Jenkintown School Board Brief

Dear School Community,
Welcome to the 3rd edition of our board newsletter. We were very busy this month and are happy to report that we voted to approve the superintendent's recommendation for a new elementary school principal, as well as the Jenkintown Education Association contract.

We have a lot to look forward to this spring, as we see the full return of many beloved traditions! As always, please let us know if you have any questions and if there is any information you'd like to see included in this newsletter.

-Megan O'Brien

Please use the following link for access to board meeting agendas and minutes.

https://www.jenkintowndrakes.org/school-board/

At the combined Board work session and business meeting on Monday, April 25th, the Board approved the following items in addition to all of the regular reports provided in BoardDocs:

- A three-year contract with the Jenkintown Education Association has been approved. The Board appreciates all of the time and effort that went into the negotiations this year.

- The appointment of Dr. Christopher Jahnke, for the Elementary School Principal position, was approved. The school community is thrilled to welcome Dr. Jahnke to Jenkintown beginning in August, 2022. Information about meet and greet events with Dr. Jahnke will be forthcoming.

High School Principal Tom Roller gave a presentation on the interpretation of middle- and high-school test data for our school district as well as how the new data tool, LinkIt, can be utilized to best meet the needs of our students.

Technology Director Jim Cummins gave a presentation on the budget implications of improved broadcasting capabilities.

Business Manager Karen Ovington gave a presentation on the development of the school district's budget for the 2022-23 academic year. The board will vote on the Proposed Final Budget at the May 9th meeting, and the Final Budget for 2022-23 at the June 13th combined work session and business meeting. Additionally, she presented a 5 year financial outlook using Forecast5, a new district financial software tool. This will allow the Board to plan responsibly for our future needs.

If you would like to view these presentations, you can access the meeting recording on the Jenkintown School Board web page - https://www.jenkintowndrakes.org/school-board/

Everyone is excited for the return of our regular Color Day celebration on May 27th this year. The event will start at 8:30am on West Avenue in front of the elementary school with the parade of all grades. Races and class events will be held on the football field at Highland Avenue, followed by an early dismissal around noon. We're all looking forward to see if Blue or Red emerge victorious this year. Come out and root for your team and cheer on our students!

In light of the JSD's recent gas leak emergency, we'd like to remind everyone to make sure your contact information is updated in the PowerSchool system. Having the most accurate contact information for you is extremely helpful in case of these types of emergencies.

• May 3rd, 4th & 5th - Math and Science PSSA's, E.S. and M.S.
  
• Monday, May 9th 7:00pm - School Board Work Session
• Friday, May 13th - M.S. Adjudication Trip
• Monday, May 16th - Keystone Exams for select grades
• Monday, May 16th 7:00pm - School Board Business Meeting
• Wednesday, May 18th 6:00pm - Renaissance Night/International Festival
• Thursday, May 19th 7:30pm - Jenkintown Theatre Arts - "Peter and the Starcatcher"
• Friday, May 20th 7:30pm - Jenkintown Theatre Arts - "Peter and the Starcatcher"
• Friday, May 27th, All Day - COLOR DAY is back!!
• Monday, May 30th - Memorial Day Holiday
  
  

Athletic Event Schedules can be viewed at this website https://jhs.digitalsports.com/