Jerry Jennex

jjennex@tjusd.net

760-372-2803

April 24, 2024

Dear Trona Joint Unified School District Students, Staff, and Community,

I just wanted to take a moment to finally greet all of you as I am in my 2nd month as superintendent of TJUSD. Over these past several weeks since I began in my role on March 4, 2024 I have very much enjoyed beginning to get acquainted with the school district, its students and staff, and the greater Trona community. It has been an exciting time for me to learn about some of the opportunities and challenges we all face in our efforts to provide the best education possible to the 247 students currently enrolled at TJUSD.

In my first few weeks I have observed that our students and staff are very much invested in the school district. The students are for the most part friendly and seem to feel comfortable with our small school setting. I see parents entering into the schools and supporting their student’s learning. Parents and community appear to be welcomed into the school buildings as well. I desire for us to continue to cultivate a welcoming environment.

As I observe and begin to make plans for the near future (the 2024-2025 school year) and longer term, I am convinced that the small size of TJUSD can become a significant asset to our district. I will work with the district leadership team to explore how we can use our small size to the advantage of our students. As superintendent I pledge to work with all of our constituents to promote a pathway of steady improvement in our performance to help us take advantage of our strengths and address our weaknesses.

The TJUSD mission statement emphasizes two action verbs that I trust will serve as catalysts toward improvement. The first action word in the mission statement is “educate.” We will continue to focus on the educational needs of our students. The second action word is “empower.” This word implies helping our students to grow their own skills and abilities to reach their full potential. I ask each member of our TJUSD community to help us on our mission to educate and empower our students.

I welcome your input and look forward to getting to know students, staff, parents, and the community in the upcoming months and years. My door is open and I welcome your calls with input or questions. My phone number is 760-372-2803.

Sincerely,

Jerry Jennex, Superintendent