Rolling in the Know
Keeping JLSD families informed
Thank you for choosing the Jackson Local School District to enroll your child! We are excited to work with you to make sure your child succeeds. Our goal at Jackson Local is to nurture and challenge our students so they become lifelong learners and confident leaders. We believe education is a partnership, and we know you are an expert when it comes to your child. We hope you will share your expertise with us. We look forward to standing alongside you and sharing your child’s success in the years ahead. Again, thank you for choosing Jackson Local.
FIRST QUARTER COMPLETE; STRONG START
Our first nine weeks are in the books, and we're proud of the work our students and teachers have put in. Grades in the Home Access Center are active. However, the Report Card feature is inactive while grades are finalized this week. The Report Card features in HAC will be activated Friday after 12 PM.
A fresh quarter is a great chance to build momentum. Ask your student what they're proudest of this quarter, and what they want to tackle next.
Academic challenge is a Jackson strength. Our students' Performance Index (academic achievement) on Ohio state testing is among the top 10% in the the state!
Thank you for partnering with us!
JTFD TRAINING AT SOUTH PARK
The Jackson Township Fire Department (JTFD) will hold a training exercise in Jackson South Park from Tuesday, Oct. 27, through Thursday, Oct. 29. Crews will practice a rescue scenario: locating a person on the park's trail system and removing them as efficiently as possible. The drill helps firefighters get to know the area so they're ready if an emergency happens there. If you visit the park this week, you may see emergency vehicles and personnel, which is part of the planned training. Safety vehicles may be located on Jackson Local School District property as part of this training.
FOOTBALL: FIRST OUTRIGHT LEAGUE TITLE IN 25 YEARS
Jackson football (8-2) earned a first-round bye in the OHSAA Division I, Region 1 playoffs and will host a regional quarterfinal on Friday, Nov. 6 at 7 PM. Jackson will play the winner of the Hudson vs. Euclid game. Go Polar Bears! The 14-7 win over Hoover last Friday clinched the outright Federal League title for the Polar Bears, the first outright league championship since 2001.
SOCCER, VOLLEYBALL, CROSS COUNTRY OHSAA TICKETS
EVERY DOLLAR. EVERY STUDENT. THEY ALL COUNT.
Jackson Local’s energy conservation program has helped our taxpayers avoid more than $6 million in energy costs. Five of our school buildings have each surpassed $1 million in utility savings, and the sixth is nearing that milestone.
Those savings help protect the resources that support student learning. Taking care of our buildings and making responsible use of energy are part of taking care of the investment our community makes in Jackson.
Fiscal Responsibility. Student Opportunity.
SOURCE: CENERGISTIC
GET YOUR TICKETS TO GREASE
Jackson High School students are bringing Grease: School Version to the Jackson Center for Performing Arts! Join us for familiar songs, energetic performances and a chance to support our student cast and crew.
Tickets are on sale now. Last year’s show sold out, so we encourage families to purchase tickets now!
Performances:
November 12 and 14 at 7 p.m.
November 15 at 2 p.m.
This year’s poster features original artwork by JSA senior Caitlyn Graham—another way students are contributing their talents to the production.
Thank you for supporting the students and staff who make these performances possible. We look forward to seeing you at the show!
NOVEMBER ELECTION INFORMATION
JHS CONSTRUCTION GETS $4K GRANT FOR TOOLS
The Associated General Contractors of Summit County awarded Jackson's Construction Technology program a $4,000 grant to buy tools for our students.
DeWalt connected us with White Cap, a national construction tools and equipment supplier with a location right here in Jackson Township. Dustin Payne at White Cap put together a tool package that made the most of the grant and included many free add-ons.
The tools arrived last week, and our students are ready to put them to work. Thank you to AGC of Summit County, DeWalt, White Cap and Dustin Payne for investing in the next generation of builders!
REGISTER FOR SMARTSOCIAL ... IT'S FREE FOR YOU!
The SmartSocial Digital Citizen resource has become an essential tool for Jackson Local School District, helping families make safer, smarter decisions in today’s digital world. Jackson Memorial Middle School parents lead the way with the most parents registered to utilize SmartSocial, followed by Jackson High School.
Activating your membership, provided by Jackson Local Schools, is easy. Just visit this link or click the button below.
Popular resources — like the BAND App Guide for Parents, Screen Time Tips for Better Sleep, and YouTube and Tweens: Tips for Families to Use YouTube Safely — give families easy-to-follow tools to guide their children through apps, games, and social media platforms safely.
Founded by digital safety expert Josh Ochs, SmartSocial emphasizes positive digital citizenship. Students are taught not just to avoid risk, but to build a thoughtful and respectful online presence that reflects well on their futures.
In short, SmartSocial helps our students and parents feel more confident, connected, and in control of their digital lives—an increasingly important skill in today’s tech-driven world.
REGISTER FOR LIVE EVENTS, AND WIN PRIZES
When Screens Turn Mean: Combat Online Bullying & Support Positive Student Behavior
Sometimes the first sign of cyberbullying is small: a child stops checking a group chat, seems upset after looking at their phone, or pulls back from friends.
Join this impactful workshop to learn how to spot the signs of cyberbullying, tips to protect your child, and build a safer digital future together.
JACKSON LOCAL EMERGENCY WEBPAGE
The Jackson Local School District has added an Emergency Information webpage that will serve as a landing page to update our parents, guardians, and stakeholders of emergent situations in our buildings. The page is populated with helpful resources to parents and instructions. Please take time to visit the page using the button below.
STUDENT ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES
There are plenty of new opportunities to find enrichment opportunities for your children. Be sure to check out the postings on our Student Enrichment Page, located here or click the button below.
The materials provided herein are solely for informational purposes and do not constitute an endorsement by the Jackson Local School District of any individuals or organizations involved nor of the messages conveyed within these materials. Absent a specific and express statement to the contrary, please be advised that the activities promoted by these materials do not have an affiliation with, nor are they sponsored or endorsed by, the Jackson Local School District.
YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS CLARIFYING STATEMENT
We’d like to clarify that youth sports programs and non-profit youth organizations for students in grades K–6 are not part of the extracurricular programs offered by the Jackson Local School District. These activities are organized and run independently by volunteers within our community.
In some cases, youth sports leagues receive support from high school athletic booster clubs, but it’s important to note that these booster organizations collaborate with, rather than operate under, the Jackson Local School District.
We’re grateful to our community volunteers and booster organizations for providing these opportunities that help young athletes learn, grow, and build #PolarBearPride from an early age.
FAQs ON ENRICHMENT FLYERS WEBPAGE
We know families are looking for opportunities to get kids involved in new activities. To make things easier, here are answers to some common questions about our Community Flyer and Student Enrichment page.
Q: Does the district endorse or recommend organizations that appear on the community flyer page?
A: No. The page includes a disclaimer stating that the information provided is for reference only and does not represent an endorsement or sponsorship by the Jackson Local School District. Unless noted otherwise, activities listed are not affiliated with or sponsored by the district.
Q: Does the district background check individuals associated with those posting flyers.
A: The district only conducts BCI/FBI background checks on board-approved employees and volunteers. For outside organizations, parents and caregivers should contact those groups directly to ask about their background check procedures.
Q: How does a flyer get posted on this page?
A: Please visit the JLSD and Community Flyer page here, and complete the form on that page. Flyers must offer opportunities that enrich students’ experiences to be considered for posting.
Q: Who can submit a flyer?
A: Community groups, non-profit organizations, and educational partners may submit flyers. For-profit businesses may be considered if their programs provide direct enrichment opportunities for students.
Q: Is there a cost to post a flyer?
A: No. There is no charge for organizations to submit a flyer for consideration.
Q: How long will my flyer remain posted?
A: Flyers are typically posted until the event date passes or for 30 days, whichever comes first. If you would like your flyer posted for a longer period, please include that request in your submission.
Q: Are electronic versions of the flyers the only way information is shared?
A: Yes. To reduce paper use and streamline communication, all approved flyers are posted digitally on the district’s Community Flyer webpage.
PARENTSQUARE NOTIFICATION SETTINGS
All school, grade-level, and classroom communications will now come through ParentSquare. To get the most out of ParentSquare, we encourage you to download the free mobile app, available for iOS and Android. You can also access ParentSquare from your web browser at www.parentsquare.com. If you want to receive calls and/or text messages about snow days and calamity days, please see the information below on how to manage your notifications.
To help you, we will provide links to various lessons and quick videos to help navigate the platform. Here is that first lesson on an introductions to ParentSquare.
You DO NOT need to sign up for ParentSquare. All parents in our district already have a ParentSquare account. You do need to log in and verify your account using the email address that you used to register your child using First Day Forms. In order to update your contact information, this must be done in our Student Information System by calling the building secretary that your child attends.
BACKPACK PROGRAM TO HELP JACKSON STUDENTS
RiverTree Church in Jackson Township organizes the Backpack Food Program and coordinates the distribution with Jackson Local Schools. The program helps more than 200 Jackson Local students. The program aims to send home a variety of easy-to-prepare meals and snacks for students over the weekend. There is no income requirement to participate in the program. The bags are delivered to the schools.
Material and financial donations can be made to RiverTree to support this initiative. The program has immediate needs for:
2026-2027 SCHOOL YEAR CALENDAR
EMERGENCY ALERTS
COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS FOR PARENTS
The safety and security of our students and staff is our top priority, and timely communication with parents and guardians is essential. We want to ensure that families stay informed in a clear, consistent, and efficient manner. Our district uses a mass notification system to send important messages through three primary methods: phone calls, text messages, and emails.
To prioritize urgency, we classify these communications as follows:
- **Phone Calls:** Reserved for the most urgent notifications. This is our highest priority method for critical updates.
- **Text Messages:** Used for important updates that may not require an immediate call, but still require prompt attention.
- **Emails:** Sent for general updates or follow-up information that does not need urgent action.
In many cases, you may receive a communication through all three channels for maximum accessibility. However, if you happen to miss an urgent all-call from the district, or if your voicemail box is full and cannot receive our message, we ask that you avoid calling district offices directly. Instead, you can view the same message on our district’s website, where urgent notifications are posted as alerts.
This process ensures our staff can focus on the safety and security efforts in progress, without the additional burden of managing incoming calls. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding as we work together to keep our schools safe and keep you informed.
Thank you for partnering with us to make sure every student’s safety is supported.
PRESCHOOL INFORMATION PAGE
Are you or someone you know looking for information on preschools in the Jackson Local School District area? Check out our preschool information page for more information.
Don't miss out! Local Jackson area preschool programs are accepting registrations now. Help your child develop socially, emotionally, and academically with an enriching program. When your child enrolls, they aren't just kindergarten ready, they're JACKSON KINDERGARTEN READY! Tuition reduction is available for those who qualify. Visit our preschool webpage to learn more and register today:
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The materials provided herein are solely for informational purposes and do not constitute an endorsement by the Jackson Local School District of any individuals or organizations involved nor of the messages conveyed within these materials. Absent a specific and express statement to the contrary, please be advised that the information promoted by these materials do not have an affiliation with, nor are they sponsored or endorsed by, the Jackson Local School District.
SPORTS SCHEDULES
The Jackson High School sports season is upon us with student-athletes participating. If you would like to take in a game, please scan the QR code to see our sports schedules or click/touch here.
ALL JACKSON LOCAL BUILDINGS RANKED BY U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT
For the second year in a row all six Jackson Local Schools (Amherst, Lake Cable, Sauder and Strausser Elementary Schools, Jackson Memorial Middle School, and Jackson High School) have been recognized as a best school by U.S. News & World Report. This is an awesome national recognition by our schools. It is a testament to the collaboration between our schools, teachers, students, parents, and families. Thank you for your partnership in educating your child(ren)!
PURCHASE TICKETS, PAY FEES
In order to purchase tickets to Jackson High School sporting events or pay athletic-related fees, you can do by visiting this website. The ticketing link remains the same, however, there has been a slight change to the location of that site on JacksonPolarBears.org. Please see the illustration below on how to navigate to this site from our athletic website.
HOME ACCESS CENTER
The Home Access Center portal has been activated for all Jackson students. Parents should create their own accounts to access the portal. Please take a look at the video tutorial below for how to create your account.
Technical issues should be directed to your child's school.
MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES TO HELP
The Jackson Local School District started an initiative this school year to share resources and tips with our parents. We are providing more resources from our district mental health partners. We hope you find value in these resources from our mental health experts.
DOWNLOAD THE JACKSON LOCAL APP
SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING
You can use the link below to our anonymous reporting system through Sandy Hook. Simply type in Jackson High School or Jackson Middle School and select the school for which you are reporting a tip.
JACKSON LOCAL SEEKS TO SERVE CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES
Within the intent of the federal statutes (Rehabilitation Act of 1973-section 504 and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act IDEA-public law 105-17), the Jackson Local School District continues its effort to locate and identify children with disabilities from birth through age 21. Children with disabilities have physical, emotional, and or mental impairments that may require special education. Public schools provide free and appropriate education regardless of a child’s disability. However, before these children can be served, they must be found. Many of these children are not visible because they may not function in the community’s mainstream, and many are preschoolers. Parents may not realize that programs and services are available through their school district or from agencies in their community. If you are aware of a child who may need a special education program or services, contact Kathy Brand, Jackson Local School District’s Special Programs Director with any question you may have regarding the above notice at 330-830-8006.
HOW TO REACH US
Striving for Excellence
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Superintendent: Christopher DiLoreto
Board of Education:
Lia Jones, Esq., president
Scott Gindlesberger, vice president
Christopher V. Goff, Esq.
Robert Hite
Thomas W. Winkhart, Esq.
Email: contactus@jackson.sparcc.org
Website: https://www.jackson.stark.k12.oh.us/
Location: 7602 Fulton Drive Northwest, Massillon, OH, USA
Phone: (330) 830-8000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JacksonLocalSchools
Twitter: @JacksonLocal_SD