Carmen Perez

Student safety was top of mind at Jamestown Public Schools District Board of Education on Tuesday night. From questions on masking to bus safety, it was made clear that student safety is a high priority for everyone involved.

During the public comment session, a parent addressed the board, asking about masking breaks for students. The parent was concerned there were many regulations on masking, but a specific regulation had not been made regarding mask breaks for students attending JPS schools.

Superintendent Kevin Whitaker addressed the issue in his Superintendent’s report.

“As reported and as communicated to parents and the community, we move forward with reopening school, five days a week, full-time. The guidance we have been given is nearly three-foot distances, so that has allowed us to bring kids back. Coming with that is a requirement that students are masked. You may have heard, or read, or whatever process you get your news, that the governor via the New York State Health Department has issued a mask mandate, and that mask mandate has the force of law from the Department of Health that essentially says that all people who are inside a school building must wear masks. It’s called universal masking.”

In that mandate, Whitaker said there were no provisions made for mask breaks specifically, however, the local health department will be providing the district guidance on the issue “very soon,” he said.

Max Martin

“What we are planning on doing, which is similar to last year — at least a five-minute break every hour,” Whitaker said.

He added that screenings, cleaning protocols, and other precautions are also being taken this year in much the same way they were done last year.

Board President Paul Abbott asked that when specific guidelines around the issue are released, that the message gets out to each school.

“We’re all learning and kind of trying to maneuver our way through this maze as things keep changing,” Abbott said. “But, it’s most important that we let parents know so that they can give their children guidance and expectations.”

Abbott, later in the meeting, also put out a request that the public take extra precautions when driving as school in the region starts up again.

“We ask everyone to be mindful of the fact that we will be having students, and in all of the surrounding districts as well, back out on the sidewalks and streets in the early morning and midday tomorrow,” he said. “We ask everyone, as it’s something certainly we’re not quite used to for quite a while now, so we ask everyone to be a lot more diligent and a lot more cautious during those hours. Parents, encourage your kids to keep their eyes wide open when they’re out there, especially until they get used to their routines.”

In other news, the board also appointed two career development/community navigators to assist in connections between families and the district. Max Martin and Carmen Perez were approved for these positions during the Tuesday night meeting.

“It is essential to build strong relationships between our families and our schools to support student success,” Whitaker said. “With their proven track records, these two individuals will provide an excellent pathway for building relationships, communication and connections between our community and our schools. I am eager for them to begin their essential work.”

Martin and Perez will also promote opportunities at JPS to prospective students, with a particular emphasis on the Hispanic/Latino community and related organizations. They will assist with the development of intercultural community and school partnerships, events hosted at the school and off-campus, and work toward the development of a student engagement and leadership organization comprised of both college and district students, who will act as mentors and role models for prospective students.

Born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Martin is the president and CEO of the Hispanic Community Council of Chautauqua County. Martin is a veteran of the United States Navy and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Information at Tampa College and a Masters degree in Business Administration from Florida Metropolitan University. While serving in his current leadership role with the Hispanic Community Council, Max is also an instructor and Hispanic Outreach Coordinator at Jamestown Business College.

“I am looking forward to continuing my work to support students and families in the Jamestown schools,” Martin said. “This is an excellent opportunity to build bridges between schools, families, and our community.”

Perez has worked for Jamestown Public Schools since 2007. Most recently, she was the Career Development Liaison providing outreach to Hispanic and Latino students and families regarding academic and social needs and a point of contact for Jamestown High School students, in consultation with and the request of JHS teachers and staff. Perez provides support to the district’s English as a New Language department, manages the Spanish JPS social media page, and helps as an on-call translator. She is the co-advisor for the JHS Futuros Latinos Club, a PRHYLI Puerto Rican Hispanic Youth Leadership Institute Trainer and a member of the JHS Equity Committee.

“I am very pleased to be one of the Hispanic Navigators for the Jamestown Public School District,” Perez said. “I’ve worked for JPS for many years and I have met many amazing students and their families, all who loved the communication between the school and home. But as we know more work has to be done, many more Hispanic families and community members need to be reached. This is very important to me because this will help bridge communication between the school district, students, families, and the community. I can not wait to get started!”