HERALD SCHOOLS

North Shore School District outlines ongoing, future security upgrades

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Administrators provided an update on the North Shore School District’s schoolwide safety and security plan at a Board of Education meeting on Nov. 29, briefing the public on completed, ongoing and future projects to improve its protocols and processes.
Before the end of last school year, the district had adopted a number of measures to ensure the safety of all students and staff, including: a single-point-of-entry system at all buildings; implementation of the RAVE panic button app; installation of text-alert capabilities to communicate with students and parents; standardizing all emergency drills; and approving Superintendent Dr. Peter Giarrizzo’s five-year strategic plan, which addresses issues of social-emotional wellness.
“This plan takes a critical look at our safety, security and mental health measures to ensure safe and secure buildings while also providing schools that are welcoming,” Giarrizzo said.
Giarrizzo was joined by Olivia Buatsi, assistant superintendent for business, and, John Hall, director of facilities to review the district’s progress on recent security improvements, and present long-term, capital projects that would be implemented by 2023, pending voter approval.
Phase 2

Buatsi spoke about recent improvements, part of Phase 2 of the safety and security plan. She added that board members approved the hiring of a half-day health and safety coordinator to oversee proper review and management of the district’s upgrades.
The district now has access to an anonymous reporting app developed by Sandy Hook Promise, a national nonprofit organization founded by several of the affected families from the tragic shooting in 2012. “Say Something” allows a student to anonymously report any suspicious activities or persons at school through the app or a web-based link. With the use of a new visitor management system, called ScholarChip, installed at each of the schools, visitors will be vetted by having their driver’s licenses scanned and checked against a database.
Using a recent grant from Intralogic Solutions, the district will erect a command center at central office, where all cameras will be integrated and live video footage from the interior or exterior of buildings can be viewed.
An ongoing improvement is the purchase of protocol flipcharts and checklists for respondents to reference in the event of an emergency. “We want to make it as easy as possible for people to have the information they need to respond,” Hall said. He added that the district would install additional flashing blue lights, activated during a lockdown, that are visible from the road at each of the buildings.
Other infrastructure improvements include the installation of PA speakers in all school bathrooms to relay lockdown messages and visual call-in systems that illuminate in loud areas, such as a gym or a cafeteria, when triggered.
Phase 3
Phase 3 addresses long-term, capital projects that would require funding through budget appropriations or a possible bond. The district is considering installing vestibules to secure and slow entry into front entrances, window film on first-floor classrooms, electronic door locks and more security cameras.
Perhaps the most important piece of the puzzle, however, is mental health training for key staff members. “If we’re looking at students and seeing the signs or the risk factors, it’ll be easier for us to address a lot of things ahead of time,” Giarrizzo said. He added that continued work through the five-year strategic plan would further bolster this training.
Trustee Joanna Commander applauded the plan’s focus on mental health. “Encouraging people to say something, and teaching them how to express themselves, is so critical,” she said.
Trustee David Ludmar echoed her claim. “Developing a referral process for dealing with at-risk kids cannot be emphasized enough,” he said.
Trustee Marianne Russo called the proposed security vestibules a “very cost-heavy investment. There is limited testing on how successful it is,” she warned.
Jerry Romano, a Sea Cliff parent, said mental health should be the “number one” focus of the plan. “In most active shooter cases the shooter is a student,” he said. “Without differentiating the threat, all the other stuff is useless.”
One parent suggested that the district’s Legislative Action Committee advocate for the passage of the Red Flag law, which permits police or family members to petition a state court to order the temporary removal of firearms from a person who may present a danger to others or themselves.
Greg Perles, the president of the North Shore Teachers Union, agreed. “The leadership change in the New York State legislature presents an opportunity for the board to instruct LAC to advocate vigorously,” he said.