Christine Schnars, with the three candidates receiving the highest vote totals each to be elected to a full three-year term to commence on July 1, 2026 and expire on June 30, 2029. 

Candidates must submit a completed petition containing the names of 100 or more qualified voters within the school district to be eligible for the May 19 ballot. Petitions are due back to the Superintendent’s Office, 197 Martin Road, Jamestown, N.Y., by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 29.

Petitions can be obtained from Rhonda Frank, JPS District Clerk, and any questions about the Board of Education petition process, voter registration or absentee voting applications can be directed to Ms. Frank at (716) 483-4420 or by email at rhonda.k.frank@jpsny.org.

Q. What is on the May 19 ballot?

The community will be voting on four items: the 2026-27 School Budget, a proposition to approve the sale of district property on Harrison Street to the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities, a proposition for the James Prendergast Library to increase funding by $70,000 annually, and three Board of Education seats for three-year terms to commence in July 2026 expire in June 2029.

Q. How will the proposed 2026-27 JPS Budget affect my taxes?

There is no increase in the School Tax Levy. In fact, the levy is at the same level as it was in 2010-11, which means that JPS has been able to continue the trend of keeping school taxes flat for over a decade.

Q. What are the highlights of the proposed 2026-27 budget?

The proposed budget focuses on academic support, facility upgrades, and student programs while maintaining fiscal responsibility at no increase to the tax levy. Key investments include the addition of 13 full-time positions, including six teaching positions at the middle school level (Persell and Washington) to support core instruction, and four positions to expand arts programming, including two middle school strings teachers, a music/marching band teacher, and a high school art teacher. The budget also strengthens student support services through the addition of specialized classroom and support positions, including an 8:1:1 teacher at Lincoln Elementary School, a 12:1:3:1 teacher at Jefferson Middle School, an integrated co-teaching position at Persell, and occupational and physical therapists. The budget further supports the continued development of the Innovation Center at Rogers through the addition of an assistant principal and secretary to support workforce development programming. It also includes a $100,000 transfer to capital outlay, along with investments in safety and infrastructure, including radio and camera replacements and enhanced security measures at Jamestown High School.

Q. Where can I vote?

Polling locations are at Lincoln, Washington, and Jefferson schools from 12 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, May 19. You can vote at any of the three sites. Please call the District Office (716) 483-4420 for information on polling information and where to vote.

Q. What are the two additional propositions on the ballot?

There are two additional propositions on the ballot this year. Proposition No. 2 authorizes the district to sell property on Harrison Street to the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities. This property is no longer regularly used by the district, and the BPU has expressed interest in purchasing it for infrastructure needs. If approved, proceeds from the sale would be deposited into the district’s general fund to support student programs and services.

The James Prendergast Library is also seeking authorization to increase funding by $70,000 annually (Proposition No. 3). Under NYS Education Law §259, public libraries may place funding requests on a school district ballot. The school district serves only as the voting and tax collection entity — if approved, the funds are raised through the tax levy and passed directly to the library and is not directly affiliated with the JPS budget. The library is funded through a tax district that was approved by voters in 2020. More information is available at prendergastlibrary.org.

 

The James Prendergast Library is also seeking authorization to increase funding by $70,000 annually (Proposition No. 3). Under NYS Education Law §259, public libraries may place funding requests on a school district ballot. The school district serves only as the voting and tax collection entity — if approved, the funds are raised through the tax levy and passed directly to the library and is not directly affiliated with the JPS budget. The library is funded through a tax district that was approved by voters in 2020. More information is available at prendergastlibrary.org.