The Jefferson County Board of Education (BOE) will hold a public hearing on the 2026-2027 proposed budget on Tuesday, May 26. Read the Full Story >>
Jefferson County Schools
2026 School Board Candidates Respond To Questions From The Observer
The Observer sent questions to all seven of the candidates running for the Jefferson County Board of Education (candidate Ranale Jones appears on the ballot but she has withdrawn from the election). The candidate images and responses are shown in the order the names will appear on the ballot (a sample ballot image is included Read the Full Story >>
School Levy Supports Teacher Pay & Key School Programs
Jefferson County voters will decide on a $25 million/year excess levy to fund the schools. Read the Full Story >>
Tribute Hall Honors Page-Jackson High School
Delores Foster, president of the Page-Jackson Alumni Association, spoke to an enthusiastic crowd gathered on July 27, 2024 to dedicate the newly redesigned Page-Jackson Tribute Hall. Read the Full Story >>
Shepherdstown Day Care Center Celebrates 50 Years
Melissa Holman, director of the the Shepherdstown Day Care Center talks about the center's programs and challenges. Read the Full Story >>
School Attendance Matters For Academic Skills
Jefferson County Schools has designated September as “attendance awareness month” — an early emphasis intended to establish strong attendance patterns. Read the Full Story >>
Making Connections To Overcome Roadblocks
A lot of what makes local government work is listening to what’s on people's minds and connecting to the right resources to solve problems. Read the Full Story >>
New Superintendent For Jefferson County Schools
William "Chuck" Bishop steps into the role of Superintendent for Jefferson County Schools on July 1. The Board of Education voted on May 24 to hire Dr. Bishop from a pool of 17 applicants to replace the outgoing superintendent, Bondy Gibson-Learn, who resigned on short notice earlier this year. Bishop earned a Bachelor of Science in Education from Virginia Tech and his Master's and Doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Virginia and has thirty years of experience in K-12 education. The Observer spoke with Dr. Bishop as he was preparing to start his new role. Read the Full Story >>
Building a Learning Community
In the dog days of the pandemic I often wandered over to my neighbor’s yard. As we had for the past two decades, we’d explore new gems growing in her gardens while pondering the problems of the world. She’s a retired social worker, long-time resident, and youth volunteer in the community, and I’ve always valued her wisdom and enjoyed our talks. Read the Full Story >>
No More State Funds for Ranson Construction
Joyce White, Deputy Superintendent of Operations for Jefferson County Schools (JCS), spoke to the Board of Education at its regular meeting on April 24 to give a brief update on the new Ranson Elementary School project. “The contractor has equipment on site” was the report, pointing out the visible confirmation that the construction phase of the project is finally underway. The update on the school system’s request for additional state funding was equally to the point — “no additional funding.” Read the Full Story >>
Schools Search For New Superintendent — Input From County Residents Invited
The Jefferson County Board of Education has scheduled seven public sessions to collect input from Jefferson County residents about the search for a new Superintendent. Read the Full Story >>
School Board Looks At Options To Fund Increase In Ranson Elementary Construction Costs
Jefferson County Schools is exploring options to cover the $9.5 million increase in construction costs for the new Ranson Elementary school. Read the Full Story >>
Construction Costs Up For New Ranson Elementary School Building
The construction costs for the new Ranson Elementary School have increased $9.5 million above the estimated budget. Read the Full Story >>
Housing Trends And School Enrollment Projections
If the growth in home building in Jefferson County continues, the school population could be trending upward. Read the Full Story >>
County Commission Begins 2023 With Many Disagreements
Jefferson County Commission starts 2023 with several disagreements and big change ahead. Read the Full Story >>