BOE & Administration Continue Outreach with Virtual sessions February 24; Board seeks community input via online survey

Graphic with a purple background, using the Johnstown school logo, with the accompanying text "Community Outreach & Listening Tour"The Greater Johnstown School District Board of Education and Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Crankshaw, have announced Wednesday, February 24, as the date for the next virtual discussion session with the public as part of the district’s ongoing Community Outreach and Listening Tour. The first session will be held at 1:00 p.m., and the second session will take place at 6:00 p.m.

The sessions give the community a chance to hear directly from the Board of Education and the Superintendent about the current state of the district.

Two inaugural sessions were held in January with Board President Chris Tallon and BOE members Dave D’Amore and Beverly Alves, along with Superintendent of Schools Dr. William Crankshaw and GJSD’s Assistant Superintendent Ruthie Cook. A question and answer session followed the district’s presentation. The February 24 sessions are anticipated to follow a similar format.

In preparation for the upcoming session, the school district is asking for community input on the subject matter to be presented. An online survey is available here, with a list of topics to choose from. Community members may also use the survey to suggest a topic of interest. This survey will close to responses on February 12.

The 2021 Community Outreach campaign is a continuation of an initiative that was launched by the district in the 2019-20 school year, in an effort to open additional lines of communication with community members. Three in-person sessions were held in early 2020, but the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic ultimately resulted in the cancellation of the remaining sessions scheduled for the year.

The sessions give the community a chance to hear directly from the Board of Education and the Superintendent about the current state of the district, including recent decisions by the board, how the district is educating students during COVID-19, the district’s financial outlook and continued advocacy efforts on behalf of the District. A question and answer session will follow the district’s presentation.

The District also sees the public forums as a way to update the community on some of the more difficult decisions that have been made in recent years, including the decision to close and sell Jansen Avenue School and repurpose both the Knox Building and the former Glebe Street Elementary School.

Here is how you can participate in the Community Outreach Listening Tour:

PLEASE NOTE, you will need to register in advance for the February 24 Zoom sessions. Once you register, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar:

Wednesday, February 24, 2021 at 1:00 p.m.
Register in advance (required):
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Jmjt0wrPQtigto-jXpkm5w

Wednesday, February 24, 2021 at 6:00 p.m.
Register in advance (required):
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_nqOudfjIT1iBCab0kTYyMw