Message from Superintendent Jerry Jennex February 6, 2024

Letter from Superintendent Jerry Jennex

February 6, 2025

Dear TJUSD Students, Staff, Parents, and Community,

We are already well into the 2025 calendar year. Second semester has been rolling for a few weeks, winter season athletics are nearing their completion, and we are well past the midway point of the current school-year. I just wanted to take a moment to provide a brief update on some of the important happenings currently in process at TJUSD or items that will be happening over the course of the spring semester. I will highlight a few items of importance to
all interested in what’s going on at Trona Joint Unified School District.

1. School Safety – TJUSD is working on upgrading its school safety processes. We are redistributing Standard Response Protocol posters for display in all areas of the school and will be doing an update with our staff on February 24, 2025 to remind staff about emergency response procedures. Additionally, TJUSD leadership staff will be attending some webinars in late February about Standard Response Protocols and Standard Reunification Methods to provide further training for inclusion in district safety planning and procedures.

2. LCAP Report and Updating for Next School Year – The current year Local Control Accountability Plan mid-year report will be presented at the upcoming February 13, 2025 board meeting. Planning will be underway for the 2025-2026 LCAP revisions over the course of the spring. Members of the public including parents, staff, students, and other interested community members will be invited to attend LCAP planning sessions.

3. Employee Negotiations – TJUSD is currently in negotiations regarding an updated collective bargaining agreement with the Trona Teachers Association (TTA) to replace the current contract which expired on June 30, 2024. These negotiations have been ongoing for a few months and the parties (TTA and the district) have agreed to some language provisions but are currently divided on financial issues. The negotiations will be ongoing this spring. TJUSD is just in the beginning stages of negotiations with the Trona Classified Employee Association (TCEA). The district’s “sunshine” letter describing desired subjects of bargaining was presented at a special board meeting on January 30, 2025. Both parties (TCEA and the district) are seeking to negotiate an updated contract
as it has been a few years since negotiations have been conducted between TCEA and the district.

4. Upcoming Spring Events – There will be several events occurring over the course of the next few months which will be of interest to TJUSD patrons. There will be Junior Olympics again this year. A spring musical concert will be conducted. Family nights and special evening programs will take place in each of our schools. Please stay tuned as dates for those activities are selected. TJUSD will use all of its communication platforms (social media, Parent Square, etc.) to notify parents and community as these events approach.

5. Communications – TJUSD is working to improve notifications and communications with the community at large. There will be a focus over the next few weeks and months to improve our processes. I hope you will notice increased communication efforts. Thank you for the opportunity to update the greater Trona community on school news. I hope you will join us as we seek to “Educate, Empower, and Engage” all of our students.

Sincerely,

Jerry Jennex, Superintendent