(WNY News Now) – JAMESTOWN, N.Y. – The Jamestown Public Schools Board of Education has approved changes in leadership at Jefferson Middle School, appointing Jason Mank as Interim Principal through the end of the 2023-24 school year. The changes come following the transition of former Jefferson Middle School principal Leslie Melquist to K-12 principal at Sherman CSD prior to the holiday break.
“I’d like to thank and celebrate Mrs. Melquist’s service to the Jamestown Public Schools over the course of her entire career and wish her the best as she moves forward,” said Dr. Kevin Whitaker, JPS Superintendent. “We are grateful to Mr. Mank for his willingness to step into this important leadership role for the rest of this school year. Mr. Mank has demonstrated a commitment to student success throughout his career and is well equipped to handle this transition.”
“We are pleased to have Mr. Mank stepping into this role for the rest of the school year,” said Tina Sandstrom, Assistant Superintendent for Instruction and School Improvement. “Mr. Mank’s wide range of experience will be an asset to the students, families, and staff of Jefferson Middle School.” Mank has spent over a decade serving the district in instructional and administrative capacities. He spent 10 years teaching history and psychology at Jamestown High School before becoming the building’s dean of students in 2009. In 2014, he was appointed as the assistant principal at Cassadaga Valley Middle/High School, where he served for two years, before spending six years at Wellsville Secondary School as senior assistant principal. In 2022, he returned to JPS as a JHS Assistant Principal at the Raymond J. Fashano Technical Academy prior to becoming Jefferson’s assistant principal in September.
“I am excited for this opportunity to work with the Jefferson community and continue its tradition of excellence,” said Mank. “During this interim period, I look forward to building relationships with students, families, and staff to ensure student success.”
Mank received a bachelor’s and master’s degree from SUNY Fredonia and educational leadership degrees at Gannon University and St. Bonaventure University and possesses New York State certificates as both a district and building leader.
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