Jamestown Public Schools

JPS officials said they became aware of a threat received via FaceTime early Monday night. The students who received it reported it staff members who notified the Jamestown Police Department.

JPD determined there was no credible threat to the school or to the students. The School District said that they and JPD are continuing to monitor the situation with parents and guardians of those directly involved being contacted.

Members of the public address Jamestown School Board (October 25, 2022)

Over 30 people attended the Jamestown School Board meeting with 13 speaking to the board with concerns about school safety and bullying.

The concerns were raised following a parent speaking at the October 11 School Board meeting about a bullying incident that was captured on video and shared on social media.

Parent Jennifer Buck, who has children at Persell and the High School, said every student should have to read and sign the district’s Code of Conduct. She also said the bullying of student is “out of control,” “My children have come home and spoke about how kids have made fun of their weight, their eyebrows, their skin condition. My daughter has been told to kill herself multiple times at Persell Middle School already this year. Have I reported these? No. Should I have? Yes, but my kids have begged me not to do so because it would make more harm than good. It makes it worse. I’m sure there is more they aren’t telling me because they know now is enough and I’m not being quiet. I just want my children, all children, to go to school, be safe, get the education they need to guide them through the rest of their lives.”

Anti-bullying signs outside the Jamestown Public Schools Administrative Building (October 25, 2022)

Parent Carla Gonzalez said the schools and students are facing challenges that require more than reactive efforts. She said parents at the meeting want protection for their children, “Specifically, with the installation of metal detectors and door sensors at all entrances of JHS. As the Board of Education, you could not expect a music class to be successful without instruments. You would not expect a math class to be as effective without calculators. You would not expect a basketball team to win without balls. Please do not expect our schools to remain secure without the proper equipment that can enhance the safety of our children.”

Tamu Graham-Reinhardt, who works for the Jamestown School District as its Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator, spoke up as a resident, saying that support is needed from the community, “And your frustrations are valid and I want to acknowledge them. I would also ask that if you are interested in being part of the solution, then we all should get together. I know that there was a survey that was put out and we should talk and look at problem solving. We are reviewing the Code of Conduct, so thank you for bringing that up. We are reviewing the Code of Conduct. I’m part of the committee. And anyone else, I would ask to come do that because it needs to be examined.”

Most of the speakers Tuesday night requested metal detectors be considered for school buildings.

Superintendent Dr. Kevin Whitaker said student safety and security has been taken very seriously over the two years he’s served as Superintendent of the district. He said that includes reinstating School Resource Officers, initiating a Threat Assessment Protocol, and hiring a Safety and Security Supervisor, “..Have been running emergency drills and crisis teams, attending workshops on the various emerging technology for detection and monitoring; developing a capital project that creates secure vestibules in all buildings – adding those to Persell and to the High School. Installing alarms for doors at the High School, making improvements and upgrades to cameras and entry credentialing, installing ten-foot fencing at the High School and bollards behind the High School to restrict vehicle traffic.”

Whitaker said the internal Safety and Security Committee will be expanded to include staff, teachers, students, parents, and community members, “We will review all of the available options for us. And we will make a recommendation. This is how the work of a community is done – effort, research, collaboration, communication, hearing different opinions and positions, and coming to a resolution that includes input from all constituent groups. That is what we want our kids to see as a model. This is how we can conquer any seemingly insurmountable issue.”

Whitaker said that the Safety and Security Committee will discuss if metal detectors are part of the solution and if the community is willing to deal with the ancillary consequences of that whether it’s the cost of the equipment, extra staff, or time involved with students going through the detection system.

He added that feedback can also be submitted anonymously to jpsny.org/feedback. He said that page also will give people the option to sign up for the Safety and Security Committee. QR codes are available at the High School for reports to be submitted anonymously as well.

In other business, the Jamestown School Board accepted bids totaling $500,155 to contract with Kinley Corporation, Mazza Mechanical Services, Inc., and Ahlstrom-Schaeffer to construct the Secure Entry Vestibule at Persell Middle School. This capital project had been approved by voters in 2021. Whitaker said that project is expected to be completed by Spring.

Traci Thompson

The Jamestown School Board approved Traci Thompson as the new Persell Middle School principal at last night’s meeting.

Mrs. Thompson takes over the position from Dr. Mike McElrath who retired this year.

JPS Chief of Schools Tina Sandstrom said Traci Thompson was chosen following a rigorous interview process, “Traci is in her 18th year as an educator. She has taught at the middle level as a science teacher. She has served as the STEM Coordinator in our district and, most recently, has been an Assistant Principal for one year at Jamestown High School and the last two years at Persell Middle School. So, we feel her knowledge, experience, commitment, and working with the Persell community will be an asset as she leads Persell forward to serve all of her students.”

Mrs. Thompson received her bachelor’s degree in Earth Science with a specialization in Adolescence Education and her master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from SUNY Fredonia. She also has certifications in Advance Study in School Building Leadership and Advance Study in School District Leaderships from SUNY Fredonia.

Mrs. Thompson lives in the Jamestown area along with her husband, Garrett, and three children.

Jamestown School Board meeting (May 18, 2022)

The Jamestown School Board approved a $610,000 capital overlay project for Persell Middle School at its meeting Wednesday night.

The project was first approved in the 2021-22 school year, but the district didn’t have enough funding in its accounts to move forward. With the passage of the $5 million capital improvement reserve fund by voters on Tuesday, May 17, the district now has the needed monies.

The overlay projects includes the construction of a new secure entrance to Persell Middle School. District administrative staff said Persell is the only school that doesn’t currently have a secure vestibule upon entry. The middle school’s administrative offices also will be moved to be adjacent to the new secure entry. Theatrical and house lighting will also be replaced in Persell’s auditorium.

The district will go out to bid on the project in the Fall.

School Board President Paul Abbott thanked and congratulated district staff on the successful passage of all budget items that were up for a vote on Tuesday, “I know there is a lot of work that goes into all of those things, and a lot of thought that goes into all of those things. And I know it’s been said before but this certainly helps set us up for the future. And that’s one of our goals to always not just be doing this year to year, but to have things in place so that our budgeting becomes a more stable process going forward.”

Abbott also congratulated Pat Slagle and Joe Pawelski on their re-election to the board. Their three-year term begins July 1.

The next Jamestown School Board meeting will be on Tuesday, June 7 in the Jefferson Middle School Auditorium.

Baker Street and Hazeltine Avenue Intersection by Persell Middle School

The City of Jamestown and Jamestown Public Schools have announced a partnership to conduct a traffic study for Baker Street and Hazeltine Avenue.

The announcement comes after two recent accidents involving student pedestrians near Persell Middle School. The traffic study will determine solutions to increase student and pedestrian safety around schools.

Jamestown Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Kevin Whitaker said in a statement, “The safety of our students is our highest priority. The recent incidents involving students crossing Hazeltine is highly concerning and it is important that we take action. We immediately increased supervision and monitoring during arrival and dismissal, and will continue to communicate with students and parents about crossing only in crosswalks.”

Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist stated, “It is both the City’s and School District’s responsibility to ensure the safety of children within Jamestown. We are a walking school district, which sets up clear challenges and safety concerns at schools throughout the city. While we work on the traffic study for the Persell area specifically, the team at the City will be looking at other improvements to pedestrian safety at all Jamestown schools.”

This time, the student was from Persell Middle School. The student last attended school on Monday, November 9. The district also said it is following all guidelines from the County Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and the Health Department has advised that no in-school contact tracing will be required. Out-of-school close contacts are being notified and appropriate steps are being taken.

It was the sixth case to be reported out of the school district during the past week. There were also two cases involving students from Fletcher Elementary School, one case involving an off-site student from Bush School, a case involving a high school teacher, and also a case involve another school staff member, though the location and building was not disclosed.

Jamestown Public Schools also announced on Friday that it is taking proactive and preventive measures to help lessen the community spread of COVID-19 during the holiday season. All schools will shift to fully remote learning for one week after Thanksgiving Break from November 30 to December 4. After returning to the hybrid schedule from December 7 through 22, the district plans a second week of remote learning following Winter Recess from January 4 through 8.

School superintendent Kevin Whitaker says the district wants to ensure the health and safety of students, staff and community by providing additional time at home in hopes of keeping a COVID-19 surge from happening in the schools.

He also said that if cases remain generally low in the school district, senior high students could begin returning to in-school learning in December.

For more information, please visit www.jpsny.org/reopening.

The Jamestown School Board during its Jan. 14 meeting at Persell Middle School.

JAMESTOWN – The Jamestown School Board held its monthly meeting Tuesday at Persell Middle School and members approved adding new staff members to accommodate the upcoming arrival of students into the school system who are currently attending the Gustavus Adolphus Learning Center (GALC).

Late last year Lutheran Jamestown, which operates the GALC, announced it was closing the facility. As a result the students at the facility would have to go to school elsewhere.

There are currently 16 students at the GALC who are Jamestown residents and those students will likely be brought into the Jamestown school district in late February.  Those students will be enrolled in special education classes at the Jamestown Tech Academy and the school board on Tuesday approved a resolution to hire two Special Education Teachers, four Paraprofessionals, one Principal; and one Psychologist in advance of the students’ arrival.

While the arrival of the new students will result in additional staffing, the district will actually save $4600 per student because the district will no longer have to pay Lutheran for taking in those students. According to district COO Lisa Almasi, the district was paying $36,664 per student to have them instructed at the GALC. With the students coming to Jamestown Public Schools, the new cost per each of the 16 students will be $32,083.

According to district officials, the GALC students will be taught at the Tech Academy with an eventual goal of bringing them into regular classes at the high school.

Today, local students will have another opportunity to meet one of the gold medalists as Raisman visits Persell Middle School at 9 a.m.  She is coming as part of the “Ask, Listen, Learn” program that is run by the Century Council to educate students on the importance of a healthy lifestyle and the dangers of underage drinking.

The appearance by the gold medalists is in conjunction with the Progressive Skating and Gymnastics Spectacular on Saturday night at the Jamestown Savings Bank Ice Arena.