Allyson Smith

Allyson Smith has been named the new principal of Jamestown High School. Smith’s appointment, effective Jan. 16, was approved by the Jamestown Public Schools Board.

Dana Williams, the current building principal, will continue his service to JHS in an advisory role over the course of the second semester.

“Allyson, in addition to her exemplary service to JHS, did very well during the interviews,” said Dr. Kevin Whitaker, superintendent. “She really stood out throughout the process with each of our stakeholders groups. Her understanding of the challenges and strengths of Jamestown High School is quite deep and this understanding as well as the relationships that she has forged, will serve our high school staff and students well as we move into the next phase of leadership at JHS.”

“It is a pleasure to announce the appointment of Ms. Smith as the next principal at Jamestown High School,” said Tina Sandstrom, JPS assistant superintendent of instruction and school improvement. “Throughout her time at JHS, she has demonstrated leadership abilities that will aid her in ensuring long-term success in collaborating with teachers, students, and families.”

Smith has served JHS since 2020, first as dean of students and currently as one of the building’s assistant principals. Prior to joining the staff at JHS, Smith served for seven years as a special education teacher at Persell Middle School. She began her career as a private kindergarten lead teacher at KinderCare Learning Center in Webster.

“I am very excited to continue serving the Jamestown community through this new role,” Smith said. “I look forward to working with our students, families, and staff to collaboratively set goals aimed at student achievement and success. Working together, I truly believe we will have an increased positive impact on students to prepare them for their post-secondary goals, whether that be college or the workforce.”

In her time at JHS, she has led building-level committees for student academic and social behaviors and has worked closely with students to overcome obstacles and keep them on track toward graduation. She also helped oversee the start of two new programs at the Raymond J. Fashano Technical Academy: a new personalized learning program and two new classrooms to help bring students back to the district from an alternative placement.

Smith also has served on several district-level teams and committees, including the District Safety Committee, Dress Code Committee, Code of Conduct Committee, and Professional Development Committee. Smith received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Nazareth College, and graduated from St. Bonaventure University’s School Building Leader Certification Program in December 2019.

Outside of school, she previously served as a judging co-coordinator for the Chautauqua Area Scholarship Program and an instructional coach through the YMCA’s Power Scholars program.