Dr. Kevin Whitaker, superintendent, outlined on Tuesday what is being called the Innovation Center at R.R. Rogers School. He said the goal is to offer career and technical education programming to students from the elementary level to the high school.

Prior to that, Rogers will be used to temporarily house three classrooms from M.J. Fletcher Elementary School beginning in September due to capital project work taking place at Fletcher.

“We are excited to begin the process of reopening Rogers,” Whitaker said in a statement released by Jamestown Public Schools. “The district has worked across the involved departments to help prepare a plan for students and staff to occupy the building for the beginning of next school year, which will allow our Fletcher students to continue their instruction with little disruption. It also allows us to lay the foundation for the exciting programming we plan to begin the following school year.”

Whitaker further detailed plans for the Innovation Center during a reorganizational meeting Tuesday. Known as Phase 2 for Rogers’ re-use, and slated to kick off for the 2024-25 school year, the superintendent alluded to the large percentage of students who graduate high school without concrete plans for their future. The center, once fully formed, will partner with local manufacturers and employers to “expose kids to various possibilities of employment” in a range of fields, Whitaker said.

The Jamestown Public Schools Board on Tuesday welcomed Abrielle Monaghan and Karlee Rock as its new student representatives. Submitted photo

“In its conceptual form, we have students who are graduating from our school that, some percentage, know what they want to do … that kind of know where they’re headed,” he said. “It’s a very small percentage.”

He added, “We have a much larger percentage, 60% or more, who do all the right things and pass all the courses and pass all the tests, and they graduate and go, ‘What am I supposed to do now?'”

The Innovation Center at R.R. Rogers School will be boosted with assistance from Jamestown Community College and possibly BOCES. Whitaker said students across all grade levels will have the chance to be introduced to several industries. Examples include biomedical, manufacturing, welding, construction, coding, robotics and aviation.

Student exposure to different careers can begin at the late elementary level and end with partnerships and internships toward the end of high school. Use of the center will take place during the school day and afterward.

After years of being used for storage, Rogers housed the district’s Success Academy program in 2019. For the 2022-23 school year, the 41 Hebner St. building was used for the T.E.A.M. program.

In other district news:

¯ Paul Abbott was again elected president of the Jamestown Public Schools Board while Patrick Slagle was again elected vice president. The board also welcomed John Panebianco, who took his oath of office earlier this month; he was not in attendance Tuesday.

¯ the school board welcomed Abrielle Monaghan and Karlee Rock as its new student representatives for the 2023-24 school year.

Monaghan is the daughter of Aryn and Patrick Monahan and serves as senior class historian, president of Key Club, and captain of the varsity girls tennis team. She is also a member of the girls flag football team, the A Cappella Choir, and has participated in the school musical. Monaghan was a student representative on the district’s Code of Conduct committee last school year.

Rock is the daughter of Stephanie and Erik Williams and is involved in varsity softball, varsity tennis, concert band, National Honor Society, Key Club, Ski Club, and School Store Club. She was also a member of the Code of Conduct committee during the 2022-23 school year.

“It is important that students know that they have a voice with the Board of Education and I look forward to working with Abrielle and Karlee this school year,” Abbott said. “We have had a very successful five years working with students in this role and I hope the JHS student body continues to utilize this opportunity to provide suggestions and input. I also hope their presence sends a message to all students that they are welcome at any BOE meeting because they are the reason we do what we do.”