Jamestown Schools Superintendent Dr. Kevin Whitaker, right, is pictured Thursday. P-J photo by Eric Tichy

Dr. Kevin Whitaker began his tenure with the Jamestown Public Schools District in June 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It was the ultimate “baptism by fire” for the incoming superintendent, School Board President Paul Abbott said.

Those efforts in leading the school district during the pandemic were noted by Abbott moments after the Jamestown Public Schools Board voted unanimously Thursday to extend Whitaker’s contract through 2027 via a contract amendment.

Whitaker was about to enter the third year under his original contract but the board approved a new five-year commitment.

“We are very pleased to come to an agreement with Dr. Whitaker,” Abbott told reporters following the special meeting, later adding, “we are excited at the idea of having someone here to keep a consistent plan for the future of the district. It’s just very exciting that he’s going to be here for the next five years. We’ve had some turnover in that position that we didn’t expect. I think it brings stability to the district.”

Abbott said Whitaker took the reins “essentially at the dawn of COVID.”

“I’ve been on this board since 2008,” he added, “so I can’t speak directly for times in front of that, but it’s hard to imagine a time in education that was more difficult than that. Everybody was learning how to handle that; there was no blueprint for how to handle that. He brought us through that with grace and professionalism and handled, really, a terrible situation better than I think any of us could have hoped for.”

After the special meeting, Whitaker expressed his appreciation to the school board and district. “I’m pleased to continue to work with this great Board of Education, this wonderful city and this fantastic school district,” he said.

In other news, the school board on Thursday unanimously approved a new five-year contract that had been agreed upon with the Jamestown Principals Association. Contract negotiations, Whitaker said, lasted a couple of months and involves all building principals, assistant principals and the athletic director.

Whitaker said the contract includes raises of 3% across the five years of the new contract and involves the opportunity for professional development.