Fayetteville-Manlius School District’s Safety and Security Task Force is expected to unveil its final report, which will include recommendations for next steps, to the F-M Board of Education on April 8.
The group, which is comprised of more than two dozen district and community representatives and led by SUNY Oswego professor and former county task force member Dr. Jaclyn Schildkraut, was formed at the beginning of the 2018-19 school year to assess the district’s existing security measures and review the findings provided by two security audits, which were completed this past fall.
“Our mission compels us to seek continuous improvement in establishing and maintaining a positive school environment,” Superintendent Craig J. Tice said. “When it comes to the safety and security of students and staff, our goal is to be proactive and not reactive.”
The districtwide audits were performed by True Security Design of Suffolk County and CLPS of Westchester County, and focused on four key areas: access to school district buildings and grounds, surveillance, communications and emergency management plans.
Based on the audits, the task force prioritized its recommendations for safety and security improvements and submitted a preliminary report to the board of education in December.
The initial report, which was devised to help guide 2019-20 school year budget development, called for a districtwide inventory of doors and door hardware; additional staff training, including bleed control education; a focus on mental wellness to meet the needs of all students; a review of industry security personnel standards; and evaluation of communications practices.
With its initial priorities established, the task force during its Feb. 5 meeting organized into subcommittees for each recommendation. Each subcommittee was tasked with creating its own set of recommended practices designed to support and sustain safe learning environments.