5681- School Safety Plans

Policy: School Safety Plans	Policy Number: 5681
Date of Original Policy: 07/10/2002	Date Revision Adopted: 07/11/2018
Reviewed by Policy Committee: 09/15/2021	Date of Next Review: 08/19/2024
Replacement of Policy Number:

The District has developed, and will update by July 1st of each succeeding year, a comprehensive District-wide school safety plan and building-level school safety plans, as enumerated in Education Law and Commissioner’s Regulations, and in a form as prescribed by the Commissioner of Education. These plans will be designed to prevent or minimize the effects of serious violent incidents and emergencies and to facilitate the coordination of schools and the School District with local and county resources in the event of such incidents or emergencies.

Each plan shall be reviewed by the appropriate school safety team on at least an annual basis, updated as needed and recommended to the Board of Education for approval. The district-wide school safety plan shall be adopted by the Board only after at least one public hearing, which provides for participation of school personnel, parent, students, and any other interested parties. Further, the Board shall make the district-wide school safety plan available for public comments at least thirty (30) days prior to its adoption.

District-Wide School Safety Plan

District-wide school safety plan means a comprehensive, multi-hazard school safety plan that covers all school buildings of the School District that addresses prevention and intervention strategies, emergency response and management at the District level and has the contents as prescribed in Education Law and Commissioner’s Regulations.

The District-wide school safety plan shall be developed by the district-wide school safety team appointed by the Board of Education. The District-wide team shall include, but is not limited to, representatives of the School Board, student, teacher, administrators, and parent organizations, school safety personnel and other school personnel.

Building-Level School Safety Plans

Building-level school safety plan means a building-specific school emergency response plan that addresses prevention and intervention strategies, emergency response and management at the building level and has the contents as prescribed in Education Law and Commissioner’s Regulations.
The building-level plan shall be developed by the building-level school safety team. The building-level school safety team means a building-specific team appointed by the building principal, in accordance with regulations or guidelines prescribed by the Board of Education. The building-level team shall include, but not be limited to, representatives of teacher, administrator, and parent organizations, school safety personnel, other school personnel, community members, local law enforcement officials, local ambulance, other emergency response agencies, and any other representative the School Board deems appropriate.

Filing/Disclosure Requirements

The District shall file a copy of its comprehensive district-wide school safety plan and any amendments thereto with the Commissioner of Education no later than thirty (30) days after their adoption. A copy of each building-level school safety plan and any amendments thereto shall be filed with the appropriate local law enforcement agency and with the state police within thirty (30) days of its adoption. Building –level emergency response plans shall be confidential and shall not be subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Law or any other provision of law.