Jamestown High School Resource Officer Jeremy Maggio presents to Jamestown School Board (May 17, 2023)

The Jamestown School Board has approved hiring a company to perform a security vulnerability assessment of school buildings.

Jamestown High School Resource Officer Jeremy Maggio presented to the board on the resolution.

He said the district’s Safety and Security Committee, which he is part of, recommended Amoured One to do the assessment after several weeks of research, “Armoured One is a company that is nation-wide. They currently go to every active shooting that has happened across our nation. Whenever one happens, as soon as they find out that something is going on, they’re currently getting an airline ticket and flying to that spot, or driving to that spot to assess what had happened, how do they fix an active shooter situation or a mass casualty situation.”

Maggio said the company will look for vulnerabilities and weaknesses as well as what’s done well, “They will then grade and rate each business or school based on a nationwide category. They look at myself, as being an SRO, to make sure things are being done properly.”

Maggio said the time estimate for when Amoured One could do the assessment is sometime in June or July. Board President Paul Abbott said his preference is that they do it as soon as possible so that the assessment happens while classes are in session.

Superintendent Dr. Kevin Whitaker said the cost estimate for the assessment is between $17,250 and $19,000. Once the assessment is done, a report will be given to the Superintendent, the Safety and Security Committee, as well as the School Board.

Jamestown Public Schools vote results for May 16, 2023

Voters have approved the Jamestown Public Schools’ 2023-24 Budget.

The $101 million proposal passed by a vote of 555 to 127.

Voters also approved the creation of a $5 million Capital Reserve Fund by a vote of 575 to 106.

The three school board seats that were open were won by John Panebianco with 576 votes, Christine Schnars with 514 votes, and Paul Abbott with 512 votes. The fourth candidate, who did not win a seat, Melissa Paterniti, received 240 votes.

Panebianco, who is replacing current board member Shelly Leathers who declined to run again, said he’s excited to join the board, “It’s a new chapter in my life. I’m excited to be part of this wonderful team and continuing to help students in the Jamestown School District.”

The results remain unofficial until the JPS Board of Education’s Canvass Vote Meeting tonight at 6:00 p.m. The meeting will take place in the Board Room of the Administration Building at 197 Martin Road.

School budgets

Polls open at noon today in the Jamestown Public Schools District with voting open until 9:00 p.m.

People may go to Jefferson or Washington Middle Schools; or Lincoln Elementary School to vote.

The $101 million 2023-24 school budget has no tax levy increase.

The budget does include the hiring of 18 new teachers, most of whom will staff new Student Support Centers.

Besides the budget, a proposition will also be on the ballot to fund a new Capital Improvement Reserve Fund with up to $5 million.

Four candidates are also on the ballot for three seats on the Jamestown Public Schools Board of Education. In order of appearance on the ballot, they are: Paul Abbott, Christine Schnars, John Panebianco, and Melissa Paterniti.

For more information on the budget and school board candidates, visit jpsny.org

This is the first time the annual Art Show is taking place since 2019.

The public is invited to view the artshow from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. tonight and from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, May 17. The art show can be viewed by entering through the gymnasium doors at Jefferson Middle School, at 195 Martin Road.

Each Jamestown art teacher selected pieces of student artwork to include in the show, including the 2023 District Art Show poster, which was designed by Miguel Fontanez, a 12th grade student in Marygrace Anderson’s Computer Art class at Jamestown High School.

Light refreshments will be served during the opening of the show tonight.

The Jamestown Parent-Teacher Organization held a “Meet The Candidates” forum on May 11, 2023 so the public could learn more about the four candidates running for three open seats on the Jamestown School Board. The candidates include Paul Abbott, John Panebianco, Melissa Paterniti, and Christine Schnars.

Jamestown School Board candidates
Top Row: Paul Abbott, John Panebianco
Bottom Row: Missy Paterniti, Christine Schnars

Jamestown School Board Meet the Candidates Forum.
Left to Right, Top to Bottom: John Panebianco, Paul Abbott, Christine Schnars, Melissa Paterniti (May 11, 2023)

Candidates for Jamestown School Board shared their experience and why they’re running for the board at a “Meet The Candidates” forum held Thursday night.

There are four candidates running for three open seats.

Parent-Teacher Organization President Joanne Dean and Treasurer Melissa Rhodes presented a series of questions submitted by the public to candidates.

New candidate John Panebianco said he’s running because of he believes his experience can help the district, “I started out teaching at the kindergarten and sixth grade level. I went from that to Dean of Students and a principalship. And I also was the Director of Pupil Services at Chautauqua Lake Schools and middle grade’s Principal. And then in Jamestown, I was also the Director of Pupil Services and then the Director of Human Resources.”

Current Board President Paul Abbott said he found while serving on the board that the problem solving involved is not too dissimilar from his career with Jamestown Police Department, “You have more time to think about stuff on the school board, but I’m used to dealing with conflict and problems and working through things. I’m from Jamestown and I’ve always been passionate about our district. And in my position as Commander of the Police Department, I was used to dealing with a lot of labor issues.”

Current Board Member Christine Schnars has been on the board for over 30 years and currently serves as second vice president and Area 3 Director for the New York State School Board Association.

She said she also is currently a member of the Erie 2 Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES Board, “The reason I decided to run again is that the last few years we’ve been through a lot here in Jamestown. A lot in this state and a lot in this country. We went through COVID and now we’re going through recovery and the recovery isn’t done. We made a lot of moves to help the students adjust and get back to where they ought to be. We’re not there yet. So, there’s a lot more work to be done and a lot more we need to do and I feel I have a lot to contribute to that work.”

New candidate Melissa Paterniti said she chose to run so her voice could be heard and be that avenue for parents who don’t know how the school board works, “So I can be that avenue for parents that don’t understand how the board works or try to teach people in the community how to get things to the board.”

Paterniti is Jamestown Community College graduate. She previously drove for Uber and Lyft; and is now employed by Ballgame Heroes.

The full Candidates Forum will be available on wrfalp.net and our Soundcloud by late Friday morning.

JPS Finance and Budget Director Brittnay Spry presents proposed 2023-24 school budget at public hearing (May 9, 2023)

The Jamestown Public Schools District has made its final presentation on the proposed $101 million 2023-24 budget ahead of the budget vote on May 16.

The budget has no tax levy increase and a 16.5% increase in State Foundation Aid. Because the increase is over 10%, the district was required to submit a Foundation Aid Plan to the state for how that money would be spent. That plan can be viewed at jpsny.org.

Finance and Budget Director Brittnay Spry said Governor Kathy Hochul‘s proposed set aside in Foundation Aid for use for High Impact Tutoring was rejected by the State Legislature. Had that been passed the district would have been mandated to use $900,000 in foundation aid toward tutoring.

The budget does include the hiring of 18 new teachers, most of whom will staff new Student Support Centers. A new Assistant Principal for Fletcher Elementary School is proposed as well given that Fletcher has the second highest student enrollment in the district, only behind the High School.

Besides the budget, a proposition will also be on the ballot to fund a new Capital Improvement Reserve Fund with up to $5 million.

The vote on the budget, capital improvement reserve fund proposition, and school board candidates will take place Tuesday, May 16 between 12:00 and 9:00 p.m. People may go to Jefferson or Washington Middle Schools; or Lincoln Elementary School to vote.

For more information on the budget and school board candidates, visit jpsny.org

The hearing will be held at 6:00 p.m. in the Jefferson Middle School auditorium.

The budget has no tax levy increase and, if approved, would hire 18 new teachers for new Student Support Centers.

Separate from the budget vote will be a proposition to fund a new Capital Improvement Reserve Fund with up to $5 million.

The public may give comments on the budget at the hearing.

The vote on the budget, proposition, and school board candidates will take place Tuesday, May 16 between 12:00 and 9:00 p.m.

For more information, visit jpsny.org.

From left, Deb Rein, Washington Middle School English teacher; Andrea Marsh, Washington Middle School assistant principal; Heidi Maggio, Lincoln Elementary School third grade teacher; Drew Maggio, Lincoln student; Diana Meckley, of the Kiwanis Club; and Cindy Johnson, Love Elementary School principal stand with copies of Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White.

Jamestown Public Schools students will be reading “Charlotte’s Web” as part of an all-district read that starts today.

Approximately 2,500 elementary and middle school students were given copies of the book by E.B. White as part of the national family literacy program called One District, One Book.

The program is made possible by non-profit, Read to Them.

Bush Elementary School Principal Kate Benson said staff and families from all eight elementary and middle schools helped select Charlotte’s Web. Each school nominated titles that were available in both English and Spanish and then all staff and families voted from that list of nominations.

In school, students will have assemblies around the book, answer trivia questions, and engage in creative extension activities including an upcoming field trip to a local farm.

New York State Capitol

After a month and a day late, New York State finally has a 2024 budget.

The State Legislature finished passing budget bills late Tuesday night for the $229 billion spending plan.

Governor Kathy Hochul was successful in getting changes to bail reform that expands bail consideration for judges.

However, her Housing Compact plan was put on the back burner for further post-budget discussion.

The approved budget also includes more than $34 billion increase in school aid. Jamestown Public Schools will receive $9.5 million more in foundation aid, for total state aid funding of $83,706,514.

New York State of Polictics reports the budget will raise the minimum wage in Upstate New York to $16 in 2026 and index the base pay to the rate of inflation.

The budget does not raise the personal income tax.

A planned ban on natural gas hookups in new construction also passed.

State Senator George Borrello issued a statement calling the budget a “bad budget” that ignores affordability and public safety. On the bail reform change, Borrello said, “The promised changes are nothing but a shell game that will do nothing to reverse the tide of rising crime. Ninety percent of crimes are still not eligible for bail. Judges still do not have the discretion they need to hold dangerous individuals, despite rewording of the ‘least restrictive’ standard.”