Here's to the new school year. Here's to the Pioneers.

To Jonathan Alder Students and Families:

Welcome to the 2025-2026 school year! I hope your summer has been filled with rest, quality family time, and the opportunity to recharge.

As I reflect on the 2024-2025 school year, the Highlights and Accomplishments of our district, I am encouraged and excited about how we are living our new district motto to, Value the Past, Invest in Today, Elevate the Future.

It’s apparent and obvious that we are doing great work and Elevating Alder. The foundation has been laid. Now, it’s time to Connect.

Why Connect? Because connection is what brings meaning, direction, and strength to everything we do.

This year, our One Word focus is CONNECT, and we will be intentional and purposeful throughout the school year.

We will connect the dots between the work happening in each building, across grade levels, and among teams.
We will connect the learning, not only in classrooms, but among staff, leaders, and the wider community.
We will connect the lifting, so no one carries the weight alone, and all of us rise together.
And most importantly, we will connect in relationships, because trust, collaboration, and belonging are the roots of everything that lasts.

We’ve laid the groundwork; now is the time to weave it all together, to build stronger connections that move us from great intentions to lasting impact.

As we enter this new school year, I invite you to join me in embracing this One Word focus: Connect. Together, we will build upon the great work already in place, strengthen our partnerships, and ensure that every student, family, and staff member feels a sense of belonging and purpose at Jonathan Alder.

I am grateful for each of you and for the important role you play in making Jonathan Alder Local Schools a place where we all grow and thrive. Thank you for your continued trust and commitment to our students and community.

Here’s to a meaningful year ahead, one of learning, growth, and above all, Connection.

As always, we are here to serve. We remain focused on Valuing the Past, Investing in Today, and Elevating the Future. With your continued partnership, we will never stop Elevating Alder.

In Gratitude,

James Miller Ed.D.
Superintendent
Jonathan Alder Local School District

Bond Issue November 2025

How Bonds Calculate for Jonathan Alder Schools

Mark Your Calendars for Upcoming Events

Learn More at ElevateAlder.com

Carla Quick

Assistant Superintendent
Email

Becky Krall

Director of Student Services
Email

Emily Byers

Director of Technology & Innovation
Email

Nicole Schrock

College, Career, Workforce Readiness Coordinator
Email

Elise Whaley

Special Education Coordinator
Email

Day One Fun

Click the image above to check out the district's Back-to-School Hub

News From Across the District

Check out the Summer 2025 Pioneer Pages Magazine

The Summer Edition of Pioneer Pages is here! Inside you’ll find stories about the new living plant wall at the Junior High, a joyful Children’s Day celebration at Monroe Elementary, the Energy Bus at Plain City Elementary, and so much more.

Read the digital version here — and if you didn’t receive a printed copy at home, please reach out to Tyler Jester, District Communications Coordinator, at jesterty@japioneers.org.

Read More >>

New Traffic Routes at Jonathan Alder High School

For high school families, please continue to check out the new drop-off and pick-up routes.

Read More >>

JA Launches “Ask Jonnie” AI Chatbot on Website

In July 2025, Jonathan Alder Local Schools unveiled “Ask Jonnie”, a new AI-powered chatbot integrated into the district’s website to help families, students, and community members quickly find answers—around the clock and in multiple languages.

Powered by Apptegy’s AlwaysOn Chatbot technology, “Ask Jonnie” draws exclusively from the district’s own web content, ensuring that responses are accurate, up-to-date, and tailored to the school community. The tool reflects campus branding as users navigate from district-level pages to individual school sites, creating a seamless and familiar experience.

Read More >>

2025-26 Athletic Passes Now Available, Including Free All-Year Passes for JA Students

The Jonathan Alder Local School District and Board of Education are excited to announce that passes for all upcoming High School and Junior High athletic events are now on sale through the district website.

New This Year: The Board of Education has approved FREE All-Year, All-Sports Passes for all Jonathan Alder students in grades K–12 for home events during the 2025–2026 school year.

Read More >>

Breakfast & Lunch Menus Available for August 2025

Breakfast and lunch menus for August 2025 are now available on the district's website.

NEW FOR 2025-26: Student Meal Prices

PK-12 Breakfast: $1.75
PK-6 Lunch: $3.25
7-12 Lunch: $3.50

Read More >>

Pioneer Health Minute - August 2025

Here we are....August! The start of another fantastic school year is right around the corner! I hope you have all had time to rest and relax over the summer.

The following newsletter contains some helpful back to school health information for the start of the 2025-2026 school year.

Read More >>